Black music

Black music is a sound created, produced, or inspired by black people, including African music traditions and African popular music as well as the music genres of the African diaspora, including some Caribbean music, Latin music, Brazilian music and African-American music. These genres include spiritual,[1] gospel, rumba, blues,[2] bomba, rock and roll, rock, jazz, salsa, R&B, samba, calypso, soca, soul, disco, kwaito, cumbia, funk, ska, reggae,[3] dub reggae, house, Detroit techno, amapiano, hip hop, pop, gqom, afrobeat, and others.

For the Chocolate Genius album, see Black Music (album). For the British magazine, see Black Music (magazine). For the heavy metal subgenre, see Black metal. For music by Americans of African descent, see African-American music.

Background

Many genres of music originate from communities that have visible roots in Africa. In North America, it was a way that the early slaves could express themselves and communicate when they were being forcibly relocated and when there were restrictions on what cultural activities they could pursue. The sorrows of song were the only freedom slaves had working on cotton fields, and overall through labor tactics. This burden of slavery became a gateway for other genres of music like the blues for example. Black music does not just encompass sounds of the U.S. black experience but also a global black experience that stretches from Africa to Americas.[4]

The term for many coming from places of "black" origin can be perceived in a derogatory manner by cultures who see the term as a blurring of lines which ignores the true roots of certain peoples and their specific traditions. To refer to musical genres with strong African-American influence, such as hip hop music, is very limited in scope and is not adopted by academic institutions as a true category of music. The individual aspects and collectively of black music is surrounded by the culture in itself as well as experience. Black music is centered around a story and origin. Many artist start song with the things they experience first hand.[5] Musical blackness was a way of communicating and a way to express themselves especially during hard times such as slavery. Their songs were used to give guidance to one another and tell stories. The varieties of sounds and expressions used in the music helped stress their emotions.[6]

Black music started to reflect urban environments through amplified sounds, social concerns, and cultural pride expressed through music. It combined blues, jazz, boogie-woogie and gospel taking the form of fast paced dance music with highly energized guitar work appealing to young audiences across racial divides.[7]

Genres
Main article: List of musical genres of the African diaspora

See also

References
  1. "Negro Spiritual Singers". New Deal Network. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  2. Kunzler's dictionary of jazz provides two separate entries: "blues", and the "blues form", a widespread musical form (p. 131). Kunzler, Martin (1988). Jazz-Lexicon. Hamburg: Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag.
  3. Stephen Davis. "Reggae." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web.16. 30 January 2020.
  4. Singley, Richard Lawson (2021-02-02). "Roots: The Impact of Black Music on America and the World". Medium. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  5. "The soundtrack of history: How Black music has shaped American culture through time". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  6. Humanities, Center for the (2011-07-09). "What is Black Music?". Center for the Humanities. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  7. Wickham, Phebe (2021-06-22). "Exploring the History of Black Music -". Music Forward Foundation. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  8. Pecknold, D. (Ed.). (2013). Hidden in the mix: the African American presence in country music. Duke University Press.

Further reading
  • Spencer, Jon Michael. Black hymnody: a hymnological history of the African-American church (1992)
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