Old Gospel vs. New Gospel
What is Gospel music? When I think of Gospel music I think of feel good music. These songs you hear in church or on the radio while you drive in the car. These songs can make me feel the spirit. Gospel has been influenced by jazz, rock, and pop. The most important thing about gospel […]
Motown Records
What is Motown Records? Motown Records is a recording company developed by record executive Berry Gordon and owned by Universal Music Group. Motown specializes in soul music with a pop influence. Due to that crossover as a Black-owned record label, Motown played a huge role in the racial integration of popular music. Motown has such […]
Hip-Hop Evolution
Origin Hip Hop emerged in South Bronx, New York in 1970. While early Hip Hop was often dance music, the genre also picked up where certain 70’s Soul left off, serving as a vehicle for social commentary. The South Bronx community leader Afrika Bambaataa used the term ‘hip-hop’ for the first time. The period between […]
Black and Blues
History of Blues Blues was originally slave music was first hymns & work songs. It Gradually it became reworked into an original form of expression. This genre is created out of anguish, honesty, talent and self expression “the blues” arrived. The blues did not get its name until the 20th century. W.C. Handy is the […]
The Elegant and Radiant Ella Fitzgerald
Background Information on Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald is known as the “Queen of Jazz.” She was born on April 25, 1918 in Virginia. She moved to New York at a young age. She loved to dance and sing as a young child. Since she had such a passion at a young age this lead her […]
For the FUNK of It
For the FUNK of It https://blackmusicscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/videoplayback.mp4 Funk music; that groovy, hypnotic music that makes your body move against its will. Funk music; music for the nation. Beginnings Funk music became popular in the mid-1970s. Before then, the most prominent music of African Americans came from the pop soul records of Motown Records in the 1960s. […]
The Joyous Jubilee Quartet
Who was the Jubilee Quartet? The Jubilee Quartet originates from Norfolk, Virginia. They come on to the scene in about 1931. The group consists of four members who attended Booker T. Washington High School. The members of this included Willie Johnson, William Landford, Henry Owens, and Orlandus Wilson. The beginning of the Jubilee Quartet This […]
Masego, he can do it all!
Masego Micah Davis, “Masego”, was born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in a Christian community in Newport News, Virginia. “Masego” means “blessed” in Tswana, the official language of Botswana. Masego is a 22 year-old multi-instrumentalist, as well as vocalist. He specializes in Saxophone, both tenor and alto, but also plays other instruments such as the […]
Negro Spirituals
What are Negro Spirituals? Negro Spirituals came after the creation of folk music. Negro Spirituals came from slaves during the time of enslavement. These spirituals were sang in the fields and at religious services. These songs were symbols pf what they endured during such a dreary time. These songs gave them a since of freedom […]
