Is the African-American culture responsible for America's music?

Thanks artistmosi, it sounds like a real good book. and thanks for bringing it back to the subject of the thread agin

 

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I thought some of you people might have been around and seen how much I hate racism, and how i have defended all humanity's right not to be judged by their skin color. ESPECIALLY YOU DUENDY. That is fucked up.

Fact- the beginning of all music was pretty damn unrefined, we can be sure. That says nothing about africans being unrefined 20 thousand years later. The point was that all music has its root back there (probably), but music is changed (by africans and non-africans), as different social groups take music and instruments and change them. And even beating on logs and grunting, if it were done well, is better than say, hilary duff.

Also, the last two girls I dated were black. I am working on soul, r&b, and hip-hop music more than rock right now and those musical innovations come at least 90% from people of african (at some point) descent.

I love all races equally, and i am a half-breed myself. Living in southern california I hear people talking shit about my mother - she is grouped in with the gardeners and fast food workers and i say - "fuck you, those fast food workers and gardeners are valuable humans, which is more than I can say for racist asshole hater bitches, and there are plenty of people of all races who have contributed in every way to this planet."

ALSO, I said "minor six chord" NOT minor sixth chord. They are not the same and my statement about the minor six is valid. Half of rock music is certainly not based around the minor sixth chord- don't post funny pictures about things you don't understand, I will refrain from hahaha-ing at you because I don't want you to feel bad.

I am just saying, give credit where it is due, and rock music is a black AND white creation, not a black one or a white one.

 

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"But some of my best friends are black!"

 

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Blues started out as an oral tradition. The black slaves would sing unaccompanied as they worked the fields and in this respect, there is a clear African influence, where unaccompanied singing is still a tradition in many African cultures. The singers sang melodies that fused European folk and church traditions, with African, but with a passion and feel that was far removed from any 'white' music of the times.

The transition to accompanied singing happened naturally and the original instruments used, guitar and harmonica, followed the basic modal scales that the singers (field hollerers) had used before the introduction of instruments. The Blues are a black invention with its roots in Africa, Europe and the church. Black gospel music is merely a branch of the Blues and obviously with the same roots.

Then came jazz, which took early 'white'/commercial dance music and injected it with a soul and passion that was probably unique to Afro Americans of the times. Jazz, using Blues as its root, evolved into a very elegant musical form requiring very high musical proficiency to be played well and its main proponents were and still are Afro Americans, with the exception of a number of hip white musicians, who would never dream of not giving the music's black originators their dues.

With the advent of electric instruments came Rock n Roll/Rhythm and Blues. This was definitely an evolution and branch of the Blues, especially in the early days (just listen to John Lee Hooker) and was originally strictly a black music. White's very quickly hijacked this musical form when they saw its commercial appeal and the original white performers started out with a watered down version, utilising elements of C&W, but then developing it into a more definable genre. Rock n Roll was embraced by white culture and musicians and evolved into myriad branches and one can safely say that nowadays Rock IS white.

The blacks took Rhythm and Blues and developed that into Soul music, which evolved into Funk, Funk Fusion, Rap and Hip Hop.

On the basis of the aforementioned facts, I would say that modern American music owes a great deal to American Africans.

 

What this all comes down to is that you can't deny that black people had a part in modern popular music....

However look at the title of this thread. It really does appear from that title as if the original poster is asserting that they were SOLELY responsible which seems to be the thing that a lot of posters have an issue with.

 

I haven't been around for that. But still, when you say something like africans beating sticks on trees, that just isn't funny. That is some fucked up shit to say. I'm suprised you haven't deleted your post or edited it yet. If one of my white friends said that (or black friends) I wouldn't be able to laugh at that. We would have a serious conversation about that. It just isn't funny. I have enough respect for people not to put down and belittle their ancestors. Africans had drums. They beat on drums.

 

Africans had drums. They beat on drums.

They also had flutes and whistles, stringed instruments and tuned percussion (marimba)

 

Did they paint themselves, or did others? Or, isn't that really just a social label for anyone whose skin is darker brown than average... =)

 

Dude:

1 – It’s highly likely that I understand this subject matter far better than you do.
2 – “minor six chord” is ambiguous. In print, case-sensitive Roman numerals are used. Call it the vi chord.
3 – Your statement may be true, but it is not relevant. I haven’t denied European influence on rock throughout its evolution. However, the vi chord still isn’t prevalent in very early rock. It should also be noted that the vi chord isn’t a European invention. A vi type harmony is found in the music of many cultures.
4 – You don’t have to worry about me feeling bad.

I missed the part where anybody was saying otherwise. (Of course G F Slcheebenwhatever thinks that’s what the original post says, but half of his posts involve implying that others said things they never did)

 

It isn't.

Minor "sixth", or minor "six" are completely different.
I would have written "vi", but I figured someone who wrote " o rly" in response to my statement abouut the chord wouldn't have any idea what "vi" meant.

Also, the africans I am talking about beating on logs untold thousands of years ago are the ancestors of EVERYBODY, white, black, and otherwise. If you make fun of them you make fun of your existence, and i wasn't making fun of them.
Humans didn't invent DRUMS and THEN make music, we can be pretty sure of that. That is why I didn't change my post.
What I am saying is actually more afro-centric than some people would agree with. Africa as the cradle of all of humanity, etc.
I thought the "mother africa" would explain it, but obviously not.

p.s. gsys - where did you go to music school? - I graduated from usc school of music and took a particular interest in music history as it related to international cultures.

ALSO, without the vi chord the rock ballad wouldn't exist, therefore AS I said, "half of rock" wouldn't exist.

Edit- the vi chord does not figure much into the blues music that influenced rock, that was the point, not that the vi is completely european.

 

and the voice of course, THE most versatile musical instrument

 

Well Jazz, the blues, and rap were all made by African Americans right? I think that's sort of silly, I mean a lot of people listen to that. You wouldn't hear someone say "Irish Americans have a huge influence on American music." They're American. Americans made it, and it's not about the race.

 

so let me ask you:
are you American?
are you black'?
were your ancestors brought to 'America' as slaves from Africa?

 

The ethnic culture of African Americans did not come out of nowhere. They created something using the European diatonic scale, but with a whole new type of rhythym. Much of the metronome-like beats of the drum stemming from pop music have a historically and profoundly different nature than say, a traditional snare drum in a marching band or a timpani.

 

Nah, my ancestors are from Ireland. And I don't live in America, but if I did I wouldn't call myself anything; only American.

 

alright...use empathy now...just pretend that you an Irish person had been taken to a different land and all your history was censored. you weren'e even allowed to use a favourewd musical instrument, your drum

Not only was your historical roots censored , but your very colour of skin was said to be inferior, as were your features. ie., you were said to be subhuman......and te people telling you this were 'American'

now i am aksin you straight. dont try and complcate things by justification or extrapolation...i just want an HONEST answer....how would you feel?

 

I don't know to be honest with you. I mean I would be American whether I liked it or not, but I could still use Irish sounding music, you know? But I could also play jazz or the blues or even rap.

 

Funny how you're demanding all these answers from other posters, Duendy, but when I asked you the same sort of thing yesterday your reply was "fuck off".

 

hmmmm it was your patronizing pushyness, and the mood i was in
in this case i am trying to convey what i might be like to be black in AMerica ....with racist attiudes ad callousness and ignorance regarding peoples feelings?