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The impact of jazz on american history
Jazz History Essay
Jazz impact on African Americans
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Throughout America's history, African Americans suffered racism, bias, including constant scolding during the 19th century. Nevertheless, perspectives shifted distinctly, when the American Dream surged through hearts of the previously shunned race, migrating in mass numbers, known as The Great Migration. With the traveling immigrants, they brought about Jazz to liven up the dull streets with legendary names such as Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. Their new sounds caught thousands of people’s attention, improving the African American race to new confidence as never before. As a result, their legacy not only established new grounds for African Americans but also contributed to America’s modern swing to the sounds of Jazz.
Even though culture was booming everywhere during the 1920’s, nowhere was more exuberant than Harlem. The huge social, cultural, and artistic explosion in Harlem was called “The Harlem Renaissance” or “The New Negro Movement.” This movement’s main cause was to create a new black identity, to show blacks that they should be proud to be black. This movement gave light to many poets, authors, such as Langston Hughes, and gave birth to new styles of art such as Jazz. Jazz was described as “the essence of black music.”
In the realm of music, African Americans celebrated blues music. The blues music that spread during the 1920s “expressed the longings and philosophical perspectives of the black working class” (). In addition to blues music, jazz became a dominant musical form which established Harlem as an exciting cultural center, resulting in abundant dance halls created where famous musicians such as the trumpeter Louis Armstrong, pianist Duke Ellington, and pianist Fats Waller could perform their unique solos and share their musical talents in an environment that embraced the freedom of self-expression. These developments that occurred in this period called the Jazz Age indeed empowered African Americans to use their musical talents in an effort to strengthen their traditions, culture, and racial status in an anti-black prejudiced society: “"Wild Dreams of Bringing Glory and Honor to the Negro Race," addresses the composer's difficulties in overcoming negative stereotypes, myths, and perceptions that were most often based in racial prejudice” (). Similarly, African Americans contributed to the field of drama, forming all black theatre groups and creating productions that often focused on portraying the folk experience (the experience of blacks in the South) and protesting racial oppression and black stereotypes.
Jazz music has spread around the world. It has drawn on national and regional musical cultures. Jazz has been the most important social factor that black musicians were able to record the blues, gospel and more. These musicians lived through inequality and many discovered their freedom in jazz. It became African Americans freedom because jazz
Politically, the “Jazz Age” was still racist against the African American population. Although slavery had ended
During the late 1900’s, an aesthetic movement known as primitivism integrated itself into Modern art. African and Pacific Island motifs, fetishes, and design elements were adopted into the work of Modern artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Moore.19 The rise in popularity of these primitive inspired artworks helped to influence Black Americans in investigating and reconnecting with their own cultural heritage.20 One of the concerns facing Black Americans was how to merge the heritage of their ancestors with being an American. Through music, the Blues evolved from African tribal songs to songs workers would sing while laboring in the fields before and after slavery. When Black American migrated north, the Blues transformed into Jazz
Harlem, after all, was the capital of jazz music. Jazz music united Blacks and whites because this was a new, fun type of music that they had never seen. Performers like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington would perform in the Cotton Club. The Cotton Club would only accept whites to go in, even though many of the performers were African American, but they would still perform. Jazz music was so new and unique to the country because it used many new beats, sounds, and rhythms that were unheard of to the whites.
In the 1920s the African American was starting in earnest to place his or her stamp on American culture as a whole. It is in the era the seeds of revolution were planted that would bear fruit in the Civil Rights era of the mid 20th century. As the African Americans in New Orleans did make jazz the African Americans in New York and Chicago made Jazz what it is today and it helped many people see that what they live in is not what the have to stay
Despite Jazz being formed out of two cultures, the issues of social stratification and racial identity never had to be addressed in early jazz history. But as Jazz grew in popularity in a prewar 1930s America, the issue of racism started to form. As Jazz prospered within the economy and as a musical style, it’s roots revealed it’s racial identity. Jazz emerged from the music used formerly to entertain slaves and was a tool of rebellion against the white man, Jazz’z roots were very much embedded in slave culture. As free slaves moved north, they brought their Jazz influence to parts of the country such as Chicago and New York.
They were inspired to embrace their own culture and heritage instead of imitating the ways of white Americans. Jazz attracted whites to Harlem speakeasies, which are nightclubs where interracial couples danced (The Harlem Renaissance). However, the Renaissance had little impact on breaking the tough barriers of Jim Crow that separated the races (Jim Crow Laws). While it might have contributed to a certain relaxation of racial attitudes among whites, perhaps its greatest impact was to reinforce race pride among blacks. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, black Americans ignited an explosion of cultural pride.
Segregation was huge back in the 20s. Black people didn’t like the way they couldn’t do anything about it. So they beat the odds and started playing jazz. They created bands , had solo players, and showed that they could be great performers without the difference of race. They changed society for the better.
In life, there are few things as organic as jazz music. With its raw sound and scrappy roots, one cannot help but feel life head-on whilst witnessing players produce such a sound right before their eyes. Its origins and arch are a product of the United States’ national culture and identity. Jazz exists not only as a deeply rooted form of art but as a cultural marker, particularly during its commercial peak in the first half of the 20th century. Its impact transcends borders, and it is one of the most beloved musical genres worldwide.
The “pink summer time” of 1919 noticed outbreaks of city disease in many towns, which includes Chicago and Washington D.C. The African American press proudly reported that African americans exhibited the militancy of the brand new Negro in preventing lower back in opposition to those mob assaults. Black leaders spoke less of the vital role of elites as marketers of racial uplift and more and more embraced a politics of mass protest, exertions organization, and monetary analyses of the plight of African americans. Inside the realm of tradition, new urban musical bureaucracy as the blues, gospel and jazz voiced the social outlook and aspirations of running class blacks, and more and more came to define African American popular way of life, even as a few knowledgeable blacks considered those musical patterns controversial and no longer delicate enough to symbolize the race in a decent
Throughout the history of this country, the music of African-Americans has had a strong influence upon our society as well as our culture. This music started by carrying the slaves from Africa and is still with us today. The youth of today have retained certain elements within the music to form other unique styles of music. Jazz and hip-hop are two of the most widespread and popular forms of black music ever created. They were both strictly created by black musicians.
Jazz in New Orleans Jazz is such a unique and distinguished genre of music that delights the ear of every person who listens to it. Found in New Orleans, it grew in fame all around the world and will always be popular. Why New Orleans? The history of the founding jazz and what impacted it is astonishing.