Presented for consideration

[cmdr_zoom]

"The history of American music is actually, with rare exceptions, the history of black music."

Discuss.

Comments

[z-gryphon.livejournal.com]

Nobody tell John Philip Sousa.

[cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know. Or George M. Cohan.

[miladycarol.livejournal.com]

The history of American music is a carryover of European music as a broth. Toss lightly with Appalachian seasoning. All the tasty bits, the chewy bits, the spicy bits... all the reasons for partaking of the soup, those are the African American bits. They are the yummiest bits of all.

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Popular music of the 20th century. That was born from the blues and bluegrass. Even country got its start from black cowboys.

[cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com]

Also gospel/spirituals, ragtime, jazz (and thus swing), rhythm and blues > rock and roll, rap and hip hop...

[ninjarat.livejournal.com]

Most of which are fusions of several different origins. While African rhythms permeate popular American music, to say that it *is* African music sells short the wide variety of native and European influences fused with those rhythms to make Jazz, to make Rock 'n' Roll, to make Punk and Metal.