Reshulle, Rebuild and Rap

Rap born in the communities with bad economic and social conditions. The first 'rappers' were forced to cope with several problems. The bad socio-economic conditions of the most African American people in the 80s were a trouble for all the musicians and artist. You couldn't buy the necesary thing to play music, a bass, a trompet, or even a guitar were to expensive for the most of the people. The only real 'free' instrument that they had was the voice. They, with time, started to made some improvisation with the only instrument that they had availabe. The first African American 'rappers' also started to create their own ways and instruments to create their own music.   

I really belive that rap is a response of the black power to solve and cope with the diferent kind of problems. It is an example of pass over the problems and perseverance.

The interaction with the public in African American Music

Usually you see in all the concerts and musical presentations that there is a common dynamic in the stage. In the typical interaccion of a concert the artist is in an 'exalted' position, he is in up in a scaffold. There is a several distance between the public and the musician or artist. The musician is in a preference position,  he plays on a performance to the public but he is seen like a exalted person. 

In the African American Music the artist is one with the public, there is no such division between the musician and the rest of the people, I think that the reason for that is a cultural aspect. So, break the divison betwen the artist and the publicis one of the great achivement of African American Music. Now might think that this aspect just belongs to Rap songs or Hip-Hop culture, but in the next video you will apreciate this aspect in Jazz. 

See what I am talking: 

About James Brown

This is a really nice about James Brown that I want to share:


http://vimeo.com/45052672

A summary of the history of Jazz

This is a little "funny" summary of what I think is the history of Jazz in African American Music:

First of all the jazz cames from the traditional and cultural music of African American people: Ragtime

The first age - "The stone age" of Jazz:   New Orleans jazz -  1920

The "Classic age" of Jazz:                               Swing                   -  1930

The "Renaissance" of Jazz:                             Be-Bop                -  1940

The "Pre-modern age" of Jazz:     Cool Jazz / Hard Bop   -   1950

The "Modern" Jazz:                   Fusion / Free Jazz      -   1960

The "Contemporary" Jazz:       Avant-Garde           -    1970 / 1990

The "New" Jazz:      "Electronic Jazz" / "Modern Jazz -  1990 / 2012

 

The "White Guy"

There is a really interesting thing about the presentacion in concerts of African American Music. When you usually goes to a concert there is like a host or a presenter that shows the inicial presentation of the concert the people and greet to the people. That role, or face, we could denominate too, is an important person but specific person. The presenter plays the role of an intersting person, but was too, and more in the 60s to 90s, a fancy, gorgeous, eloquent, articulate and significant person. If we think that, all that caractheristics aren't the usual for African American people back in the 60s.

So, if you look very well on the presentations of all the concerts in the 60s - 90s, you are going to see a white guy that plays the role of an "interesting" person (fancy, gorgeous, eloquent, articulate and significant) and that guy is the one who presents the African American musicians and artists. That could be a relationship of insubordination, naturalazing in a incouncious way the racism ideals. 

A few years ago, almos all of the important roles were played by white guys. The presenter was a white face-role, meaning maestry and representating the ideals of appropiate. Back in time, the African American people were the artistic ones, but the fancy and adequate things were represented by white guys. Thing aboust almost of the guys with power in the music studios. Anyway, it was "better" to be that "white" guy than a "black" guy.

Greatest African American Drummers: Jack DeJohnette

Jack DeJohnette born in Chicago in 1942. He has been a great jazz musician. I think that he really change the way of the drummers to play jazz. He had played with great jazz musicians like Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Sonny Rollins, Dave Holland and Keith Jarret. He helped a lot to understand the drums not just as a percussion instrument but also like a melodic instrument. He broken the usual thinking of drums like an instrument away from the harmonic structure of music.I know it can be a pretty weird to understand, but when you listen him you are going to understand me.

Here is a solo:

Here is a couple of songs played by The Gateway Trio (Dave Holland, Jhon Abercrombie, Jack DeJohenette):

African Amercian Music: Jazz

Hiding in the musical improvisation of the Jazz music, there is some things that could be related with the African American people. Improvisation is, in the most simple meaning, improve something. But, what we can set as improve? When somebody has troubles and is in a bad situation he, or she, is forced to find as fast as he can a solution to his problem. I really belive that this is the easy way to think about the meaning of improve.

When you improve, you know your limits and your resources. You know what you can do, and what you can't do. You can imagine what thing you want to do roughly and find a way to do it. Don't care how many problems do you have, you are going to find the way to do the thing you want to do. That is the truly essence of improvise.

Over the years, the African American People were in the conditions to improvise. All the dificulties of segregation and the racism forced them to find diferent ways and solutions to their problems in really limited conditions.

Now, when you think in jazz as way of improvement, you migth see that there is a lot of cultural stuff that makes the African American people more able than other cultures to improve.

The political meanings in music.

Usually we don't think about a relation betwen music and politic. They seem to be diferent kind of thing, but that is not like that. There are diferents relations betwen music and politics, specially when we are talking about African American Music. Think about the begining of African American Music: the slavery. There is a lot of politic in there. With the time, the African American Music had became in a cultural identity for the African American people. So, that kind of music does a especific part and function of the African American culture, and the politic does part of the African American culture as well. Among the history, the music became a tool for politic activism. Think about the "Black Power" and his consecuenses in the history of Hip-Hop and Rap as African American Music. Think about how many African American musicians supported the Black Panther Party in her music.

Here you have a video to see the political activism through the music and culture.

What Erykah Badu does is even a performance.

The most interesthing thing about this is the song Georgia in my mind. How a song by Hoagy Carmichael became an hymn and a symbol of national identiy? There is a lot of political things behind Georgia in my mind. Remember the segregation and Ray Charles.

Here is other song.

Greatest African American Drummers: Thomas Pridgen

Thomas Pridgen born in November 23, 1983 in California. He won a four year scholarship in Berkley College Music at the age of 15, becoming the youngest musician to recive a scholarship in Berkley. He also won the endrosement of Zildjian at the age of 10. He was the youngest recipient of the endorsement of Zildjian (a cymbal's company) in all the 400 years of company's history. He had became more popular when joined to The Mars Volta, a bran new contemporary metal band with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. Nowadays, he started his new project: The Memorials. He parcitipated in events like Modern Drummer 2008 and Drumfest, and has played with greatest drummers like Thomas Lang.

Here you have a solo

Here you have a jazz fusion song with Christian Scott

Greatest African American Drummers: Tony Royster jr.

Tony Royster jr.

You will easily find the most impressive African American guitar players, singers, pianist as or other particular musicians. But it is more complicate to find the "most impressive African American drummers" Here you can find some of them.

Tony Royster jr. is a great drummer. Royster was born in Georgia, and started to play drums at the age of three. He become famous because he won the Drumm-off competition Hollywood at the age of eleven.

Greatest African American Drummers: Max Roach

Max Roach

Max Roach is one of the greatest drummers of African American music and jazz music. He was the first, in my opininon, to start the legacy of African American drummers. He is just great !!!