The Translated African Cultural

By: Dasia Byrd
Class:Survey of African American Music
Section: MWF @1
Date: September 5, 2021

1. Describe the role of music in African and African American communities. Give examples.

In African American communities music plays a big role by touching people's souls with the rhythms, beats, and words from a song. Africans actually brought a lot of instruments to America and are known around the world today like the drums and banjos. African music is a celebration and brings communities together. For example, Gospel helps African Americans with religious rituals that make them feel great and spread positivity throughout communities. They also lean on gospel because it brings them closer to their god and gives them hope.

2. Describe the way music is created, performed, and experienced in African and African American communities.

In African American communities clapping, stomping, waving hands in the air to music is a way to experience the music. Any way of moving your body to the rhythm. They get inspiration from beating on instruments to get a sound. They also can be inspired by noise. There music became full of meanings and a passage for them to experience emotion for it. A lot of people take in their music as something they can relate to and makes them feel good.

3. Describe the ways in which the desired timbre in African and African American music differs from that of European-derived traditions.

Europeans believe African American timbre is strange and imitates African American voices in their music. For centuries Europeans felt as if African American music wasn't good or just didn’t want to listen because of their black. They would ban black music from radio stations. In the present a lot of european artists feed off black artists from their music to performance, and even style. Music would be altered to get a specific sound techniques. European music isn't as authentic and doesn't focus on the small details of instruments, rhythms, beats, sound, and timbre.

4. Identify the two most common musical structures found in African and African American music. In what ways do they reflect the communal and interactive approach to making music?

The two most common musical structures found in African American music are call and response and repetitive chorus. Call and Response is to get involvement with the community/listeners. A lot of people know the songs of these artists so when the artist engages the audience likes it. Receptive chorus is to get the community to remember the music with the intensity of the song. A song that can get people singing it all the time and can't get it out of their head. For example, a lot of people like an artist named Coi Leray. Her music isn’t that pleasing but it stays in peoples head which makes them not forget her or her song.