The Influence Of Jazz Music In The 1920's

When someone mentions the 1920’s in America, one’s mind most likely jumps to The Great Gatsby and the romanticized images of flappers, prohibition and jazz music. While the basis of these are accurate, it undermines the significance of these phenomenons to the people who experienced them, especially jazz music. Jazz is a genre of music that defines America, but the fact that it was created by African-Americans is not emphasized as much as it should be. It originated from blues music, an African-American-made genre sung typically by men, that represented the hardships that black people faced. As African-Americans were shoved place to place because of their skin color, collaboration between different regions of black people resulted in jazz. Due to oppression after

A large population concentrated in a small space caused a multitude of black literature, music, and art to be created. This intense movement of black intellect is known as The Harlem Renaissance. Deemed as the “New Negro Movement” at the time, it created a black cultural identity unlike anyone in America or Europe had ever seen before. It defined the black American, highlighting their struggles and talent. As jazz music was pumped out of this movement, white people stood by in awe. This was music they had never heard before, and they could not stop buying records. In this way, jazz music created the first link between lack and white people, bringing them closer together as white racist mentalities strived to drive them apart. As whites realized they wanted to immerse themselves in the music, and culture, of black people, white and black musicians found themselves working together, and whites who were not musicians wanted front row seats. This is how jazz music during the Harlem Renaissance built an enduring bridge between black culture and white