Emma

 Barry  

African-­‐American  Music:  A  brief  history  

 
In  bringing  and  importing  people  as  Slaves  from  African  over  to  the  New  World,  
they  were  bringing  their  culture,  heritage,  and  music  with  them.  For  instance,  the  
Banjo  was  an  instrument  that  originated  in  Africa  and  was  brought  over  (in  
concept  rather  than  physicality)  and  introduced  to  America  after  the  importation  
of  slaves  began.  It  has,  perhaps  ironically,  become  one  of  the  most  iconic  
instruments  of  American  Southern  Country  Music  –  the  foundations  of  which  can  
be  traced  back  to  the  working  Slaves  in  the  South.  
 
The  Christianisation  of  the  Slaves    
From  the  very  establishment  of  American  colonies,  many  Americans  opposed  
Slavery.  Many  of  those  who  oppose,  did  so  on  religious  grounds.  These  people  
lobbied  for  the  Christianisation  of  the  slaves.  This  largely  succeeded  and  
therefore  Slaves  were  allowed  music  for  religious  worship.  
Less  explicitly,  they  were  allowed  to  use  music  for  Dance,  celebration  and  
ceremony.  
African-­‐Americans  mixed  with  other  racial  groups,  gradually  creating  hybrid  
cultures;  in  many  locations  creating  a  more  complicated  racial  hierarchy.  Some  
places  in  Louisiana  there  were  black  slave  owners.  
The  entire  drainage  basin  of  the  Missouri  river  and  most  of  the  Mississippi  were  
originally  French  –  originally  Louisiana  which  encompassed  this  third  of  the  
continent.  Most  of  this  land  was  then  sold  off,  and  the  central  states  such  as  
Kansas  and  Nebraska  were  formed.  
Native  African  sacred  musics  were  always  forbidden.  
In  Caribbean  colonies,  creoles  developed  more  -­‐  particularly  in  French  and  
Spanish  colonies  such  as  Haiti,  Cuba  or  New  Orleans.  
This  led  to  the  birth  of  music  as  part  of  Sacred  worship  and  to  organise  work.  
This  sort  of  music  provided  the  foundations  for  early  Blues  music  –  particularly  
in  content  e.g.  Po’  Lazarus  by  The  Fairfield  Four–  and  of  course  Negro  Spirituals  
and  Gospel,  which  in  itself  over  time  transformed  into  today’s  Contemporary  
Gospel  scene  
 
Minstrelsy  
The  Minstrel  show  is  often  regarded  as  the  first  distinctly  American  theatre  form  
and  it  has  been  a  key  influence  on  Vaudeville  shows,  Broadway  musicals,  films  
(musicals  and  comedies),  stand-­‐up  and  sketch-­‐based  comedy,  television  and  
popular  music.  Common  in  the  early  1800s  in  America  and  the  UK,  the  shows  are  
an  ancestor  of  the  Variety  shows,  combining  music,  theatre,  dance  and  comedy  
together  into  one  performance  
Blackface  began  before  1840  in  the  African-­‐American  North  East  communities  of  
places  such  as  Boston  and  New  York  City,  as  well  as  the  Great  Lakes  waterways  
and  canals  also  in  the  North.  It  began  as  dancing  and  music  making  in  the  streets  
of  New  England  and  New  York,  which  was  often  likened  to    “turning”  or  “jumping  
about”.  
This  type  of  performance  then  began  to  be  imitated  and  organised  by  white  
performers,  such  as  E.P.  Christy,  Rice  and  Emmett,  who  developed  a  more  
standardised  format  for  the  shows.    
Emma  Barry  

After  the  1840’s,  white  performers  began  to  ‘blacken  up’  to  get  in  on  the  
popularity  of  the  minstrel  show.  First  they  developed  as  solo  performers  and  
then  became  more  successful,  as  troupes  were  formed  and  the  shows  began  to  
tour  and  move  about.  Also  at  this  time,  the  Minstrel  shows  started  to  become  
more  respectable  as  they  moved  from  performances  in  the  street,  into  theatres  
and  established  theatrical  venues.    This  success  caused  a  backlash  from  the  white  
elite  of  American  and  Europe,  because  there  was  direct  competition  with  other  
popular  entertainment  from  Europe  (Vaudeville,  Circuses,  Musical  Concerts)  and  
also  because  the  rise  of  the  minstrel  shows  challenged  social  forms,  with  its  often  
crass  and  satirical  depiction  of  social  classes,  particularly  also  the  boundaries  of  
the  relationship  between  the  Slave  Workers  and  the  Masters  or  Land  Owners  of  
the  South.  
The  Minstrel  shows  continued  well  into  the  20th  century,  and  were  later  even  
filmed  and  televised  –  the  last  show  broadcast  in  the  UK  was  in1978  and  live  
performances  of  the  Minstrel  Shows  continued  in  the  US  up  to  the  early  1990s.  
To  the  white  community,  the  African-­‐American  culture  emerged  as  a  way  of  
figuring  alienation,  or  being  able  to  identify  with  the  African-­‐American  people,  
and  demonstrate  against  this  mistreatment.  
Sam  Lucas  is  possibly  one  of  the  most  respected  and  celebrated  African-­‐
American  performers  of  his  time,  partly  because  his  career  traversed  Minstrelsy,  
Musical  Theatre,  Vaudeville,  Plays  and  Films  right  up  till  his  death.  On  Sunday  
October  22  1911,  The  Sun  Newspaper  published  an  with  an  interview  with  Sam  
Lucas  with  the  tagline  “My  Grandfather’s  Clock  Singer  looks  back  on  Thirty  Years  
of  Laughter”.  In  this  article,  Lucas  is  painted  as  a  real  ‘celebrity’  of  his  time,  
popular  even  amongst  high-­‐ranking  businessmen  and  leaders  in  public  affairs.  
He  is  described  as  a  “gentle  man”,  and  “born  actor”  with  “a  great,  rich,  joyous  
laugh  that  is  like  a  burst  of  sunshine”.    
Sam  claims  to  have  been  plagiarised  for  his  work  on  the  popular  nursery  rhyme  
‘My  Grandfather’s  clock’.  Allegedly,  Sam  Lucas  went  to  visit  Henry  C.  Work  whilst  
in  New  York  during  his  time  with  the  Hyers  Sisters.  Work  then  pulled  out  a  piece  
of  paper  with  the  first  verse  of  a  song  –  ‘My  Grandfather’s  Clock’  –  gave  it  to  
Lucas  and  asked  his  to  have  a  look  at  it,  quoted  as  saying:  “Here,  Sam;  here’s  the  
first  verse  for  a  song.  I  wrote  this  one  but  I  can’t  seem  to  make  anything  more  out  
of  it.  Maybe  you  can”.  Taking  the  verses  back  to  Henry  C.  Work,  the  song  was  
published  –  even  with  a  picture  of  Sam  Lucas  on  the  front  standing  next  to  a  
grandfather  clock  –  but  under  Henry’s  name  alone,  with  no  credit  going  to  Sam  
Lucas  whatsoever.  
 
The  beginnings  of  Jazz    
 
By  the  late  19th  century  the  use  of  marching  band  had  become  an  important  
tradition  in  New  Orleans,  and  these  bands  often  represented  their  
neighbourhoods  or  local  organisation  or  social  clubs  in  a  variety  of  venues  or  
functions,  one  of  which  was  a  funeral  procession.  This  sort  of  procession  is  also  
similar  in  funerals  in  Haiti  and  has  roots  in  African  funerals,  particularly  West  
African  Yorubans  (Nigeria,  Mali  etc).    
When  returning  from  the  funeral,  the  band  would  break  into  a  rag,  dance  tuen  or  
shout  spiritual  such  as  “When  the  saints  go  marching  in”.  This  is  played  in  a  
joyous  manner,  to  celebrate  the  life  of  the  departed.  
Emma  Barry  

At  this  point  the  second  line  of  marchers  begin  to  dance  to  the  music,  and  the  
funeral  becomes  more  like  a  celebration  or  street  festival.  
Eventually,  second  lines  developed  their  own  identities  and  began  stage  parades  
independent  of  funerals,  often  to  raise  money  for  their  club  or  a  charitable  cause.  
It  was  this  style  of  funeral  music  or  second-­‐line  parade  music  that  developed  into  
Jazz.    
 
 
1940s  –  Bee-­‐Bop  Jazz  
 
1950s/60s  –  Rockabilly  
The  transition  from  Rock  ‘n’  Roll  to  Soul  music,  beginning  with  the  genre  of  
‘Rockabilly”  –  the  culmination  of  Country,  R&B  and  Gospel.  This  led  on  to  Elvis  
Presley,  and  the  idea  that  he  was  able  to  open  doors  for  African  American  
performers.  
A  poplar  format  emerging  from  this  genre  of  music  was  to  have  a  “front  man”  or  
lead  singer,  accompanied  by  a  quartet  or  small  group  of  other  singers.  Groups  
such  as  Little  Anthony,  The  Flamingos  and  The  Marvelettes  who  were  finding  
popularity  in  the  late  50s/early  60s  with  a  fusion  of  soul  and  ‘doo  wop’  singing  
style.  
 
1959  –  Motown  record  company  was  Founded  
Motown  sound  –  combination  of  soul  and  distinct  pop  influence.  
Heavy  connections  with  Detroit  “Detroit  sound”.  
 
1960s  –  Blues-­‐Rock  
In  the  1960s,  ‘English-­‐Blues-­‐  music’  (which  was  originally  brought  over  to  the  UK  
in  the  50s)  was  brought  back  to  America,  typically  fused  with  Rock  ’n’  Roll  and  
other  mainstream  pop  elements.  This  has  created  a  fusion  of  music  called  ‘Blues-­‐
Rock’.  Blues  and  Gospel  also  began  to  combine  as  many  musicians  began  writing  
hymns.    
 
1960s  –  Contemporary  Gospel  
 
Mahalia  Jackson  –  prevalent  female  Gospel  singer  
In  Jerma  Jackons’s  book  “Singing  in  my  soul”,  she  talks  about  early  urban  
migration  and  the  shape  of  the  African  American  Churches:  “As  growing  
numbers  of  African  Americans  migrated  to  urban  areas  during  the  1920s,  
churches  became  a  stronghold  for  women”  [2004:30].  Jackson  then  mentions  
that  is  it  this  strong  community  of  women  within  the  church  that  would  have  
significant  consequences  for  Gospel  Music.  
 
Musical  fusions  between  two  different  musical  styles  would  result  in  a  third,  new  
genre,  which  would  be  accelerated  by  factors  such  as  technology,  and  urban  
migration.  For  instance,  R&B  was  a  new  style  that  developed  from  a  
recombination  of  big-­‐band  jazz,  blues  and  gospel-­‐based  vocals.  
 
 
 
Emma  Barry  

Extra  Timeline  notes  

1940  –  First  Music  Popularity  chart  was  calculated  (July)  
1947  –  Tony  awards  were  founded  
1953  –  The  Academy  awards  were  first  televised    
1959  –  Motown  (company  and  record  label)  was  founded  
1959  –  (May  4th)  First  Grammy  awards  ceremony  was  held.  
1960  –  Harper  Lee’s  ‘To  kill  a  mockingbird’  was  published.