Jazz music of the 1920-1950’s was a central feature in the urban culture of South Africa. This kind of music developed specifically in Johannesburg and a place called Sophiatown. It took root here due to the increasing urbanization of black South Africans in mining centers. This led to the development of slum yards and ghettos where new forms of cross music began to arise. Marabi, the type of music formed, was founded in a time of disparity in South Africa so it became a form of resistance as well as a symbol of the culture. This was very important to the black society because not only did they have their very own music, but it also acted out against the white oppressors which gave them energy and hope for the future.
Marabi and Jazz Music is Born
Marabi echoed the way of life of the people living in the slum yards. It was centered on beer-brewing and shebeens (illegal bar or club) and it was here that Marabi was born. The Marabi dance parties became hubs for the community and its way of life. It also gave the African working classes a new sense of identity. Marabi was a kind of environment and way of expression, more so than a type of music. It was an upbeat and original kind of music that was formed by the blue-collar workers who wanted to relax and dance. The meaning of the word Marabi is not known, however, some of the more common descriptions refer to the phrase 'to fly around' which resembles the tough living conditions of the urban Africans in those days. Marabi grew until it became essential to the new culture of the slum yards. It shaped the life and brought energy to the shebeen parties.
Considering it was associated with illegal liquor venues and multiple corrupted activities, South Africa's early Marabi musicians fo...
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...d was highly practiced because of the importance it had and brought to special events such as wedding ceremonies, funerals, initiation rites and daily work. That is why it is important to realize that in South Africa’s history, from the very first moment the Europeans set foot in South Africa, attacks were made on the real, customary, and practiced music of the African people. Thus, at certain stages in South African history, music was being banned and degraded because of its importance.
This is why I looked at South African music, Marabi specifically, in a historical context. It helps emphasize the focal points or many topics that surround or involve township jazz and swing music. So much goes into this music and by looking at it from this perspective, I am able to accurately grasp and appreciate the power and significance of South African jazz and township music.
Jazz is referred as “America’s classical music,” and is one of North America’s and most celebrated genres. The history of Jazz can be traced back to the early era of the 20th century of the U.S. “A History of Jazz” presents From Ragtime and Blues to Big Band and Bebop, jazz has been a part of a proud African American tradition for over 100 years. A strong rhythmic under-structure, blue notes, solos, “call-and response” patterns, and
What comes to mind when thinking of the 1920’s? Most people think of the freedom the United States felt after World War I and that is exactly what jazz and the Charleston symbolize (Boundless.com par. 1). Jazz and the Charleston were extremely controversial in the 1920’s because they promoted a new way of thinking, which outraged the older generations (Knowles 160). Older generations did not like the fact that young people were becoming more and more daring with their actions just by playing music and dancing (Boundless.com par. 6). Today, jazz and the Charleston are thought of as out of date, but without them, music today would be completely different. Jazz and the Charleston revolutionized modern music and dance by altering the rhythm of classical music, changing the culture of American society (Boundless.com par. 1).
Although there is a variety of music that could be examined to trace its evolution through time, there is one genre in particular that is quite interesting to examine. Though it differs from other types of music, it will be looked at in conjunction with Reggae music as they have similar ties. Reggae music is quite prominent today in the United States, parts of Africa, and of course Jamaica. Reggae is notoriously known for its most influential artist Bob Marley, and it is not unusual for one to have heard a few, if not many of his songs. Reggae’s popularity is steadily increasing and is doing so through both expansions of the music as well as increasing knowledge on the genre.
The rapid development of jazz in both the United States and Europe generated a number of diverse musical expressions, including musics that most listeners today would not recognize as “jazz” music. In order to remedy this situation, jazz musicians and critics after 1930 began to codify what “real” jazz encompassed, and more importantly, what “real” jazz did not encompass. This construction of authenticity, often demarcated along racial lines, served to relegate several artists and styles (those outside a “mainstream” to the margins of historiography.
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Jazz, the “purest expression of American democracy; a music built on individualism and compromise, independence and cooperation” has had a great impact on American life since the early 1900s (Burns, 2009). When jazz first emerged on the scene, it immediately made a profound impact on all individuals who experienced it. It didn’t matter who you were. This being said, jazz was especially life changing for the African American population. It opened the door of opportunity for this group of people, and they quickly grasped onto this chance before it could disappear. The development of jazz can be viewed as a reaction to American life because it worked as a form of expression, placed an emphasis on collaboration,
By the end of World War I, Black Americans were facing their lowest point in history since slavery. Most of the blacks migrated to the northern states such as New York and Chicago. It was in New York where the “Harlem Renaissance” was born. This movement with jazz was used to rid of the restraints held against African Americans. One of the main reasons that jazz was so popular was that it allowed the performer to create the rhythm. With This in Mind performers realized that there could no...
Jazz music prospered in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Jazz was created by African Americans to represent pain and suffering and also represented the adversity that racial tension brought. (Scholastic) African American performers like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie “Bird” Parker came to be recognized for their ability to overcome “race relati...
“How Musical is Man?” was published in 1974. This book was written by John Blacking, a musician turned social anthropologist. His goal in writing this ethnography, and several other papers during this same time period, was to compare the experience of music-making that takes place within different cultures and societies throughout the world. In this book, he discusses and describes the musicology of the Venda people in South Africa. Though he does go to Africa to research and learn about the Venda people and their music, he specifically states that his book is “not a scholarly study of human musicality” (ix), but rather it is a summary (written from his point of view), which is both expressive and entertaining, of several different issues and ideas that he has seemingly been contemplating for some time.
Angeles, Los. (2009). African arts. Volume 28. Published by African Studies Center, University of California.
Music played a very important role in the lives of people is diaspora communities. It served as a reminder for the immigrants of their homeland, which allowed them to proudly express their national and cultural identities. Diaspora refers to an international network of communities linked together by the identification of a common ancestral homeland and culture. People in these communities are no longer living in their homelands, with no guarantee of a return either. (Bakan, 19). Music played a large role in African diaspora communities. This was first started by the slave trades many years ago when slave traders traveled to the coast of West Africa to capture Africans and brought them back to the United States to be slaves on plantations. Slaves were more prone to loose a sense of their own culture because every new aspect of their lives was forced upon them, therefore they were undoubtedly forced to abandon their n...
As it mentioned above, the title itself, draws attention to the world-renowned music created by African Americans in the 1920s’ as well as to the book’s jazz-like narrative structure and themes. Jazz is the best-known artistic creation of Harlem Renaissance. “Jazz is the only pure American creation, which shortly after its birth, became America’s most important cultural export”(Ostendorf, 165). It evolved from the blues
In the modern era, one of the first big movements in music was jazz. Jazz was an evolution of music that brought together traditional European harmonies with blue notes and improvisation which are usually associated with traditional African music. This music, in its earliest and most basic form, was played and began to become personalized all over the world. However, there are places in the United States that are generally considered the ...
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Music has played a role in society since the dawn of man. Said to be the beginning of communication in early civilization, music and dance have influenced how we think, act and treat members of our own society. Song and dance is used in rites of passage ceremonies such as births, weddings and funerals throughout the world. Jamaican and Yoruba cultures have made many contributions to our society. The uses of this music as a vehicle for political issues, values, and beliefs have been used by many musicians from different cultures. I intend to discuss the Contribution of these two contemporary cultures music and their effect on society.