Flashback - American Music

By: HanShin Koh
Edited & Published By: Neena Rouhani

          


 The history of American music contains various styles of popular, classical and folk music. The most popular and well known genres of American music are rock-n-roll, blues and country music. The music history started by the original people, the Native Americans who populated North America. Their music was formed mostly for their own religious purposes.

            The large number of people from European countries such as England, France, Spain and Ireland invaded North America. Not only had they brought in their traditional features but also their music styles. This music included Christian choirs, musical notation, and the music of African slaves. The Africans played diverse instruments such as drums and string instruments. The Spanish people also had a similar instrument called Bandora.

             As America became more populated with immigrants and started to expand to westward, music became more diverse. During that time, the United States became exposed to Cajun and Creole music of Louisiana, the Polynesian music of Hawaii and Tex-Mex and Tejano music. Not only that, but also the Asian immigrants started to spread their own musical style. The United States became the land of global music at this time.

             The two greatest contributions to American music are Gospel music, which was brought by Scotland and Ireland, and blues and jazz. Gospel music  had influenced mostly the America’s southeast region with their music and culture. In the late 19^th century, African American and Scottish music had greatly impacted the American pop music. The rural blues of African-American people from the southern states and the jazz of black urbanites were the earliest forms of American pop music. At first they performed the music given by the publishers and companies and not with their own materials. However during the 20^th century, the blues grew popular and jazz had developed various fields such as bebop and scat. The African Americans started to express their own music.

              In the mid 20^th, Rock n Roll settled as the most popular music in America. Gospel music evolved as a secular music. In the late 20^th, through Rock, country, and soul, produced other styles of music; ranging from punk rock to heavy metal. At this period, the urban African Americans in New York City started to perform their own lyrics on the beat. This genre is known as hip hop music. Since then until now, the genre hip hop became the most influential music style and has spread globally to the other countries as well.

Source:
http://m.blog.daum.net/aaa193/158