In celebration of Black History Month, I would like to share some of my taste in music, especially music created by black artists. Being aware of the transformation of social status in history, black musicians employed their experiences well, and formed a good basis for the development of music as an art form. There are several branches composed by them that have had significant impact, including soul, jazz, and rap. The impact on cultural events has been profound ever since.
With the rhythms of spirituals, the banjo from Africa became a popular instrument to complement songs. In the early 20th century, jazz and blues caught more and more people’s eyes. In 1942, Billboard categorized them in terms of ethnic music, separated from everything else. But the case changed in 1945, with gradual integration into the mainstream music atmosphere and pioneering African American artists emerging on the scene. Some of the people who we would call “evergreen musicians” are:
Louis Armstrong, whom the whole history of jazz centered on. His works continue to influence countless musicians with both his trumpet style and advanced skills.
Ella Fitzgerald. A nursery rhyme from the 19th century brought Ella real fame. “A-tisket a-tasket” was a success and ranked first on the US Top Singles list at the time. She was titled “The First Lady of Song” and later “the Voice of Jazz.”
Ray Charles, an influential composer and a soul talent who followed a rough pathway to the field of music. His masterpieces stand as one of the longest-running albums in the states today.
In the 1980s, a large number of black musicians stepped forward into the industry. Michael Jackson, one of the leading representative singers, showed his gift in music at an early age as a member of the Jackson 5. His first album in 1982, Thriller, topped the list for over 30 weeks. It was included in the Library of Congress. I bet no one at my age would not know about him. He has loyal supporters and fans all over the globe, and people have appreciated his distinguished figure through the years.
Another contemporary of MJ is Whitney Houston, a queen among divas. The publication of
As a millennial, I won’t have my childhood without Destiny’s Child. This fantastic girl’s group would ask you to “Say My Name”, if you can’t, that would be a “No, No, No”. We would have “Emotions” because these girls have been “Soldiers” in the R&B pop music field.
A few must-listen songs from this period are: “I Will Always Love You“; “Saving All My Love For You“; “Enjoy“; and “Billie Jean“.
Today, the new blood of hip hop and contemporary R&B brought vitality into black music. Beyond jazz and soul, we hear electronic remixes, different beats, and various rap lyrics occupying songs. We cannot neglect the contributions of African American musicians to the world. The sense of flexible melody, continuous rhythm, and unique instrumental pitch in performing impromptu shows boosts black music to pursue more possibilities. Hence, it eliminates the boundaries of race, region, and social class. Even more than artists themselves, I wish prevailing black music would be appreciated everywhere.