Louisiana is home to not just the famous Mardi Gras, large exports of seafood great and small, or the infamous French Quarter. It is also a place of diversified culture, that has mixed for hundreds of years since the first colony was settled there. This mixture and plethora of cultures has influenced everyday life and is reflected in the music that was created and is popular in the state of Louisiana. Louisiana is considered to be the birthplace of Jazz, and it is a popular place for other music genres that have flourished and developed in the heart of New Orleans, such as Zydeco, Cajun, and Rhythm & Blues. Due to the fostered growth of these musical genres, many famous artists are also raised in Louisiana that have performed said genre.
Louisiana
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was first founded as a settlement of the French, then it belonged as a colony of the Spanish, back to the French, then finally, became a state of the United States of America. Through this long historical process, Louisiana had also become home to foreigners coming to settle. Three major foreign groups that helped develop the music genres that are prevalent in Louisiana culture today are the Acadians, the Creoles, and the African Americans. The Acadians had traveled from Canada to Louisiana which, at that time was a colony of France, it was because the British had evicted them of their homes. Since they were French citizens, they traveled the distance to the safety of another French colony. The next group of settlers included the Creoles, which is a term used for settlers of Louisiana when it was a French and Spanish colony before it became a part of the United States.The final group of settlers were the African Americans, some of which their population came as free people living in Louisiana, but a larger population was introduced later as slaves that had been kidnapped, traded, or sold from their homes and were now forced into hard work with little to no rewards. Also, other African Americans came during the Haitian slave rebellion in search of freedom from the harsh environment they were facing.While the Acadians and the African Americans left their homes in what was far from fortunate circumstances, they brought with them their culture and their currently evolving music. Cajun music came along with the arrival of the Acadians.
In the beginning, the Acadians expressed their sorrows and struggles that came with the troubles of the eviction from their homes and that of daily life. These songs were sung as ballads and were popular as early as in the 1700’s. Back then, before the introduction of instruments, Cajun music was classified by singing and tapping along to the beat of the music. However, after the death of a musician, instruments were brought along to the colonies. Then, Cajun music evolved along with the surrounding cultures of the Spanish, Native Americans, Irish, and even German, mixing with the new sounds and adding instruments such as the fiddle and accordion, which became the most iconic instruments for the playing of Cajun music, along with the song being sung in the French language. According to the article, Introduction to Cajun, Louisiana Creole & Zydeco music by Jim Hobbs, “Jigs, reels, and contra dances became part of their repertoire.” These dance moves were added due to the blended influence of said ethnic groups. Alan Lomax, a man well known for his workings with folk music described Cajun music like this; “solo unaccompanied ballads, lyric songs with complex texts, unaccompanied air playing on fiddles and wind instruments, unison group performances of ceremonial songs, and dance orchestras where string and wind duos play tunes in unison or in an accompanying relationship.”on his thoughts of the sound of Cajun music. …show more content…
Cajun music was first recorded in, not surprisingly, Louisiana, in the year of 1928, and the first song was performed by the musician Joe Falcon. Joe Falcon’s first song credited as the beginning of Cajun music was titled “Allons à Lafayette”. Musicians and artists often modify genres and change pieces and bits of the traditional definition to modify it to suit their own musical style. During the 1900’s, Cajun music gained more popularity especially after World War II, where “It was Cajun soldiers returning from World War II, however, hungry for Cajun music who spearheaded the accordion revival in the late 1940s and early 1950s.” Because of this newfound popularity at the request of families and soldiers for the upbeat and familiar music, many artists gained popularity. One said artist was Iry LeJeune, who was one of the best selling Cajun artists at the time, and one of the few artists that had the continued use of the accordion. While many artists early on laid the foundation of the genre of Cajun music and also its fan base, many artists from today are also recognized for their involvement in Cajun music. Amanda Shaw, is a Cajun fiddler, whose name is renowned through her many festival appearances and songs. The Creoles also created their own inventive music genre.
The Creoles, as stated earlier, is a group that identifies themselves as the settlers that inhabited Louisiana before it became a colony for the United States. Therefore, this included many ethnic groups that contributed to its music. This music being zydeco. Zydeco music was originally just called “La La music” but the term was coined by Clifton Chenier in the late 1950’s as he started to call his music “Zydeco.” “The word zydeco is usually explained as a contraction of the song title Les haricots sont pas sale or The snap beans are not salty. The elision of les to haricots creates the z sound.” This fascinating phrase led to the term that is now used by many today. “La La music” or zydeco music was first played by African American slaves. It was said that they would first play on their off day, Sunday, in Congo Square where they would sing native and traditional songs along with playing instruments like drums. Though, the true sound of zydeco music was created when two artists, one of them being the acclaimed “King of Zydeco” Clifton Chenier, combined the sounds of Creole dance with rhythm and blues. Zydeco “La La music”, as it was known at the time, music was first recorded by Amédé Ardoin in 1929, which is only a year after the first Cajun song was recorded, which is not a surprise as the two genres are related closely to each other. Zydeco, nowadays, is said to be a reminder of the culture from over fifty years
ago, with the history weaving together the story of slavery and the power of music. This music is honored today with the Zydeco Music Festival, which was started in 1982 and is still celebrated and enjoyed today. Just recently, a famous Zydeco musician, who is credited with revolutionizing current Zydeco music, had passed away almost twenty years, in the year 1999. Beau Jocque sold six albums that were recognized nationally in their fame. One of his songs, “Give Him Cornbread” also had a section where he rapped the lyrics, creating a 1990’s phenomenon that became the standard all other songs were held to. Blues music can often be described as it is stated by the Louisiana Travel website,“The blues is the music of the rural South arising near the end of the 1800s. It draws from a number of African-American traditions including spirituals, work songs, field hollers and ring shouts.” However, while the African Americans, freed or enslaved, often sang these songs that amalgamated their current troubles and cultural beliefs. This genre of music also shares a similar history to that of Zydeco music, as they are both born from the beats of drums played on Sunday and the singing of those with folk and spiritual songs. However this Rhythm and Blues became distinct enough that it also shared a few tips with Rock and Roll, as most singers of Rhythm and Blues also popular in the genre of Rock and Roll, in present society. It is also said that the beginnings of Rock and Roll were inspired by Rhythm and Blues. While Rhythm and Blues was around since the 1800’s, the first known singer of the genre being Lead Belly, who sang many varieties of songs such as the acclaimed Rhythm and Blues, and folk song, spiritual songs, and many more. The genre first became publicized and treated as a musical genre of its own right in the 1940’s. In fact, many Rhythm and Blues songs were listed on the Billboard Top 100 songs in that decade. This however, can mainly be attributed to the singer “Fats Domino”. Fats Domino became so famous that his first ever recording, “The Fat Man” sold around a million copies, and if that was not impressive, his song, "Ain't That A Shame" made him famous across the United States, gaining him, his music, the genre of rhythm and Blues, and Louisiana a second look to the public. Another famous singer, Irma Thomas, was born in the 1940’s and is still living today with the title of “Soul Queen of New Orleans.” She even won a Grammy in the year of 2007 for one of her Blues songs. She still sings today in her performances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, where other living legends like her can debut their voices and their culture as they sing the genre Rhythm and Blues. Last, but most assuredly not least, comes the music that is most famous and even expected of the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana; Jazz. New Orleans is considered the birthplace of Jazz and most rightly so. Different artists however claim the right to being called the first musician of Jazz, or even the inventor. As stated by the article Birthplace of Jazz on the website New Orleans Online,“Some will say that Jazz was born in 1895, when Buddy Bolden started his first band. Others will say 1917, when Nick LaRocca and his Original Dixieland Jazz Band recorded the first Jazz record, "Livery Stable Blues." Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton said, "It is evidently known, beyond contradiction, that New Orleans is the cradle of Jazz, and I myself happen to be the inventor in the year 1902." The earliest signs of Jazz were played by the artist Papa Jack Laine, as spectators were able to hear that they played with various beats at a time to create what is now called a “ragged time” so that each member of his band played the song on different tempos, so it had the notable “swing” most familiar in Jazz music. However, Jazz is best remembered by the name Louis Armstrong, who made Jazz music famous worldwide. He was so famous, in fact, the New Orleans Airport has a statue and is dedicated in his honor. A park is also named in his honor, Armstrong Park, and held within is a tribute to Congo Square, to which many genres of music can be contributed, such as the ones mentioned before; Cajun, Zydeco, Rhythm and Blues, and yes, even Jazz. Jazz was developed through the work of many artists and their interpretation on the origin of the African singing and traditional use of the beat. Jazz is most often played with a trumpet in today’s society. All genres of music in Louisiana today have strong ties to their origins and the mixed cultures of the early settlers of the Louisiana colony. Each genre of music, be it Jazz, Cajun, Zydeco, or Rhythm and Blues, is widely celebrated in the daily New Orleanian culture, so much so that Jazz music is even played in funeral processions. The music is also widely enjoyed to the living, whether the people are natives or foreigners traveling, all stop in the heart of New Orleans to listen to the bands playing in restaurants and the albums being played on the radio. Artists from hundreds of years ago to ten years ago, all have a hand in transforming and shaping the music we have come to know and love. Louisiana would not have been a fraction of what it was today, in music and in our culture, if we had not let ourselves be embodied by all of our inhabitants that had settled over the years.
The culture of Louisiana is not one general set of customs and beliefs shared by all those who live in the area. Louisiana is a state in which many different elements are mixed together to create what can be described as Southern Louisianan culture. The two most predominant elements which make up the culture within the southern region of the state are the cultures of the Creoles and the Cajuns, which have many different influences within them. A complex blend of many different elements including religion, language, music, and food, create the unique culture of the Cajuns and the Creoles in the region of Southern Louisiana.
The first appearance of jazz was at the turn of the century in New Orleans and is called “Dixieland Jazz,” or “Classic Jazz.” It developed out of music for street parades in the black community. It also had deeper roots in a style of music called “Blues,” which was used to express the daily experiences of the community (History). Other influences include the combination of West African folk music with the popular classical music of Europe, developing into syncopated rhythms and chord variations on classical pieces (Passion).
New Orleans was, and is still, known for their diverse atmosphere due to African, Caribbean, and European influences. The city’s richness in culture and history is what attracts tourists, from all over the country, to New Orleans. There is not only diversity when comparing New Orleans to other cities but also diversity between the different areas of New Orleans as well. Some of these locations include the French Quarter, City Park, and the Aquarium of Americas. The French Quarter consists of the city’s best restaurants which features cuisines from all over the world, a European style marketplace, many museums and theaters to display art pieces of different cultures, and...
New Orleans was founded May 7, 1718 by the French Mississippi Company, under the direction of Jean- Baptist Le Moyne. It was ruled for 40 years by the Spanish and bought by the United States in 1803. By the 1900s New Orleans was the birthplace of jazz music in dance halls and clubs. In 1940s young musicians such as Charlie Parker steeped in the sounds of jazz music. Also during the 1940s jazz musicians were looking for new directions to explore.
Nous sommes Acadiens. (We are Acadians.) Some outsiders see us as a quaint, virtuous people, spending a great deal of time singing, dancing, praying, and visiting? (Conrad, 1978, p.14). Others see us as independent and unsophisticated. We see ourselves as fun-loving, carefree, happy, proud people who have a great love for our culture. The Acadians were French settlers of eastern Canada who were exiled from their land in the 1750?s. The Acadians are known to have settled in the southern bayou lands of Louisiana around that time. The Acadiana people acquired their nickname, ?Cajuns,? from those people who could not pronounce Acadians correctly. Due to the opinion that Cajuns were ?different?, they lived close together and became isolated from others in Louisiana. They have since developed their own distinct characteristics which make them unique and unlike no others in the bayou state. Family, music, housing, food, marriages, and ?traiteurs? were all a part of the simple but challenging lifestyle of the Cajuns.
Why was New Orleans the hotspot for Jazz? It was located on a seaport. Being on a seaport is beneficial because it provides tourists and is also where goods go through. Also, it provided the party-like atmosphere and still does so today. People in the 1920’s didn’t have the technological advances such as iPhones and television so the performance took place in a social setting such as local bars and red light district establishments. The music evolution of jazz provided not only the music itself but a reason to get up and dance. According to Gridley, “The evolution of new dances and the overall popularity of dancing were big factors” (40). This was a big factor in jazz because it provided a brass band feel.Brass bands influence from Europeans brought a model for jazz music such as the trumpet, trombone, tuba, saxophone, and clarinet. These factors wouldn’t have been possible without culture and also individuals.
Southern hospitality is the best in the world. People that live in the South are very nice and are always willing to help another person in any way they can. If someone is from out of town and needs directions to a certain place southerners will make sure he or she knows how to get there before he or she leaves them. Southerners are very polite. Every time we pass someone on the rode, we are going to wave at him or her. Towns in the South have fewer people and everyone knows everyone. The people in the South are nicer than anywhere else in the United States.
Louisiana is filled with a great number of diversified and varied people all ranging from French, Spanish, English, German, and Acadian to West Indians, Africans, Irish, and Italian, and they were all a part of the original settlers that established the state (“About Louisiana”). They are also the ones who inspired the “Cajun Country” that Louisiana is today by bringing their culture, traditions, and heritage with them. The original French pronunciation of the w...
Although New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz, it was taken to the next level during the Harlem Renaissance by artists such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Bessie Smith. Being born and raised in New Orleans music, particularly jazz, is part of my heritage, my culture. In New Orleans, jazz is sort of a way to express what can’t be put into words. Growing up I remember attending jazz funerals with my grandmother. Jazz funerals, performed by brass bands, are a way of celebrating or remembering the deceased through music to release their spirits; the music starts slow and gradually becomes upbeat forming a style of jazz mostly performed at second
There were immigrants who were coming to the city and brought their own traditional instruments and music with them. In the early 1900s; brass bands generally would play for funerals, march in parades, or perform at places such as community events. Most of the performers at this point in time were white with the exception of a select few of ethnic minorities such as the Irish, Germans, Coarations, etc. It was due to these very limited options for black musicians to perform at that lead them to performing in the streets so to speak. Here the musicians experimented with different sounds and techniques of the brass bands that gradually came to the point where they began to improvise songs. This technique was a result of one of the perks of not being constrained to only the European form of music. Then the infamous Storyville came along in desperate need of performers. There were hardly any rules and the levels of expression appeared to be unbounded. As Dixieland grew in immense popularity it brought legends of jazz to the forefront of the movement as their image of one of the best musicians in jazz began. The most notable of the performers are “King” Oliver, Buddy Bolden, and the legend trumpeter Louis
It's famous for it's beignets, a square-shaped donut minus the hole, dusted w/ powdered sugar, great w/ coffee. The culture of New Orleans is at its best during Mardi Gras. However, so are hotels, so if you're planning on making the trip and staying in downtown New Orleans, make reservations a few months in advance. Despite the French Quarters old historic appeal, there are many excellent hotels to stay at.
African music concentrated a lot on rhythm while Western European liked to hear harmonic sounds. The dissonant sounds and polyrhythms of African music was not understood by the Europeans, but jazz musicians took a great liking to it. The reason for this was because Europeans used music for listening enjoyment. In Africa, music was very functional. It was the only form of communication between tribes and a universal language of percussive instruments. The music was used to announce special events such as birth, death, marriage, and the reaching of puberty. Everybody got musically trained very young and when Africans were brought to America as slaves, they brought the music. Some of the most noticeable influences of this African music is seen in work songs, spirituals and field hollers of slaves. When slaves became free, and chose to leave their plantation, there was no work for them. Many became street musicians and sang what is known today as the Blues. European musicians were playing a march style of music known as Rag. The rise in jazz happened when the two styles of music started combining.
“Anthropologists call this process "syncretism"--the blending together of cultural elements that previously existed separately. This dynamic, so essential to the history of jazz, remains powerful even in the present day, when African-American styles of performance blend seamlessly with other musics of other cultures, European, Asian, Latin, and, coming full circle, African.”(Gioai, 1997) The diversity of ethnicities in New Orleans played a crucial role in the development of jazz. Due to there being so many different ethnic groups living in New Orleans, the city was more tolerant in accepting unorthodox practices. This enabled jazz to be able to grow and develop, eventually reaching into new areas of the United
New Orleans has always been a big music town, for there has always been brass bands that played in the streets for parades, or for families to give comfort during a funeral.... ... middle of paper ... ... (The Influence of Jazz & Blues on Modern Music.”).
Marching bands became extensively throughout the nineteenth century due to the surplus drums and brass instruments formerly used by the military after the civil war, especially amongst black and Creole musicians. Thus, the syncopated polyrhythm of African music was mixed with traditional marching music and other popular musical styles, and became...