Tiana Saulus
American Music Project
In what ways has African culture influenced American music?
Context:
African influence on American music can be traced all the way back to the colonial era of American history. During the Triangular slave trade, numerous African slaves were transported from parts of Africa to North America, with no cultural or personal belongings with them. When in America, many slaves made traditional African drums to be used to communicate with one another before a ban on the drum was made. This led to the making of other instruments, like the banjo, percussion, and the use of hand clapping, that were based off of the construction of the traditional African drum. These instruments and ways of musical expression were the leading force in America's assimilation to African culture through gospel hymns, the Harlem Renaissance era, and the hip hop genres of modern-day American music.
Love Lockdown is a song performed by Kanye West and was his lead single on an album in 2008. It was written for the purpose of going against the typical hip-hop styled beat. The song makes use of tribal drums and clapping along with auto tune and computer generated beats to create an effective and interesting sound to the listener.
Love Lockdown
"Diamonds on the Souls of Her Shoes" was a song written by Paul Simon after his trip to South Africa. Taking various pieces of music (beat, rhythm, choir group, etc.) from the locals and people that he had encountered, he had finished his 7th album Graceland, that received a Grammy.
Paul Simon - Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes
Compare/Contrast
African influence on American music in the Southern regions can be compared to the European influence on American music of the Northeastern regions during the late 1700s - mid-1800s. During this time, instruments such as the fiddle and windpipes were originated by poor immigrants of Scottish and Irish descent, which caused the making of Appalachian folk music. With the emergence of folk music in the Northeast, this paved the way and would ultimately lead to country music of later generations, which American farmers had adopted to. Along with the fiddle and windpipes, the African invention of the banjo had provided an even greater influence and distinction of the term "hillbilly music".
"Log Cabin in the Lane" is a song written by Will S. Hays in 1871, which tells the story of an old slave growing older in a log cabin. The lyrics were adapted by many African slaves in the South and put with banjo music, especially banjo player Uncle John Scruggs. When banjo was adopted by the wealthy, it led to the lyrics being modified to not talking about slavery.
Log Cabin In The Lane
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was originally a hunting song used to get rid of lions in the cattle farms but was then performed by a South African singer in the 1920s, which popularized the song tremendously. In 1961, the song was made into a pop version of the song, which has become very familiarized among young children of the 2000s.
HIS: Point of View and Change
During the slave trade, the African slaves viewed the New World as a harsh and cruel place due to the mistreatment they experienced on a daily basis. However, it was through these hardships that gospel hymns of faith and love, dancing, the use of drums for a beat, and hand clapping began to emerge. Through their music, a sense of hope for the future of slaves was clearly evident in their music and had a significant influence on the American Christian music of the South during the 1900s up until present day. Due to the heavy concentrations of slaves in an area (Southern), the colonists soon adapted to their ways of musical expression. From the beats and the rhythm of the gospel hymns of the Africans, American music began to shift from the classical contemporary music and change to more beat-driven sounding music such as rock and roll, jazz, and contemporary music, which came hip hop and alternative pop rock music of today.
"Run the World" is a song recorded and performed by Beyonce that promotes women empowerment. With the "dance floor defying military drumbeat" and the African dancing done throughout the music video, the song was an instant hit among her female population of fans around the globe. It combines different cultures and styles to create something unique and interesting.
Beyoncé - Run the World (Girls)
By incorporating Nigerian afrobeat and Jamaican dancehall style, "One Dance" is a feel good, dance-worthy song written and recorded by Drake who worked with Wizkid, a nigerian music artist to create the hard-beat and dance-worthy single.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ylqv2iJPa7s
Conclusion
In conclusion, the African culture has influenced American music through various instruments, beat and rhythm of songs, and various forms of dance amongst the American culture. From the beginning of the founding of the 13 colonies, to the Harlem renaissance of the 1920s, to the Hip-Hop and R&B genre of today, African culture has provided significant musical influence that has been evident since the beginning as well as throughout the timeline of the assimilation of the American identity.