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Rene
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FranAfrican slaves were stripped, in a large degree, of their home cultures. As a group, they started making a new culture of their own. They made songs for work, for codes to meet, and for entertainment. As slaves were not formally educated in the arts, there was no training in music technique. They would often bend or slur the notes being played, and there was a fair amount of falsetto in the singing. These things all lent themselves to the later traditions of Jazz Music.
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What was the influence of West African music on American music?
Many west Africans were captured and sold as slaves in the United States. Music sung by slaves became gospel music. The music of Africa was also polyrhythmic, meaning their rhythms were quite complex. European music, which America inherited, was very melodic, but had simple rhythyms. The combination of European melodic traditions with African polyrhythms resulted in ragtime music in the 1890s. This heavily syncopated music in turn led to jazz and all that followed. Most American rock and pop music today is heavily syncopated, thanks to that African influence. Pop music words have also been influenced by West Africa. For example, in Wolof (a major language in west Africa) cat or kaimeans music, and hepi means to be aware, to know. So in jazz, a great musician was a hep cat. It is likely that hep -> hip >- hip-hop and also hippie.
What music was inspired by African music?
Almost all music has derrived from African beats in some way, especially from the slave trade. giving the Americas much of the bassis for jazz and blues leading to r&b and rock to rap and metal
What kind of bass guitar does Zack Merrick have?
a black fender American jazz bass.
Is music part of the us culture?
I wouldn't agree that they are totally uniquely American, a vast amount of jazz has Spanish influence. That being said I believe African Americans had a huge influence on both of these genres. Starting with hymns and work songs African Americans led directly into the blues and with artists like Blind Willie Johnson. Then the simple rhythms and songs began to add horns and other instruments such as with Louie Armstrong which was a start to jazz. Blues and jazz is closely linked and so America became known for its unique new styles, there was also an great culture about jazz that makes it American with all the mixes of people and things such as African American clubs and the suggestive flappers who brought a new lifestyle that was a little more 'wild' than most cultures of the time. As for rock, it is also related closely to blues and before Elvis there was more intense blues, one of the first true Rock'n'roll artists was Chuck Berry who brought a completely new style of guitar playing that hallmarks rock today. Then as rock developed it also gained its own American culture of 'sex, drugs, and rock and roll' and seemed to echo the ideas of freedom in the youth culture starting to break out.
What is an American style of music using syncopated rhythms and melodies?
What ocean has the most icebergs?
