Concert Reflection

“Opera…from a Sistah’s Point of View By Angela Brown” Concert Reflection Angela Brown On October 13th, I went to see the magnificent soprano opera singer, Angela Brown. This was my first opera concert but this definitely will not be the last. I was really impressed by how she inclined her voice, but also how she […]

We Got the Funk!

Let’s get FUNKy! Origins Funk music originated in the late 1960s as outgrowth of R&B music. Funk music was made by African Americans by combining different elements of different genres such as jazz, soul, and of course, R&B.  Characteristics Funk music  used instruments like the bass and electric guitar,  and keyboards.  Funk music  is another […]

Techno!

Techno! Origins Techno music is electronic dance music that originate in Detroit, Michigan during the mid 1980’s. Techno music was influenced by many African Americans genres such as, funk.  Characteristics Techno music is usually very repetitive instrumentals produced by DJ’s. Techno get it name from the word technology because of the amount of technology used […]

Musical Theater!

Musical Theater! Origins Musical theater originated before the late 1890’s and was developed due to the participation of African Americans in broadway shows. The origin of blacks in broadways and minstrel shows were used as way mock blacks, but as time progressed, African Americans began to perform and host the own broadway shows. Influences The […]

GO! GO! Disco

GO! GO! Disco Origins Disco originated in the 1970’s from urban nightlife scene from  and can be traced to urban cities such as New York city, where many blacks and latinos lived. Disco came about right after the 60’s,  where many movements such as the civil right movement and hippie movements and anti-war movements.   Characteristics […]

Jazz Post

Jazz Music Origins Jazz music originated in the New Orleans, Louisiana during the early 20th century and began to spread throughout America. As musicians traveled around jazz was developed, and was deeply inspired by ragtime. Ragtime bands evolved into jazz music and they all had the syncopation of instruments. By the 1930s jazz was booming […]

SWV

SWV Music Group Introduction SWV, which stands for, Sister with Voices, is an American R&B vocal trio from New York City. The members of this group are Cheryl Gamble also known as “Coco”, Tamara Johnson also known as “Taj” and Leanna Lyons also known as “LeLee”. This group formed in 1998 as a gospel group […]

Folk Post

Origin Folk music has been a part of African American history since we arrived in the Americas. Folk music is performed by people and people and passed down by the people to the next generation. As soon as Africans arrived in the Americas, the transformation from African to African Americans was evolving. As a way […]

Gospel Post

By: Aryanna Lawson Origins Gospel music emerged in the twentieth century, and evolved into African American religious music. Gospel music emerged from urban cities such as Chicago, Detroit, and New York. There were many elements that contributed to the characteristics of gospel music, such as the jubliee quartetts and negro spirituals, but it was not […]

Ragtime

Origins  Ragtime was a genre that originated in the late 19th around 1896 and began to decline in popularity in the 1920s. Ragtime was one of the first that genres that created the syncopations of tunes and syncopated marches. The melody was very fast and upbeat, becoming one of the first genres to go mainstream […]

Jubilee Quartetts

Origin The Jubilee Quartet was influenced by Negro spirituals and was exactly that just in a more sophisticated way. The first Jubilee singers who performed at Fisk University as a way to raise funds for their financial struggles.  After this many Quartets across the U.S began to rise. Many Quartets would travel and perform with […]

The Blues Review

By: Aryanna Lawson Origin The blues originated around the 1890o’s in the deep parts of the south and the midwest. The blues started on Southern Plantations by slaves,  ex-slaves, and then the descendants of slaves. Like ragtime, gospel, jazz, and the quartets were all really popular genre at the time. The blues were also very […]

Negro Spirituals

Origin Negro Spirituals emerged as a reaction to slavery.  Before even reaching America we faced so much pain and turmoil that inhuman isn’t even enough to describe the hardships Africans went through during and after slavery, but as a result spirituals emerged. Africans would sing these as a way to get through long hard days […]