Question

The history of American popular musical styles such as Jazz and Rock and Roll is an exploration of the fusion of many earlier genres and styles.

For each listening example make a list of major features. What features from each seem to be continued on in later musical styles and even in the music you might listen to today?

West African Drumming:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dFtlcqGW50 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Stephen Foster -1851:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQjGlyRm8ek (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Ragtime 1904:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE86FR2SzBo (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Spiritual - 1909

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUvBGZnL9rE (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

City Blues - 1925:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxQncVvsuyg (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Country Blues - 1936:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iigXKpgrfYo (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Big Band Swing 1943:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDQpZT3GhDg (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Rhythm and Blues -1947:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo9auUfitVA (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Bluegrass - 1950's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=665XeIyMgak (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Bebop - 1950:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LphuCadyQi0 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Western Swing - 1951:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFef08YZ6qk&list=RD0C08jmN1sM8&index=3 (Links to an external site.)Links to an e

Soul - 1954:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnI_LuCJ4Ek (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Rock and Roll - 1955:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgdufzXvjqw (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Answer 1

West African ( or Sub-Saharan) Drumming:

West African music involves an extensive use of percussion instruments such as the djembe and African drums and the talking drum, where each region or tribe may have its own distinctive local rhythm which nonetheless exists in profound homogeneity with other local approaches thereby leading to a single system of music.

In terms of style, the given piece on West African drumming demonstrates the typical characteristics of this music style:

Syncopation is a part of music which represents a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm by insertion of unexpected rhythms or off-beats.

Cross rhythm which is a specific form of polyrhythm marked by  a simultaneous use of contrasting rhythmic patterns within the same scheme of accents or meterin a music.

Thus this music composition shows a polyrhythmic piece of music where the the meter is in a permanent state of contradiction.

West African rhythmic techniques had a fundamental influence across the Atlantic in various American musical styles such as samba, forró, maracatu and coco in Brazil, Afro-Cuban music and Afro-American music such as blues, jazz, funk, soul and reggae. A more recent transfusion of the Sub- Saharan music can be found in the hip hop music of the 20th century popular music wherein the cross-beats of percussion are used to  symbolize challenging moments or emotional stress in people’s lives.