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 !!!  

Make silence and learn

There is an aspect that all African American people have learn troughout history. All the dificulties that they had through in the slavery were usefull and teached a lot of things. Think when you have to cope with several problemes, think that at the final... "What Dosen't kill you, makes you stronger". They learnt a lot of things and they become stronger. In the past we forced the silence of all the African American people, now  it have been necesary make a little of silence so we can hear them. 

Bob Marley and the voice of reason

Bob  Marly is one of the most popular reggae artist. He song about free and life.

Old pirates, yes, they rob I;

Sold I to the merchant ships,
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit.
But my hand was made strong
By the 'and of the Almighty.
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly.

This is an important artistic expresion of slavery and African American people condition over the years. But the most important thing, i think, is this: "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; None but ourselves can free our minds."

The policy affects on a direct way on the social understanding and reality life and social construccion. The slavery  became  an important aspect that  affects directly the cotidian life of the people. An example of that is the racial segregation. The slavery started to reside in the subjective relations and constitution of African American people and American people. Was necesary, and still being, a long process of recognition and apologies to help to heal the damages and pain suffered in the slavery.

I leave you with a couple of prhases of Mandela:

 "I am what I am because of who we all are" and  "For­give­ness is the very path one must travel to know free­dom."

Max Roach - Abbey Lincoln "Freedom Day"

"Freedom Day"

In the whole African American Music there is a kind of specific speech that is directly influenced for the history of African American people.The slavery is a cultural factor that can't be denied, that factor made several consequences in the African American people and their culture. They have been claiming for freedom since they were taken from their home. The several musical expresions are a way to express the call to freedom.

Freedom is not so simple as say free or liberty. The speech of freedom is involved with politics characteristics. This freedom speech means freedom to build and help to develope their country, freedom to be a competitor of the politic, freedom to be active citizens. That kind of speech of freedom mean be involved like active partaker of her country and the project of her nation.

Lyrics:

Whisper, listen, whisper, listen. Whispers say we're free.
Rumors flyin', must be lyin'. Can it really be?
Can't conceive it, can't believe it. But that's what they say.
Slave no longer, slave no longer, this is Freedom Day.
Freedom Day, it's Freedom Day. Throw those shackle n' chains away.
Everybody that I see says it's really true, we're free.
Whisper, listen, whisper, listen. Whispers say we're free.
Rumors flyin', must be lyin'. Can it really be?
Can't conceive it, don't believe it. But that's what they say.
Slave no longer, slave no longer, this is Freedom Day.
Freedom Day, it's Freedom Day. Throw those shackle n' chains away.
Everybody that I see says it's really true, we're free.
Freedom Day, it's Freedom Day. Free to vote and earn my pay.
Dim my path and hide the way. But we've made it Freedom Day.