Rock’ n’ Roll
Rock Music
The category of Rock music describes a group of related music styles that have dominated popular
music in the Western Hemisphere since the 1950’s. Rock music began in the United States but has
been distinctly shaped by many other styles ranging anywhere from gospel to classical music. Rock 'n'
roll became the first style of music to attempt to appeal directly to young people. It developed
through mixing African American rhythm and blues with American country music.
Rock 'n' roll was truly made a world-wide obsession by Elvis Presley. Later, groups like the
Beatles and the Rolling Stones added their own distinctive touches to rock 'n' roll.
"Soul" also developed during this period through artists such as Aretha Franklin. She created a blend
of R & B and gospel music to create the new style.
In the late 1970s, a new version of rock 'n' roll, labelled "punk rock", developed. During the next two
decades, superstars emerged, like Michael Jackson and Madonna, who began filling huge stadiums for
concerts.
Musical elements:
The central and linking instrument of most kinds of rock music is the electric guitar. Charlie
Christian was the first person to perform using the amplified guitar as a solo instrument, but many
musicians since him, such as Aaron Thibeaux Walker, Les Paul, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Hendrix,
and Carlos Santana have featured and experimented with the instrument.
Other instruments that are common in rock music are the electric bass guitar, various keyboard
instruments (including the electric piano, organ, and synthesizer), and the drum set.
Rock music styles also share complex technical similarities. These styles are based on tonic,
subdominant, and dominant chords and the twelve bar blues chord progression. Most rock music
is performed at high volume levels, so it has also been closely tied to developments in electronic
technology.
Latin
Latin American Music
The region of Latin America contains a very rich variety of cultural and musical heritages. Certain
types of Latin American music represent fairly direct lines to the original cultural sources. (For
example, some ballad and dance traditions can be traced directly to Europe.) However, the most
prevalent musical styles in much of Latin America are those that are the result of various types and
degrees of fusion of many different cultural heritages and musical resources.
Caribbean
Caribbean Music
The genre of Caribbean Music encompasses a diverse variety of musical styles and traditions from
islands that are located in the Caribbean Sea. The styles range anywhere from traditional folk genres
such as the Puerto Rican aguinaldo and Jamaican mento to more contemporary music such as salsa
and reggae.
In many aspects, it is more common to see a marked diversity than a marked unity in Caribbean
music. A few generalizations can be made, however. Most music of this region combines features of
music from Africa with features of music from the West. This combination began with the
European colonization and slave trade but still continues into the present.
History:
The history of Caribbean music begins with the Native Americans, the first inhabitants of the
islands. Traditional tribal music which featured percussion instruments developed but perished along
with most of the Native Americans in the 1600s. Subsequent Caribbean music emerged as a result of
new relationships between African slaves and European settlers. The settler communities, as opposed
to the plantation towns, attracted large numbers of very different people and harboured a very lively
music culture.
The next key development came in the twentieth century with the advent of mass media,
particularly phonograph records and radio broadcasts. This stimulated the creation of popular dance
styles. During the mid-twentieth century, the immigration of Cubans to large cities played a major
role in spreading the music of the region. New York City, in particular, emerged as a large centre for
Latin and West Indian popular music.
Distinctive Styles:
Most Caribbean styles may be grouped into the categories of folk, classical, or commercially
popular music. Folk styles were derived primarily from African music and tend to be dominated by
percussion instruments as well as call and response vocals. Included in this category are the traditional
Cuban rumba, the Puerto Rican bomba as well as music associated with Afro-Caribbean religions
(such as Haitian, voodoo, and Cuban Santeria). A few styles, however, reflect a more European
influence. The Puerto Rican jiharo music and Cuban punto are two key examples.
Local forms of classical music were created in the nineteenth century in Cuba and Puerto Rico as
formally trained composers began to infiltrate the area. The most prominent styles in this category are
the Cuban contradaza and the habon (a lighter and more rhythmic but also Cuban style).
The best known forms of Caribbean music are the modern, popular genres. They are mostly from
Cuba and include the con (the most popular style of Cuban dance music), the chadracha, the listera
(a romantic, languid style), and the mambo (an instrumental big band style).
Since the mid-1960s, styles like salsa and merengue have become widely popular. The most
internationally famous style of Cuban music has clearly been reggae. This style emerged in the late
1960s in Jamaica as a reinterpretation of American R & B music. Singers such as Bob Marley have
helped push this style into the international arena.
R&B
Rhythm and blues, which is most commonly referred to as R & B, is comprised of a variety of
different but related styles. This title often encompasses such styles as jump blues, club blues, black
rock and roll, doo wop, soul, motown, funk, disco, and rap. The term rhythm and blues was
originally coined in 1949 by Jerry Wexler.
Throughout the 20th century, R & B has been the largest influence on popular music all over the
world. The influence can even be seen in forms of rock, country and western, gospel, and jazz. Despite
the fact that there are many styles, there are common musical and social elements that link them. The
musical rhythm is clearly the most important and distinguishing element.
All the genres of R & B typically depend upon a four-beat measure and a backbeat (the
accentuation of beats two and four). However, the specific approach to the expression of this musical
time (the "groove") is the primary differentiation between one genre and another. Except for rap, the
performing ensemble is generally divided into a rhythm section and a horn section.
Origin:
Rhythm and blues originated from the massive social, industrial, and technological upheaval that
took place in the United States just prior to and during World War II. Hundreds of black Americans
began moving northward into cities as high paying wartime employment opportunities became
available. New musical styles were created to meet the emerging tastes of this demographic group.
Thus, the new urbane sounds of rhythm and blues were developed. In addition, technological changes
in music took place. The invention of the electric guitar and the tape recorder were major influences
on rhythm and blues. The recording process was now simplified and companies were developed solely
around distributing R & B music.
Early R & B Styles:
Club blues, a subdued style of R & B began early as pianists like Nat King Cole and Charles
Brown gained greater acclaim. At the same time, jump blues, an up-tempo style that featured horns,
began developing. During the l950s rhythm and blues began catering to a teenage audience, rather than
an adult one. In addition, black rock and roll developed and forever changed American culture. Many
artists began subdividing the basic quarter note into eighth-notes as opposed to the triplet or shuffle
subdivision, the subdivision that was most commonly used in earlier rhythm and blues.
Motown and Soul Music:
The 1960s were marked by three main styles: 1. Chicago soul (influenced by gospel music); 2.
Motown sound (Detroit area); and 3) Southern soul. Each style had its own key features and
musicians who made it popular.
Funk and Disco
During the late 1960s, changes in cultural views began to be articulated by many black Americans.
These changes were quickly reflected in rhythm and blues music in the development of funk. Funk
de-emphasized melody and harmony and made rhythm the most important element.
Disco also developed during this time and rivalled funk's popularity.
Dance and Rap:
During the 1980s and 1990s, superstars like Prince, Michael Jackson, and Janet Jackson created a
new style by borrowing from funk and other dance styles. Rap was the most significant development
in popular music during this time period. The roots of rap lie in African and African American verbal
games. The first rap recording was "Rapper's Delight" by Sugarhill Gang in 1979, and it became
a novelty hit almost immediately. It wasn't until 1986, however, when Run-DMC re-recorded "Walk
this Way" (a popular Aerosmith song) that rap gained popularity among white audiences