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History of hip hop music
History of hip hop music
Impact of apartheid in south africa
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Kwaito music, perhaps the most important genre of music to materialize in post-apartheid South Africa, is commonly referred to as South African hip-hop. South African hip-hop originated in the 1990’s, shortly after Nelson Mandela was elected president. “Mandoza [a popular Kwaito singer] says this is no coincidence. After years of struggle, youngsters craved for a way to enjoy the freedom. Kwaito provides just that” (Lob 1). A popular hip-hop group, Prophets of da City, from Cape Town, South Africa were deeply drawn to ideology of American hip-hop, particularly artists such as Ice-T, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and Easy-E. Prophets of da City were able to relate to the messages that were displayed in the text of their songs regarding discrimination, violence and poverty. Prior to the election of Nelson Mandela, the people of apartheid South Africa were refined by political boundaries. As a result of the Separate Development Act, blacks were not allowed to socialize with individuals outside of their native tribe. Their government believed that maintaining boundaries was essential to maintaining proper balance. “Radio stations had different broadcasting systems for each ethnic group.” (Mhlambi 4). As if the inability to listen to a preferred radio station was not enough to add insult to injury, the radio stations were also heavily censored. Kwaito, which translates to the word “angry” in English, was considered an act of rebellion against political restrictions. The first Kwaito hit, written by Mafokate, detests the use of the word kaffir, a negative term that is used to refer to a black African. The text of the song “is a perfect illustration of freedom of expression that developed as a result of political change” (Mhlambi 4). Kwaito music ...
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"Kwaito: South African History Online." Kwaito | South African History Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Kwaito Music. 2013. Http://www.theeye.co.zw/musical-concept-empowering-local-woman-1530715/. By Mutsa Samhembere. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. (Visual #2 Citation)
Lob, Emily. "For South African Blacks, Kwaito Music = Fun." VOA. Voice of America, 06 Dec. 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
Mhlambi, Thokozani. "Kwaitofabulous: The Study of a South African Urban Genre." Journal of the Musical Arts in Africa, 2004. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Steingo, Gavin. "The Politicization of "Kwaito": From the "Party Politic" to Party Politics." JSTOR. Center for Black Music Research - Columbia College Chicago and University of Illinois Press, Spring 2007. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Swink, Simone. "SouthAfrica.info." Kwaito: Much More than Music. N.p., 22 Dec. 2005. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
For centuries, music has been defined by history, time, and place. To address this statement, Tom Zè, an influential songwriter during the Tropicália Movement, produced the revolutionary “Fabrication Defect” to challenge oppression as a result from the poor political and social conditions. On the other hand, David Ramsey discusses, in mixtape vignettes, the role of music to survive in New Orleans’ violent setting. Furthermore, “The Land where the Blues Began”, by Alan Lomax, is a film and perfect example to understand under what musical conditions profound ways of communication are made to stand the hard work of cotton plantations. As a result, music plays a crucial role in the sources’ cultures and its creation relies on particular conditions such as the social
African American religious music is the foundation of all contemporary forms of so called “black music.” African American religious music has been a fundamental part of the black experience in this country. This common staple of the African American experience can be traced back to the cruel system of slavery. It then evolved into what we refer to today as gospel music. The goal of this paper is to answer three main questions. What are the origins of African American religious music? How did this musical expression develop into a secular form of music? What is the future of African American religious music? These questions will be answered through factual research of African American traditions, artists, and various other sources.
Throughout the semester, various styles of music and the aspects of culture associated with these styles have been analyzed. Musical elements such as dynamics, texture, form, timbre, melody, instruments, etc., have been used to thoroughly explore each kind of music from different areas of the world, with an emphasis in music from Africa, India and Indonesia. These aspects of music go far beyond just music itself. Culture also plays a huge role in music and the accompanying musical elements. Each country and culture has a different style and distinctiveness that add to what makes the music of that certain culture unique. Music in Africa may differ dramatically from music in Indonesia or India not only due to those certain elements but also due to how it is interpreted by people and what it represents for those people. In addition to this, what one may consider music in one culture may not be music to another. These differences have been made apparent in the several demonstrations that we have been exposed to in class.
Angeles, Los. (2009). African arts. Volume 28. Published by African Studies Center, University of California.
African-American music is a vibrant art form that describes the difficult lives of African American people. This can be proven by examining slave music, which shows its listeners how the slaves felt when they were working, and gives us insight into the problems of slavery; the blues, which expresses the significant connection with American history, discusses what the American spirit looks like and teaches a great deal from the stories it tells; and hip-hop, which started on the streets and includes topics such as misogyny, sex, and black-on-black violence to reveal the reactions to the circumstances faced by modern African Americans.
“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.
The Kwaito Generation : Inside Out :: A production of 90.9 WBUR Boston, MA. (n.d.). Inside Out Documentaries: A Production of WBUR. Retrieved February 19, 2011, from http://www.insideout.org/documentaries/kwaito/apartheid.asp
Monson, I. (2010).Freedom sounds : civil rights call out to jazz and Africa. New York Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Breckenridge, Stan L. (2003). "The 'Path African American music for everyone. Second Edition. Iowa: Kendall-Hunt Publications, Inc. Enotes.
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...
Small, Christopher. Music of the Common Tongue: Survival and Celebration in African American Music. Hanover, NH: U of New England, 1998. Print
Music before the 20th century was very different when compared to the music of the 21st Century. There were distinctive occasions for each type of African music. West African music, the African Diaspora, and the music of the Colonies each had different musical instruments.
Bottaro, Visser and Nigel Worden. 2009. In Search of History Grade 12. South Africa Oxford University Press.
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.
Kumar, V. "Oral Tradition Africa Oral Tradition of Africa History of Africa History." . www.lifepaths360.com, 7 July 2008. Web. . .