Music and Cultural Identity New Orleans
Throughout history, music has made dramatic impacts on the way civilizations and communities function and behave. Likewise, the behavior and attitudes of people in a community add to the flavor and attitude of the music made within the culture. Examples of this sort of connection include the Baroque era in Europe, where the character of the common citizen and the music were very refined and structured, or in England during the 70?s, where the citizens and the music displayed anger and revolt against the monarchy. New Orleans has always been a city that provides inspiration for musicians and artists, and likewise, the creations that come from this city strike chords with many other cultures worldwide and have impacted communities just the same. The sound and vibe of New Orleans, especially right after the Great Depression, helped to release what can be called the ?American free spirit,? by making the nation a more colorful, free, and honest place to live. There are three distinct sounds of New Orleans, all of which first developed in small urban areas, and caught on throughout the region. These New Orleans-bred styles of music are jazz, blues, and a more recent genre, bounce music. In all these forms, life in New Orleans
Blues became the first adult secular music America ever produced. It was the black musicians? way of venting without displeasing the whites. It again, was a form of freedom. As the blues evolved, it also brought about more positive messages, and became simply a soulful way of expressing joy, praise, or sorrow. ?[The blues] has a sexual meaning, the ebb and flow of sexual passion: disappointment, happiness. It has a whole religious connotation too, that joy and lift? (Marsalis 39). The blues are about accepting tragedy and moving forward ? which is a timeless and endless quality. The blues can be conversational, poetic, sound narrative, or about life history. Before the blues, there were few public outlets of frustration, especially for African-Americans, and there were absolutely no sexual connotations within any other forms. The city of New Orleans, especially downtown, is one of the most secular cities in the United States. Bourbon Street boasts sexuality, alcoholism, decadence, and most importantly, happiness ? all traits that the Blues helped to define in the city. Bounce music is a relatively new form of music that arose in the early 90?s with MC T. Tucker?s remixing of a sample from hip-hop group Show Boys, where he replaced the lyrics with a chanting that is a combination of rap about New Orleans life, and a sort of instruction on how to do different dances such as ?Monkey on a Stick? and ?Calio Wobble.? Terius Gray, one such bounce rapper, grew up in the 9th ward in New Orleans? Magnolia division, one of the nation?s top crime areas. He used to make his living by capturing alligators for fifty dollars apiece. Now known as Juvenile, he and producer Mannie Fresh own Cash Money Records, which, after the release of Juvenile?s album 400 Degreez, is worth over $100 million dollars. Bounce music is simple, and takes little production, yet weeks before a new Cash Money album is released, ?there are people from all around the New Orleans area busting down doors to get it? (Aiges 2-3). Schruers, Fred. ?Survival of the Illest: New Orleans' Master P Builds a Hip-Hop Empire from the Underground Up.? Rolling Stone 27 November 1997. p. 6.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1920
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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