As a musician, composer, and a college professor at St. Paul, Minnesota University, William C. Banfield talks about how music specifically Rhythm and Blues speaks to the soul and how it is a part of music culture. He explains that this genre combines Pop, Gospel, and Blues which expresses an identity of social consciousness and individuality that opened a door to modern-day artists ranging Pop to Hip-Hop. Banfield says that R&B is more than a genre the music identified with a person's inner plights of their livelihood where there exists a need to break away from the normal mores of society and its trappings. During his years touring as a musician, Banfield personally underwent a change where he understood R&B as a testament to music's tapestry …show more content…
of strong vocals, gospel sound, and use of personal experiences to create a unique history of songs ranging from social awareness to sensual love ballads. Banfield said that when he performed he realized that it's not the performer or the instruments, but the music itself that reaches and brings people together without hatred or prejudice. As a College Professor at St.
Paul, Minnesota University, Banfield informs students of Rhythm and Blues' history and how it came to be from unsung musicians who innovated the sound during the end of World War II to its involvement with Hip-Hop. Its sub-genres include Doo-Wop, Soul, Funk, Dance and Disco that are credited for evolving the music's five decade reign on the charts. Along with artists such as The Temptations, Sam Cooke, James Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Bobby Womack and Isaac Hayes who gave this music its raw energy and prowess to define an era of racial tension and the need for change. From the late 60's to the early 70's, Rhythm and Blues brought out a gritty sound to shout for a need to change by giving a voice to those who want change to happen. According to his book, Representing Black Music Culture: Then, Now, and When Again? Banfield talks about the “the rise and (he argues) the fall of black music from the early 1960s to the present. However, Banfield paints a vivid picture of the development of and trends in the music that have led up to the current rap scene and pressure on artists to become publicity. Sensations rather than bona fide …show more content…
musicians.” Banfield was a genius who had the Midas touch to turn music into gold where people actually listen, in which critics praise him for his work that includes writing, education, and composing. In addition, Dr. Ray Browne, founder of Bowling Green State University's Department of Popular Culture describes Banfield as “modern magician" of music who has only to raise his baton to "(fetch) forth a spirit and image that touches new meanings and interpretations.” Through a personal argument, R&B music has decline from the era where sophistication, intensity, and political drive lost its savor due to technological instruments, sex appeal, and a pop-influenced culture. These factors caused the shift of soulful, essential ballads to gangster-themed rap with weak lyricism that don’t benefit the world. Although some of Hip-Hop’s lyricists remember and did renditions of old school R&B songs, nevertheless it does not change the fact that modern-day rappers with the exception of Kendrick Lamar have removed R&B away from its roots of spiritual and political aspiration. Not to mention how today R&B is appealing to a Pop audience; the artists are based on sex appeal; the genre has been whitewashed by the emergence of ivory singers; and the producers are given the credit for the music’s success. Back in the 90’s, R&B was at the top of the charts with new singers/groups emerging such as R. Kelly, SWV, Mariah Carey, Xscape, Jodeci, and Boyz II Men to lead the way. Creating classic songs like “I’ll Make Love to You,” “Come and Talk to Me,” and “Weak.” In addition, the decade also brought back to life classic songs such as "Cruisin” (Smokey Robinson), “Who Can I Run To” (The Jones Girls), and “Where is the Love (Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway) that were covered. However, Hip-Hop took over the charts and R&B was put in the backseat by assisting the genre by introducing the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige to the forefront where Hip-Hop and R&B had officially merged. R&B maintain relevance with the creation of Neo-Soul until the late 90’s where the music was glamourized and made sexy and the only way the genre made it to the charts was that a rapper must appear on the song or vice versa. Not even the 2000s could the genre from the free fall even though artists like Jahiem, Musiq Soulchild, Jill Scott, Lyfe Jennings, Sunshine Anderson, India Arie, Angie Stone, and Anthony Hamilton kept the tradition alive there was no saving the originality of this music. It hurts so much that this genre of music has been around for over 40 years in which it appears and influenced everyone, only to be wiped out by mainstream radio, non-instrumental sound and sex over artistic quality. This brings only one question, “Can R&B music keep on going or is it over?” Banfield’s book Cultural Codes: Makings of a Black Music Philosophy (African American Cultural Theory and Heritage) his methodology shows “connecting Black history studies, Black music studies, and cultural studies to musicianship is important if consideration of cultural codes and an aesthetic philosophy is going to matter.” Banfield’s knowledge of his early years as a musician have given him knowledge of R&B music’s rise and downfall, thereby allowing his students to learn the genre’s origins but embrace with pride because it’s a part of both Black and American history.
Banfield emphasizes how important music is to people of all nations and that without its impact on our culture, lives, and the way we think helps make the world go round. This triple threat multi-talented musician and teacher educates people to understand the essential values and love that comes from music, giving it the power to move people and make a
difference.
Berry Gordy played a significant role in the 1960’s African American shift into the American Music Industry through the establishment of the highly recognised company and genre “Motown”. As the Founder of Motown Records Berry Gordy introduced to the American Music Industry some of the biggest artists of all time take the stage and within a decade created the “Black Pop” genre, which was listened to and purchased from a segregated audience. The business changed the way record labels would polish, nurture and distribute their artist, having an impact on the number of jobs that were introduced into the Music Industry, dealing and consulting with marketing, artist development, choreography, stylists and costume designers. With Berry Gordy’s all
“We stuck to who we were at Motown, and the world came around.” Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown records relayed at the Occidental College’s 125th commencement ceremony in 2007. Motown was “the new voice of America” due to its great impact and influence on the music industry and society. Numerous events were happening in America at that time and Berry Gordy identified several of these factors to target the music of Motown and its artists to young audiences in specific ways. There were various social, musical and cultural factors that were critically important and of these factors, Gordy identified the segregation and the civil rights movement, the music and cultural aspects of the black community at that time.
The book depicts the story of culture conflicts of the music, which arose from the introduction of the foot-tapping, hip-swaying music now known as rock n' roll (Graarrq). The outcome of rock n’ roll coincided with tremendous uproar in the movement to grant civil rights to African American. Trapped in the racial politics of the 1950s, rock n’ roll was credited with and criticized for promoting integration and economic opportunity for blacks while bringing to “mainstream” cloture black styles and values (Altschuler). Black values were looked over and kind of not important to whites. Whites were very much so well treated then blacks were, however no one spoke out until the outcome of rock n’ roll.
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...
The development of Rock ‘n’ Roll in the late 1940s and early 1950s by young African Americans coincided with a sensitive time in America. Civil rights movements were under way around the country as African Americans struggles to gain equal treatment and the same access to resources as their white neighbors. As courts began to vote in favor of integration, tensions between whites and blacks escalated. As the catchy rhythm of Rock ‘n’ Roll began to cross racial boundaries many whites began to feel threatened by the music, claiming its role in promoting integration. This became especially problematic as their youth became especially drawn to ...
Before beginning to analyze both Motown and Stax Record’s influence on black consciousness it must first be understood why black consciousness itself can be seen as a step in the right direction in the fight against black struggle. Brian Ward does a great job of capturing the true success of soul music’s influence on black consciousness. Ward says, “[Black radio’s] real strength… was its ability to dramatize and celebrate shared aspects of the black experience… to promote a revived sense of black identity, pride, solidarity and common consciousness” (Ward 449). In his book, Ward also points out that despite this successful development of black consciousness, there was limited success both economically and structurally on behalf of the black music industry. This shows that even though ther...
Rhythm and Blues also known as R&B has become one of the most identifiable art-forms of the 20th Century, with an enormous influence on the development of both the sound and attitude of modern music. The history of R&B series of box sets investigates the accidental synthesis of Jazz, Gospel, Blues, Ragtime, Latin, Country and Pop into a definable from of Black music. The hardship of segregation caused by the Jim Crow laws caused a cultural revolution within Afro-American society. In the 1900s, as a method of self-expression in the southern states, the Blues gradually became a form of public entertainment in juke joints and dance halls picking up new rhythm along the way. In 1910, nearly five million African Americans left the south for the
According to Albert Murray, the African-American musical tradition is “fundamentally stoical yet affirmative in spirit” (Star 3). Through the medium of the blues, African-Americans expressed a resilience of spirit which refused to be crippled by either poverty or racism. It is through music that the energies and dexterities of black American life are sounded and expressed (39). For the black culture in this country, the music of Basie or Ellington expressed a “wideawake, forward-tending” rhythm that one can not only dance to but live by (Star 39).
Black people were disenfranchised and to make it in the industry, they turned to music.
Firstly, in the 1960’s, a wise man once said, “Don’t terrorize, organize, and don’t burn, learn!” This man was James Brown, better known as the “Godfather of Soul,” who influenced many by his prominent voice and powerful lyrics which either showcased his Black Pride or spoke about the Anti-War movement in a very powerful manner. Although Brown was the world’s most sampled artist at the time, his success didn’t come easy.
One crucial aspect to have a full analysis in my paper is to understand how the sound and use of sampling, has changed over the years. In her book “Sampling the 1970s in Hip-hop” Joanna Demers writes about how sampling has been a way to preserve black identity in hip-hop. By using samples from past African American music, producers can make a lineage between hip-hop and its predecessors. This book details sampling before things such as strict copyright law became commonplace, so there will be a unique perspective to the music industry then. By using this book my paper can better understand where we were, and how the music changed to get to today.
Breckenridge, Stan L. (2003). "The 'Path African American music for everyone. Second Edition. Iowa: Kendall-Hunt Publications, Inc. Enotes.
Powell, A. (2007). The Music of African Americans and its Impact on the American Culture in the 1960’s and the 1970’s. Miller African Centered Academy, 1. Retrieved from http://www.chatham.edu/pti/curriculum/units/2007/Powell.pdf
Jazz music broke the rules in American Culture African American experience over White American experience. In addition, the article called ‘History of Black Dance’ said “Harlem during the twenties became the ‘in place’ to be for both black and white New Yorkers.”3 (“History of Black” par. 2). Breaking the rules of the 1920s American culture has not been done before, both men and women, both black and white, together in one place to enjoy music. In Carter’s article, “The Devils Music: 1920s Jazz” as jazz music grew in popularity, so did political and social campaigns to censor what the older generation considered to be the devils music, also known as jazz music.4 The older generation of the 1920s, believed that jazz music was made by the devil and by the end of the twenties,