Black History Month With CyberFM – CyberFM
It would be absolutely impossible to function in this industry without having the greatest respect for the roots of the reason we are all here: Music. This month CyberFM will specifically Spotlight — 60 years of Black Music History.
Sixty years in the making, we bring you a portion of some of the most influential and phenomenal music ever heard. From Ella Fitzgerald and Jimi Hendrix to Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. You will literally hear history as it was made. Never being outdone, some of the greatest songs from the greatest artists have been influenced by many of the same, like a well-oiled machine within it’s own ecosystem.
Without Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson’s “Angola, Louisiana,” we’d never have gotten to enjoy “Paper Dolls’ by PM Dawn. Without Teena Marie, Queen Latifah may have not had the ambition to write and produce her own music.
“I used ‘Paper Dolls’ to demonstrate how I think we should be. Like the little cutouts that are holding hands all the time. I just used that image to show how people should be. No one thinks they’re prejudiced.” — Prince Be
Black music was influenced by historical conditions that reacted to a range of emotions. For example, the terrible conditions and difficulties brought on by slavery influenced early music from the 18th and 19th centuries. Spiritual, Labor Songs, and Folk are amongst the songs that resulted from slavery. During the Civil War, many African Americans were employed as Musicians playing Classical European music. In turn, the Ragtime genre occurred when Black Musicians blended African culture and rhythms with European classical music.
The end result of Ragtime would become Jazz; all musical styles are predominantly American, but primarily African American. Other styles of African genres included Blues and Gospel, leading to more contemporary types such as Soul, Rock N’ Roll, Rhythm & Blues and Hip-hop.
The Blues form the basis of American contemporary music. The Blues also greatly influenced the cultural and social life of African Americans. Across various regions, including the Mississippi Delta, Memphis, Chicago, Southern Texas, there have been geographically diverse blues incarnations. That regional blues manifestation features a unique sound and message which is recognizable. Mississippi Delta Blues, for example, spoke of the region’s poverty, while celebrating its natural and cultural wealth.
As stated earlier, Jazz developed from Ragtime, a syncopated instrumental form of American music. Jazz first materialized in New Orleans, and is often characterized by the artistic creativity of African Americans. Multiple forms of the genre exist today, from the 1920s big-band dance-oriented music to the experimental style of contemporary avant-garde jazz.
“Soul is about authenticity. Soul is about finding the things in your life that are real and pure.” — John Legend
R&B is another stylistically complex genre, precursor to Soul music, with origins in Jazz, Blues, and Gospel music. R&B continued to spread African American music and became popularized on our airwaves. Some credit it with advocating to society the idea of racial integration. Today’s version of the group assimilated elements of Soul and Funk.
Rock’ N’ Roll Music incorporates aspects of all forms of African American Music and blends them with components of American Pop and Country genres. The trend was born in the 1950s and contributed to American youth culture’s rebellious yearnings.
Hip-hop and Rap are musical traditions that are firmly built into African American culture. Like Jazz, Hip-hop has become a global phenomenon, and has been a driving force for mass media development. Hip-hop music has spawned an entire cultural phenomenon, though Rap remains a medium for artists to express their opinions and share their experiences on social and political issues.
A collection of musical styles scratches just the surface. In addition to the previously mentioned genres, African American musicians and artists have also developed and inspired, much more music, such as today’s Pop and Dance, as well as Disco, Techno and House. Millions of people around the globe listen to music that holds elements of African American musical traditions and it touches each and every one of us. Explore all of this variety on our Spotlight Channel, all February, at CyberFM Radio.
Published at Sat, 01 Feb 2020 01:03:05 +0000
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