1. What is a "race" record? how were these records marketed?
A race record is a record that is mainly sold to African Americans. The record features talented African American musicians. These records were marketed by recording companies. One company was the Okeh Record Company. Race records were also being sold in stores and outlets, so they were marketed.
2. How did classic blues differ from country blues?
Country blues were authentic songs that were song by actually African Americans. Some people that performed these songs are laborers . Classic blues were less authentic then country blues. When the fascination for “Negro music” came along many song artist that weren’t African American decided to get into this craze. They started trying to make music that matched the fascination that was
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Why was radio more influential in the development of hillbilly music than in the development of race music?
Radio was more influencal for hillbilly music, because most people could afford the radio. At the time the radio companies were owned by white people, so they would play songs mostly made by white people, like hillbilly music. Race music however, wasn’t played on the radio since they weren’t made by white people.
Essay question
1. Starr and Waterman note that “the use of encoded, or hidden, meaning in the blues has its roots in many earlier genres of African American music.” These coded messages often take the form of referencing local landmarks (i.e., “where the southern cross the dog”) and sexual references (i.e., “That Black Snake Moan”). How do these traditions continue to impact popular music? Starr and Waterman note “songs of slaves could embody secret messages that were impossible to state directly in the presence of the masters or overseers.” Why might coded references be used in contemporary music? In which genres do you think this technique is most prevalent? Cite some specific examples of coded messages in contemporary music that reference this
[the black musician] improvises, he creates, it comes from within” (Gerard 28). Despite Malcolm X’s criticism of the classically-trained musician’s inability to improvise, the European-influenced creole musicians began to learn to create variation within ragtime’s syncopated form. Likewise, blues musicians adopted parts of the genre of ragtime and implemented it into their call-and-response based music. The merging of these two styles of music occurred as a result of external socio-political pressure of Jim Crow segregation, but ultimately helped establish an innovative and swinging genre of jazz
To start the switch in styles of Rock and Roll, the Alabama White Citizens Council came out with a pamphlet titled A Manual for Southerners . This literature acknowledged that it is the music industry that has the biggest influence on how kids present themselves from the way they dress to their mannerisms. The white, southerners who wrote this pamphlet were afraid their children would start interacting in interracial manners and wanted to protest this vulgarism by boycotting “Negro records”. (Larson page 53) This did not help in the upcoming battle towards civil rights for African Americans.
Blues music was the driving force of the entertainment industry during the 1920s. Originating in the Southern United States of America after Reconstruction ended, blues music was first created by African American communities. It remained a predominately Black form of entertainment until it was brought mainstream by Black women blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey. These artists and other blues singers were the most popular artists of the 1920s and brought much success to the record labels and producers that they worked with. Despite the accomplishments of these artists, they were often subject to exploitation and mistreatment by the same companies.
One of the most known examples of African American musical expression was shown through their spirituals, which brought them together. They often used their past or their surroundings to influence their expressions of themselves. Also, music took the path of soul and blues as it became more popular and accessible for African Americans to play together. Likewise, it opened up to blues and soul; later, it was
“All music is folk music, I ain’t never heard a horse sing a song” a wise quote from the one and only, Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong was one of the most important musicians throughout the early to mid 1900’s. He struggled but eventually made a name for himself at a young age and became one of the worlds most cherished jazz musicians. Being a famous black man during his time was unheard of, and so he had to protect that. At the peak of his fame the Little Rock crisis occurred, and throughout the rest of his life an entire civil rights revolution occurred.
During the time of Motown the way music was marketed was different. Music most often made for, and marketed towards white people, was considered pop music. Music marketed towards black people were considered R&B or “race” music. This created a large cultural divide between white and black listeners due to not many listening to both styles, but conforming to their racial type. Berry Gordy changed this racial barrier to make it accessible for people of all color, and making it appealing and enjoyable.
Throughout my time so far in class, I have been able to listen, read, and watch new types of music that all have formed from African American music. This music has served as a means of communication, expression, and hope for enslaved Africans
Country music originated during the early 1920s in the rural South of the United States. DeFord Bailey, the first African-American country artist, is known for his involvement with the Grand Ole Opry and his ability to play the harmonica in a way that made the audience cheer in excitement despite his skin tone. Although it may
Michigan, the heart of urban industrialization, undertook a blend of progressing experimental music with the persistent oppression of African Americans socially and culturally. Because Michigan was at its height of economic profits from technologically advanced products, such as car motors, positions for blacks were difficult to achieve. As for entertainment in the music industry, the “history of black owned record labels had been marked by frustration, cynicism, and unfulfilled potential” (George 52). Berry Gordy, inspired by these influences, decided to introduce a new perspective on African American’s capabilities of creating music that would connect with troubling conflicts, locally and globally. Additionally, the existence of civil right movements influenced blacks to further strive for justice.
As early as the seventeenth century, black musicians performed English ballads for white audiences in distinctively African American style… By the eighteenth century, slaves in these regions organized black election or coronation festivals that lasted several
Hillbilly music was the main genre of music for rural white American’s during the 1920’s. During our class discussion of hillbilly music, I immediately related the genre as the birth of country music today. Hillbilly music was an artistic expression by the people of the rural south. This concept is very similar to the country music that is produced today by musicians from the south who write their music based on what it is like to live in the country. During the time period of the 1920’s, Hillbilly music was only produced and sang by white Americans.
Then, there are the blues, a type of song developed by African American originally that many white American tried to appropriate from African American to only increase their wealth and fame while at the same diminishing the culture of African
Motown was a transformative sound that arrived just at the height of the civil rights movement. Such success coming from a black business and black artists forced the rest of America to reexamine their racial prejudices that they still clung to. It seemed that it’s founder, Berry Gordy, knew from the start that Motown was something special when he hung a sign that read “Hitsville USA” above the recording studio’s headquarters. The success was almost instant for most Motown artists with song after song becoming number one hits on major music charts. However, the success was not easy, as it took strenuous amounts of work to mold the artist’s looks and sounds into something that would popularize them among the white population.
You could say it all began to take off in approximately 1959 when Berry Gordy started his own Motown record label. Gordy, who is known as the founder of Motown, helped Rock and Roll get its roots and launched many successful black artists in the Rhythm and Blues genre, which include artists Blinky, Choker Campbell and his 16-piece band, Caroline Crawford, Debbie Dean, The Four Tops, Eddie Holland, David Ruffin, Mary Wells, and Stevie Wonder. Gordy was the main organizer for
The migration of workers to urban areas, prosperity, and the anxiety of social change all contributed to the development of Rock and Roll and Civil Rights. Social anxieties of the Civil Rights Movement such as: institutionalized racial slavery, segregation, discrimination, and the struggle for equality were strongly exemplified throughout African American music, which would soon transform into Rock and Roll. Essentially, Rock music originated amongst the African American culture deriving from jazz, gospel, rhythm, and blues. Ultimately, these genres together corresponded to create Rock and Roll. Seeing that music has the ability to reflect and influence social movements and interactions, the music that becomes popular can gain national recognition (“Concurrent