1: Chapter A Multicultural Approach to Popular Music Appreciation 1/29/2008 12:10:00 AM
Culture a powerful process that is integral to what makes us human. "ever-changing values, traditions, social and political relationships, and world view shared by a group of people bound together by a combin. Of factors that can include common history, language, social class and/or religion" -music, food, clothing, etc attitudes, communication styles, thinking patterns hybridity music medium for understanding cultural hybridity, also acts as political medium communication barriers in communications- sterotypes related to culture and music culture used to mean class- high class, educated, now culture is like civilization, every group has its own culture MUSIC IN A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY dominant culture- one that is more powerful than other groups, stands at center of society Eurocentrism- dominant center of culture- white, upper-middleclass, heterosexual male perspectives subordinate culture- lack access to power and resources popular culture- the mass cultural forms of everyday life canon- the body of cultural knowledge that is said to be important for an educated or cultured person to know borderlands- spaces between cultures where people do not belong fully to one culture or another, or may ID with multiple cultures crossover- when a song or musician associated with one style takes on the characteristics of another style and achieves popularity in two or more genres music collective dialogue stretched out over years music and identity the music you listen to may infuence by how you ID yourself, or how you ID yourself might determine what music you listen to DEVELOPING A POPULAR MUSIC VOCABULARY
Rhythm- arrangement of time in music comprised of 4 elements: o beat- underlying pulse of rhythm o tempo- speed of beat ritard-slow down at end of song rubato- relaxed, less strict rhythm o measure- consistent grouping of beats in time o meter- the way the beats are grouped, or number of beats per measure waltz, triple meter, quadruple meter, backbeat(1,2,3,4) syncopation rhythms that place accent off the expected beat Melody- intervals- distances in pitch btwn 2 notes; hook- catchy melody, rhythm, or lyric Lyrics- scat singing- use of nonsense improvised syllables Harmony-
Chapter 2: African Roots
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vernacular music- they existed as fold or traditional music played in communities as a part of everyday life griot- served as storyteller, tribal historian, and entertainer- master musician kora- 21 string lute heterogeneous sound ideal consisting of many different, contrasting elements : "a mosaic created by the interaction btwn lead voice, chorus, rattle, metallic gong, hand clapping, various wind/string instruments, and drums which exist in greater or lesser degrees of complexity in all African ensemble music" call and response unique characteristics- gutteral effects: screams, moans, shouts; improv; shifts btwn singing & speaking; using blue notes groove; swing pentatonic scale 5 note scale blues scale- 6 notes ambiguous mode- cant tell if tune is in major or minor key AFRICAN INSTRUMENTS Membranophones- made of animal skins stretched over hollow longs Idiophones- like belss, gongs, shakers, rattles, etc Aerophones- horns and trumpets made of elephant tusks/animal horns Chordophones- fiddles, harps, lyres, lutes, zithers CLASS NOTES African music and communication? "musical codes" and rhythmicization as a means of communication during slavery (p. 25) "music as coded resistence" promoting escape to the North (p.25) African drums as both transmission view AND ritual view (p. 27) o Drums are audible over great distances o Used to communicate with the spirit realm African music and identity/ Slave owners in much of the South forbade drumming, fearing its political effects (p. 27)
When drums were banned, the body became a percussive rhythm instrument through foot tapping, clapping, and "patting juba" or body drumming (slapping the knees, thighs, shoulders, or other body parts to produce rhythmic sound) (p.29) coded resistance Islam is a monotheistic religion Almost all of the folk religions of Africa are/were polytheistic In African religions, different drums and drumming patterns were connected to different gods. Therefore, converting Africans to Islam necessitated the eradication/forbidding of drums Discussion Questions: Why/how did African musical retentions persist despite oppressive conditions? o Hybridity, made it hybrid with the new culture o Secret ways of continuing music, music as symbolic resistance o Banjo traditionally an African instrument, now used in southern white folk music o BECAUSE of the oppressive conditions the fact that they had to hide it resulted in the persistence and retention o Work songs helped people maintain a certain pace working What roles did music play in African cultures during the 17 th-19th centuries? o Religious, spiritual practices o Storytelling, history o Form of self-expression resistance to oppression o Hybridizing Why did African American slaves embrace a religion in which they were o o o at first forced to participate? Salvation, shows oppressed people being freed, hope They made it their own, incorporated music- hymns Excuse to not work going to church on Sundays
o Christianity proposes the equality of human beings, that people should not be slaves
As Africans converted to Christianity became immoral to enslave these Christians
What effect did Emancipation have on African American music and culture? o Play more freely, play more places, ability to get jobs and become musicians o Migration spread throughout the U.S. to influence other regions, blend with other types of music If African American music wasnt as oppressed as it was, it probably wouldnt have lasted and become such a huge foundation of the roots of popular music today. o Emancipation had an effect on white people too, white people playing African American music White people performing in "black face" painting their faces making fun of it in a sense First instance that European people played African American music More thought... Identify the various cultural groups that you belong to, both voluntary & involuntary. Choose 2 of these groups, and think about each group and your membership in that group. Next, try to describe how belonging to that group influences your life in terms of music. For example, how are your preferences influenced belonging to your family? By being male or female? By being Asian American, or white, or an international student? Finally, describe how communication is influenced by your membership in these two groups. o Not only language, also words that you use, nonverbal, verbal, mass media, interpersonally
Chapter 3: From Minstrelsy to the Blues1/29/2008 12:10:00 AM
Minstrel music linked to sense of patriotism Shared feeling of superiority over blacks unified nation of immigrants, even if some of those immigrants had arrived after blacks Blackface CLASS NOTES Comparison audio file (p.25) -"Louisiana" by Henry Ratcliff -fieldsong/worksong by fieldworker from Senegal in West Africa Did you find or pick up on any issues of culture and/or identity? On "Minstrelsy" (p. 37)
"For many white Americans at the time, minstrel music was linked to a sense of patriotism, and its popularity reflected an attempt to fashion in a new American musical identity that rejected... [Britishness]." "A shared feeling of superiority to Blacks was one of the few things that unified a nation of immigrants, many of them more recent arrivals than the African Americans they mocked." Creation of the category of "white" Popular music was part of what gave birth to this idea of a category of "white" Early examples of Latin American influences From tango influence on W.C. Handy in 1914 To Blind Lemon Jefferson who played Spanish-style guitar picking To Robert Johnson singing about "hot tamales" Women in Popular Music Gertrude "Ma" Rainey Bessie Smith Memphis Minnie "Sister" Rosetta Tharpe o influenced: Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, John Lennon & Beatles, Keith Richards, Isaac Hayes, Alison Krauss/ Robert Plant o First great showman of popular music A Little Bit More about Bessie Smith Bessie Smith Woman in Blues o Rumored to be Lesbian o Possibly Bi-sexual o Towards the end of her career, she sang about women- came out "Empty Bed Blues" audio blues artists were the ones who first suggested sex through lyrics blues artists were seen as rebellious More Gender Politics: Masculinity
The electric guitar, as a technological innovation, is connected to industrialization, modernity, technological experimentation and development The electric guitar becomes a symbol and icon for U.S. American identity Interestingly, the electric guitar gets articulated to men/masculinity Regionalism begins After people migrate northward during and after WWII, different regions developed different styles of blues. o Classic vs. Rural blues o Memphis blues o Chicago blues o Texas blues o Mississippi blues (Delta blues)
Chapter 4: Early Jazz: From Ragtime to Swing1/29/2008 12:10:00 A
CLASS NOTES Early Jazz: From Ragtime to Swing Jazz as a "striking example of cultural hybridity" (p. 59) In the 20s and 30s jazz was considered "black music" in More Latin influences Cuban habanera rhythms from the 1870s Mexican cavalry band, around 1885 (Turkish influence), introduced syncopated rhythms and melodies More tango in the swing era (p. 73) Other Latinos Jelly Roll Morton: "If you cant manage to put tinges of Spanish in your tunes, you will never be able to get the right seasoning... for jazz." Cultural-identity politics: Jelly Roll Morton o Could pass himself off as Mexican light skinned, some blacks couldnt play at certain clubs, go into hotels, bars, as a Mexican, he could get in Billy Strayhorn o Sidekick to Duke Ellington o Responsible for much of the success of Duke Ellington, wrote songs, let Duke Ellington take the credit because he was openly gay
Chapter 5: From Hymns to Wind Bands1/29/2008 12:10:00 AM
-church music -patriotic songs 1700s: "Yankee Doodle" o yankee insult meaning of word changed o jazz- used to mean something bad, now the genre o rock n roll meant sex o skank type of dance, way of playing reggae, derogatory 1800s: "Oh Susanna" (minstrelsy) o used to be a slave song -Steven Foster recorded black music, was white
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Chapter 7: Country Music
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-country musics awkward relationship with Blacks, or African Americans countless folk artists Ray Charles Charley Pride -country music is often connoted as ,,white music nowadays - a study from the 1990s reported that 25% of adult African Americans (radio audience) prefer country music - country music begins as the interaction of white folk music with black folk music, primarily in the Southern region of the U.S - country also has some influences of Mexican corridos (ballads).. Western swing was indebted to Mexican mariachi music - pg 133 Jimmie Rodgers, the "father of country music" made black music accessible to white audiences - This is in the tradition of minstrelsy.. white performers doing "black" music and bringing that music/culture to white audiences -Elvis Presley another example of this -Eminem another example
Chapter 8: Americas Afro-Caribbean & Latin Musical Heritage
African Influences and Retention affected by if slaves from specific African cultures were concentrated or mixed with other cultures policies colonial of powers survival of African religions European Influences Music of Spain and Portugal role in evolution of Latin music
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CLASS NOTES But first... a quick note on "diasporas" a diaspora involves the scattering of people far from their homeland however, when people migrate their relationship to their country of origin does not end the remain connected to their homelands.. transmitting cultural and economic resources back and forth music has often served as a significant medium of communication for various diasporas in the Americas "diasporic identity" having a foot in your culture, and also in the new culture What are some examples of diasporas? The Jewish Diaspora Jewish people are the "classic" example of a diaspora because of their strong cultural orientation toward a homeland Historically, Jews have established a presence all over Europe, especially throughout southern and eastern Europe (and central, to some extent) There has been a significant presence in the U.S., but there are Jews all over the Americas. The Irish Diaspora Irish people also connect to their homeland of Ireland, but there are actually more Irish people elsewhere Interestingly, there are more Irish-Americans in the U.S. than there are Irish in Ireland! Irish people have moved and established themselves throughout the U.S. but also in Canada, Australia, and elsewhere The Italian Diaspora Obviously, Italians originate in Italy, but there are Italian settlers in other parts of the Mediterranean Italian-Americans have been a significant population group in the history of the U.S. There are also large numbers of Italians in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and even Australia The Portuguese Diaspora
Aside from Portugal and dispersal to the Azores, Cape Verde, & parts of Africa Portuguese people have been a major presence in the history of Brazil, and also a presence in the U.S. and other places like Uruguay and Paraguay. Are there other diasporas? Can you think of other examples of diasporas? Africans African Americans slaves African Diasporas Various African diasporas We know that in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Brazil many African slaves were able to remain connected to people of their own ethnic groups o For example, Yorubans (fm West Africa) were brought to Cuba & Brazil, although there were also Congo, Dahomey, and Abakua people as well... in contrast, slaves in Jamaica were primarily from the Akan (Gold Coast) and Congo (Central Africa) o Also, slaves in the U.S. were all considered "black" or "Negro" as opposed to slaves in the Carribbean that maintained cultural/linguistic/religious ties to people of their homeland and their specific ethnic group. Likewise, the policies of the colonizers also had an effect on cultural retention. o Spanish, Portuguese and French slaves could actually work and save in order to buy their freedom o Whereas in the British colonies they could not... nor could they in the U.S. Religious identities also played a part. o Music served as in important part of religious rituals. o Music exercises in hybridity also became a model for hybrid developments elsewhere European diasporas European diasporas, specifically the "Iberian diaspora" Historically, the Iberian peninsula has always been a complex culture of settlements by various ethnic groups:
o Celtic inhabitants o "Gypsies" from??? o "Latins" of the Roman Empire o Visigothic and other Northern Europeans o Islamic "Morors" (Moors) of North African/Arab origin o Jews, or Judaic people Portuguese and Spanish colonizers carried "one of the richest" traditions of folk music, ballads, and dances (p 161) Those Portuguese and Spanish diasporas eventually influenced rural folk music in the Americas The French diaspora contributed to musical culture in New Orleans, but also to Canada- which eventually came to New Orleans as well. Irish, Scottish and English diasporas also influenced rural folk music in North America- specifically, the Appalachian region of the U.S. More examples of Latin influences The significance of Cuban musical traditions for the development of American popular music. E.g., Jelly Roll Morton also incorporate Cuban habanera into his compositions (pg. 164) Folk singers like Pete Seeger tap the "ethnic" market for musical inspiration: "Guantanamera" was popularized in the 1960s by folk singer Pete Seeger Seeger also introduced a popular Jewish folk song to the mainstream Other examples ??? Could this be the origin of World Music (or World Beat)? More importantly, is the term even useful or necessary given that so much of American popular music is the product of diasporas? The Mambo/Latin music craze of the 1940s/1950s was the real "Latin explosion" Interesting issues of culture and identity... The mambo was banned from radio in Cuba because it sounded "too African" (p. 168).. with the addition of big band instrumentation, it was a huge rage in the U.S. and elsewhere from the 1940s-1950s
The Palladium Ballroom (p. 169) as a model for desegregation "The Palladium was a phenomenon.. the place was a big melting pot- Jews, Irish, Italians, Blacks, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, you name it. Everyone was equal under the roof of the Palladium because everyone was there to dig the music and to dance." The idea of "Latin Jazz": Ray Barretto says, "its just Jazz." theres so much latin influence built into jazz already that you cant call it latin jazz Is "Latin Jazz" different from "Jazz?" If so, can you describe how? More issues of culture and identity... Salsa music emerges out of the interaction between Cubans, Colombians, Venezuelans, and New York Puerto Ricans (and others) POLITICAL COMMUNICATION: For "Nuyoricans," salsa music helped them develop "a new sense of cultural self-awareness" (pg. 175) INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION: salsa reflected a hybrid style that reflected inter-ethnic participation FACTOIDS... & other interesting things In the early 1960s, Bossa nova was the last jazz-based style to reach the Top 10 in the U.S. pop charts (p. 173) So when "the British invasion" in rock ,,n roll happened, it displaced bossa nova at the top of the pop charts (p. 173) But this isnt really unusual... When Bill Haley & the Comets scored their first-even #1 hit with "Rock Around the Clock," which basically ushered in the rock ,,n roll era, the song that was knocked off was "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White"- a mambo hit by Perez Prado Likewise, when the Beatles famously arrived in New York in 1963, Elvis Presley was having "Fun in Acapulco", which was a soundtrack album for the same movie and included songs like "Sports Car Rhumba" "Bossa Nova Baby" "Guadalajara" "Mexico" and others
One year later, Elvis was singing, "Viva Las Vegas" (1964), featuring songs like "Suspicious Minds" that feature mariachi-style trumpets. Discussion Questions: ****MIDTERM QUESTION***** What is a diaspora? Or, what are diasporas? How did diasporas influence the development of Afro-Caribbean & Latin music? (pg. 189) What was the role of African retentions in Afro-Caribbean music? Why are they important? (pg 189) What is salsa music? How did it develop? (pg. 190)
Chapter 9: Chicano & Mexican Popular Music1/29/2008 12:10:00 AM
But first.. What's the difference between... "Chicano" implies people in the U.S. implies a political ideology has to do with political empowerment is the complete opposite of "Hispanic"- Hispanic trying to be white Chicanos pride of being Mexican, bilingual originates in the 50s/60s argues against the old assimilation paradigm basically, Chicanos live in the U.S. and dont exist anywhere else "Mexican" Usually connotes somebody from Mexico, or at least, an immigrant to the U.S. from Mexico Can also be used to mean people that are culturally/ethnically "Mexican" but still live in the U.S. In this way, "Mexican" can mean the influence of culture (music, food, language, everyday life) as opposed to the person... MexicanAmerican, tejano, Chicano, Latino, Hispanic, etc BTW, what's the difference between... "Latino" or "Latino/a" Pan-ethnic identity Cross-cultural Transnational From: o Mexico o Cuba o Puerto Rica o Colombia o o o o Argentina Central American South America Latin America
"Hispanic" same things as "Latino" except that it is an English language construction
for many "Hispanic" implies assimilation to mainstream U.S. culture for some, "Hispanic" is the equivalent of the "N-word" for African Americans. You shouldnt say it, and its fightin words if you do "Hispanic" is increasingly un-PC and being replaced by "Latino" Notes on Corridos as Communication From the "transmission view" of communication (mass comm.)... Corridos are narrative ballads Corridos are story songs They tell stories They report events They report about important event in a city or region, about historical events, or about important people in a society Basically, they allow people to communicate over time and space Music is used to send messages Corridos commemorate events Historically, the function of corridos was to tell stories that were not printed in the papers Either because of lack of access to a printing press or print sources Or.. because it was a different side of the story, from the minority voice, not from the establishment or from the dominant culture Corridos told you the "real story" about "what really happened" From the "ritual view" (communication as culture and culture as communication)... Corridos are stories about public memory They are stories about what a culture thinks about itself They are stories that establish and maintain group identities From the intercultural view Corridos are stories about what happened from their side of the story Its about being able to tell their side Usually, its about Tejanos/Hispanos/"Mexicans" (MexicanAmericans) expressing their feelings about Anglo-European settlers in Texas So what does a Corrido sound like? Corrido de Mier (audio) Nowadays...
Narco-corridos Corridos about drug dealers and drug kingpin Culturally, they are very similar to rap and especially gangsta rap Corridos have blended w/ various other forms of American popular music like pop, r&b, rap/hip-hop and rock (Latin Rock or "Rock en Espanol") "El Barzon" by Maldita Vecindad y Los Hijos Del 5to Patio (audio) Some other interesting stuff.. (p. 206) "Lowrider" by War (audio) Communication as Ritual Lowrider cars as "ritualistic communication" Likewise, Rock ,,n Roll Oldies remain a huge part of the Chicano subculture in California and elsewhere Some other interesting stuff... (p. 207) "La Bamba" by Los Lobos (audio) Los Lobos Are commonly known for "La Bamba" (1987) Have actually won Grammys for Mexican folk music ("La Bamba") but also for blues music and rock songs as well Interestingly, their career took off when they opened up for the Clash during the late 1970s/early 1980s This "factoid" is usually thought of as strange: That the "La Bamba" band was hired as the opening band of The Clashs U.S. tour (1980?) but actually... "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" The Clash "Spanish Bombs" The Clash Ritchie Valens could pass as white, so he was able to play at white clubs, able to bridge the gap