An African American man gives a piano lesson to a young African American woman, in 1899 or 1900, in Georgia, USA. Photograph from a collection of W.E.B. DuBois.

African American music (also called black music, formerly known as race music) is an umbrella term given to a range of music and musical genres emerging from or influenced by the culture of African Americans, who have long constituted a large ethnic minority of the population of the United States. Some of their ancestors were originally brought to North America to work as enslaved peoples, bringing with them typically polyrhythmic songs from hundreds of ethnic groups across West and sub-Saharan Africa. In the United States, as cultures merged, multiple cultural traditions merged with influences from polka, waltzes and other European music. Later periods saw considerable innovation and change. African American genres have been highly influential across socio-economic groupings and internationally. African American music and all aspects of African American culture are celebrated during Black History Month in February of each year in the United States. W. E. B. Du Bois William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (pronounced ) (February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was a civil rights activist, sociologist, educator, historian, writer, editor, poet, and scholar, and socialist. ... Africa is a large and diverse continent, consisting of dozens of countries, hundreds of languages and thousands of races, tribes and ethnic groups. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... A short grand piano, with the lid up. ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... A harmonica is a free reed wind instrument. ... For other uses, see Banjo (disambiguation) The banjo is a stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The term synthesiser is also used to mean frequency synthesiser, an electronic system found in communications. ... The word voice can be used to refer to: Sound: The human voice. ... Tonearm redirects here. ... House music is a style of electronic dance music that was developed by dance club DJs in Chicago in the early to mid-1980s. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... For the comic book character previously known as Techno, see Fixer (comics). ... Electro is either (a) a prefix used to indicate a relationship to electricity, as in electro-mechanical, or electro-magnet, or (b) a stand-alone word. ... Blues music redirects here. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... R&B redirects here. ... For other uses, see Soul (disambiguation). ... For other uses, including related musical genres, see Funk (disambiguation). ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... This article is about the music genre. ... Contemporary R&B is a music genre of American popular music, the current iteration of the genre that began in the 1940s as rhythm and blues music. ... Early Creole musicians playing an accordion and a washboard in front of a store, near New Iberia, Louisiana (1938). ... Cakewalk is a traditional African American form of music and dance which originated among slaves in the US South. ... Dixieland music is a style of jazz which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s. ... Look up ragtime in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The phrase New Orleans rhythm and blues refers to a type of R&B music from New Orleans, Louisiana, that is characterized by extensive use of piano and horn sections, complex rhythms and celebratory lyrics. ... Gospel, from the Old English good tidings is a calque of Greek () used in the New Testament (see Etymology below). ... See also hymn - a program to decrypt iTunes music files. ... The Dapper Dans, a barbershop quartet at Disney World Barbershop harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era (1940s-present), is a style of a cappella, or unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture. ... Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of jazz music that developed during the 1920s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States. ... Smokey Robinsons 1975 hit single provided the name for the quiet storm radio programming format and the music category. ... Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music popular in the mid-1950s to the early 1960s in America. ... Go-Go is a subgenre of funk music developed in and around Washington, D.C. in the mid and late 1970s. ... P-Funk is an abbreviated, compound name for two bands, Parliament and Funkadelic. ... Mobb Music is a style of West Coast rap music that began in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1980s. ... Neo soul (also known as nu soul) is a music genre and an umbrella term for current soul music. ... New Jack Swing, or swingbeat[1], is a hybrid style popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s, which fuses hip-hop with rhythms, samples and production techniques with the urban contemporary sound of R&B. The new jack swing style developed as many previous R&B styles did... The term urban contemporary was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... Musical genres are categories which contain music which share a certain style or which have certain elements in common. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... This article is about the concept of a minority. ... North American redirects here. ... Slave redirects here. ... Polyrhythm is the simultaneous sounding of two or more independent rhythms. ... For other uses, see Song (disambiguation). ...  Western Africa (UN subregion)  Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... A political map showing national divisions in relation to the ecological break (Sub-Saharan Africa in green) A geographical map of Africa, showing the ecological break that defines the sub-Saharan area Sub-Saharan Africa is the term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south... Street musicians in Prague playing a polka Polka is a fast, lively Central European dance, and also a genre of dance music. ... For other uses, see Waltz (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... In the United States, African American culture or Black culture includes the various cultural traditions of African American communities. ... Black History Month is a remembrance of important people and events in African American history. ...

Historic Traits

Features common to most African American music styles include: Image File history File links AmericaAfrica. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... African American history is the portion of American history that specifically discusses the African American or Black American ethnic group in the United States. ... Slave sale in Easton, Maryland The history of slavery in the United States (1619-1865) began soon after English colonists first settled Virginia and lasted until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. ... Military history of African Americans is that of African Americans in the United States since the arrival of the first black slaves in 1619 to the present day. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial... For the automotive term, see redline. ... American Civil Rights Movement redirects here. ... Reparations for slavery is a movement in the United States, which suggests that the government apologize to slave descendants for their hardships, and bestow on them reparations, whether it be in the form of money, land, or other goods. ... In the United States, African American culture or Black culture includes the various cultural traditions of African American communities. ... African American studies, or Black studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to the study of the history, culture, and politics of African Americans. ... Detail from cover of The Celebrated Negro Melodies, as Sung by the Virginia Minstrels, 1843 The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the American Civil War, African Americans in blackface. ... This reproduction of a 1900 minstrel show poster, originally published by the Strobridge Litho Co. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... African American neighborhoods or black neighborhoods are types of ethnic enclaves found in many cities in the United States. ... In the United States, Historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) are colleges or universities that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the African American community. ... Kwanzaa (or Kwaanza) is a week-long Pan-African festival primarily honoring African-American heritage. ... African American art is a broad term describing the visual arts of the American black community. ... This is a list of museums about, or otherwise focused on African Americans. ... African American dances in the vernacular tradition (academically known as African American vernacular dance) are those dances which have developed within African American communities in everyday spaces, rather than in dance studios, schools or companies. ... The Color Purple by Alice Walker African American literature is the body of literature produced in the United States by writers of African descent. ... The term black church or African American church refers to predominantly African American Christian churches that minister to black communities in the United States. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and social/political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930 with the self-proclaimed goal of resurrecting the spiritual, mental, social, economic condition of the black man and woman of America and belief that God will bring... Black Hebrew Israelites (also Black Hebrews, African Hebrew Israelites, and Hebrew Israelites) are groups of people of African ancestry situated mostly in the United States who claim to be descendants of the ancient Israelites. ... This article is about the West African religion. ... Hoodoo is a form of predominantly African American, Christian, traditional folk magic. ... For other uses, see Santeria (disambiguation). ... Pan-African people are all people with African physical features. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... ‹ The template below is being considered for deletion. ... Black Capitalism is a name for a movement among African Americans to build wealth through the ownership and development of businesses. ... For the Nas song called Black Republican, see Hip Hop Is Dead. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The Black Panther Party (originally called the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was an African American organization founded to promote civil rights and self-defense. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP, generally pronounced as EN Double AY SEE PEE) is one of the oldest and most influential civil rights organizations in the United States. ... The Southern Christian Leadership Conference Logo. ... “CORE” redirects here. ... The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (or SNCC, pronounced snick) was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. ... National Urban League Logo The National Urban League (NUL) is a nonpartisan civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of African Americans and against racial discrimination in the United States. ... The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) is a non-profit organization founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1915 as The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History by Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland. ... United Negro College Fund logo The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is a Fairfax, Virginia-based American philanthropic organization that fundraises college tuition money for African-American students and general scholarship funds for 39 historically black colleges and universities. ... National Black Chamber of Commerce The National Black Chamber of Commerce, (NBCC), was “incorporated in March of 1993, in Washington D.C.” The organizations mission is “To economically empower and sustain African American communities, through the process of entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity within the United States and via interaction with... The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. ... The Links, Incorporated is an exclusive non-profit organization based upon the ideals of combining friendship and community service and was was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 9, 1946, from a group of ladies known as the Philadelphia Club to have focuses on civic, cultural, and educational endeavors[1... The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) was founded in 1935 by Mary McLeod Bethune, child of slave parents, distinguished educator and government consultant. ... Bud Fowler, the first professional black baseball player with one of his teams, Western of Keokuk, Iowa The Negro Leagues were American professional baseball leagues comprising predominantly African-American teams. ... The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is a college athletic conference made up of historically black colleges in the southeastern United States. ... logo of Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) is a College athletic conference consisting of historically black colleges located in the southern United States. ... The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is a collegiate athletic conference which consists of historically black colleges in the southeastern United States. ... The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is a college athletic conference made up of historically black universities in the southern United States. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Gullah language (Sea Island Creole English, Geechee) is a creole language spoken by the Gullah people (also called Geechees), an African American population living on the Sea Islands and the coastal region of the U.S. states of South Carolina and Georgia. ... Louisiana Creole (Créole Louisiane and Kourí-Viní, as it is known in and near St. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Notable African-Americans or Black Americans // List of African American writers List of African American nonfiction writers List of composers of African descent African Americans in the United States Congress (includes a long list) List of African American Republicans List of civil rights leaders List of African American abolitionists List... African-Americans are a demographic minority in the United States. ... This is a list of landmark legislation, court decisions, executive orders, and proclamations in the United States significantly affecting African Americans. ... This is an alphabetical list of African-American-related topics: Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A African American African American contemporary issues African American culture...

• [[field hollees))
• work song
• call and response
• vocality (or special vocal effects): guttural effects, interpolated vocality, falsetto, melisma, vocal rhythmization
• improvisation
• blue notes
• polyrhythms: syncopation, concrescence, tension, improvisation, percussion, swung note
• texture: antiphony, homophony, polyphony, heterophony
• harmony: vernacular progressions; complex, multi-part harmony, as in spirituals and barbershop music^[1]

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The term Call and response may refer to Call and response -- a type of musical phrasing Call-and-response -- a type of communication Call and Response is a Californian pop band. ... Vocality or special vocal effects are vocal or vocally inspired devices including guttural effects, interpolated vocality, falsetto, blue notes, Afro-melismas, lyric improvisation, and vocal rhythmization. ... Falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, false) is a singing technique that produces sounds that are pitched higher than the singers normal range, in the treble range. ... Melisma, in music, is the technique of changing the note (pitch) of a single syllable of text while it is being sung. ... Improvisation is the practice of acting and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of ones immediate environment. ... In jazz and blues notes added to the major scale for expressive quality, loosely defined by musicians to be an alteration to a scale or chord that makes it sound like the blues. ... In music, syncopation is when a stressing of a normally unstressed beat in a bar or failure to sound a tone on an accented beat occurs. ... Look up swing, swinging in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Homophony is a musical term that describes the texture of two or more instruments or parts moving together and using the same rhythm. ... Polyphony is a musical texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice (monophony) or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords (homophony). ... Look up heterophony in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence), as its name implies, is a series of chords played in order. ... A spiritual is a African-American song, usually with a religious text. ... The Dapper Dans, a barbershop quartet at Disney World Barbershop harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era (1940s-present), is a style of a cappella, or unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture. ...

History

19th century

The influence of African Americans on mainstream American music began in the 19th century, with the advent of blackface minstrelsy. The banjo, of African origin, became a popular instrument, and its African-derived rhythms were incorporated into popular songs by Stephen Foster and other songwriters. In the 1830s, the Second Great Awakening led to a rise in Christian revivals and pietism, especially among African Americans. Drawing on traditional work songs, African American slaves originated began performing a wide variety of Spirituals and other Christian music. Many of these songs were coded messages of subversion against slaveholders, or which signaled escape. African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ... This reproduction of a 1900 minstrel show poster, originally published by the Strobridge Litho Co. ... Detail from cover of The Celebrated Negro Melodies, as Sung by the Virginia Minstrels, 1843 The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the American Civil War, African Americans in blackface. ... For other uses, see Banjo (disambiguation) The banjo is a stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments. ... For other persons named Stephen Foster, see Stephen Foster (disambiguation). ... The Second Great Awakening  (1800–1830s) was the second great religious revival in United States  history and consisted of renewed personal salvation experienced in revival meetings. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A spiritual is a African-American song, usually with a religious text. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Athanasius · Augustine · Constantine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Calvin · Luther · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christian...

During the period after the Civil War, the spread of African American music continued. The Fisk University Jubilee Singers toured first in 1871 . Artists including Morris Hill and Jack Delaney helped revolutionize post-war African music in the central East of the United States.In the following years, the Hampton Students and professional jubilee troops formed and toured. The first black musical-comedy troup, Hyers Sisters Comic Opera Co, was organized in 1876 .^[2] The Fisk Jubilee Singers were a group of African American singers in the 1870s. ... Jack Delaney (Born: March 18, 1900, Died: November 27, 1948 was a former light heavyweight champion of the world and contender for the heavyweight crown. ...

By the end of the 19th century, African American music was an integral part of mainstream American culture. Ragtime performers like Scott Joplin became popular and some soon became associated with the Harlem Renaissance and early civil rights activists. Look up ragtime in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Scott Joplin Scott Joplin (born between June 1867 and January 1868,[1] died April 1, 1917) was an American musician and composer of ragtime music. ... The Harlem Renaissance was also known as the New Negro Movement, named after the anthology The New Negro, edited by Alain Locke in 1925. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ...

Early 20th century

African American, also known as black music has long been popular with people of all ethnic backgrounds throughout the United States. Here the Slayton Jubilee Singers perform in Nebraska about 1910.

The early part of the 20th century saw a constant rise in popularity of African American blues and jazz. As well as the developments in the fields of visual arts, the Harlem Renaissance of the early 20th century lead to developments in music . Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1095x702, 303 KB) Slayton Jubillee Singers Scanned from a promotional postcard, c. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1095x702, 303 KB) Slayton Jubillee Singers Scanned from a promotional postcard, c. ... Blues music redirects here. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... The Harlem Renaissance was also known as the New Negro Movement, named after the anthology The New Negro, edited by Alain Locke in 1925. ...

White and Latino performers of both genres existed, and there had always been cross-cultural communication between the United States' races. Jewish klezmer music, for example, was a noted influence on jazz, while Jelly Roll Morton famously explained that a "Latin tinge" was a necessary component of good music. African American music was often simplified for white audiences, who would not have as readily accepted black performers, leading to genres like swing music, a pop-based outgrowth of jazz. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Klezmer (from Yiddish כּלי־זמיר, etymologically from Hebrew kli zemer כלי זמר, musical instrument) is a musical tradition which parallels Hasidic and Ashkenazic Judaism. ... Morton in the 1920s Ferdinand Jelly Roll Morton September 20, 1890 - July 10, 1941) was an American virtuoso pianist, bandleader and composer who some call the first true composer of jazz music. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see swing. ...

On the stage, the first musicals written and produced by African Americans to appear on Broadway debuted in 1898 with A Trip to Coontown by Bob Cole and Billy Johnson. In 1901, the first known recorded of black musicians was that of Bert Williams and George Walker; this set featured music from broadway musicals. The first black opera was performed in 1911 with Scott Joplin's Treemonisha. The following year, the first in a series of annual black symphony orchestra concerts were performed at Carnegie Hall.^[3] Lt. ... Bert Williams (November 12, 1875 – March 4, 1922) was the pre-eminent Black entertainer of his era and one of the most popular comedians for all audiences of his time. ... Several prominent individuals have been named George Walker: Colonel The Reverend George Walker (1645-1690) was an English commander in Ireland. ... The cover of the original Treemonisha score. ... Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street. ...

The return of the black musical to broadway occurred in 1921 with Sissle and Blake's Shuffle Along. In 1927, a concert survey of black music was performed at Carnegie Hall including jazz, spirituals and the symphonic music of W.C. Handy's Orchestra and Jubilee singers. The first major film musical with a black cast was King Vidor's Hallelujah of 1929 . The first Symphony by a black composer to be performed by a major orchestra was William Grant Still's Afro-American Symphony with the New York Philharmonic. African American performers were featured in operas such as Porgy and Bess and Virgil Thompson's Four Saints in Three Acts of 1934 . Also in 1934 William Dawson's Negro Folk Symphony became the second African American composer's work to receive attention by a major orchestra with its performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra.^[4] Shuffle Along premiered in 1921, written and composed by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, and was the first major African American hit musical of the 1920s. ... W.C. Handy photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1941 William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 - March 28, 1958) was an African American blues composer, often known as The Father of the Blues. ... King Vidor King Wallis Vidor (February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director. ... William Grant Still William Grant Still (May 11, 1895 - December 3, 1978) was an African-American classical composer who wrote more than 150 compositions. ... The cast of Porgy and Bess during the Boston try-out prior to the Broadway opening. ... Virgil Thomson, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1947 Virgil Thomson (November 25, 1896 - September 30, 1989) was an American composer from Missouri, whose rural background gave a sense of place in his compositions. ... Four Saints in Three Acts is an opera by American composer Virgil Thomson with a libretto by Gertrude Stein. ... William Dawson may refer to: Sir John William Dawson (1820 - 1899), a Canadian geologist. ...

Mid 20th century

By the 1940s, cover versions of African American songs were commonplace, and frequently topped the charts, while the original musicians found success among their African American audience, but not in mainstream. In 1955, Thurman Ruth persuaded a gospel group to sing in a secular setting, the Apollo Theater, with such success that he subsequently arranged gospel caravans that traveled around the country, playing the same venues that rhythm and blues singers had popularized. Popular African American music at the time was a developing genre called "rock and roll", whose exponents included Little Richard and Jackie Brenston. The following decade saw the first major crossover acts, with Bill Haley and Elvis Presley performing rockabilly, a rock and country fusion, while black artists like Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley received unprecedented mainstream success. Presley went on to become perhaps the first watershed figure in American music; his career, while never extremely innovative, marked the beginning of the acceptance of musical tastes crossing racial boundaries among all audiences. He was also the first in a long line of white performers to achieve what some perceive as undue fame for his influence, since many of his fans showed no desire to learn about the pioneers he learned from. The 50s also saw doo wop become popular. // In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... Apollo Theater marquee, c. ... R&B redirects here. ... Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), better known by the stage name Little Richard, is an African-American singer, songwriter, and pianist, who began performing in the 1940s and was a key figure in the transition from rhythm & blues to rock and roll in the mid-1950s. ... Rocket 88, a rhythm and blues song from 1951 claimed by Sun Records owner and pioneer rock and roll record producer Sam Phillips as the first rock and roll song. The record was credited to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, but the band did not actually exist. ... Bill Haley, with his band, the Comets, was one of the first rock and roll acts to tour the United Kingdom. ... Elvis redirects here. ... Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, and emerged in the early-1950s. ... Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born 18 October 1926, St. ... Bo Diddley (born December 30, 1928) aka The Originator, is an influential American rock and roll singer, songwriter, and guitarist. ... For the Lauryn Hill single, see Doo Wop (That Thing). ...

The late 1950s also saw vastly increased popularity of hard blues from the earliest part of the century, both in the United States and United Kingdom. A secularized form of American gospel music called soul also developed, with pioneers like Ben E. King and Sam Cooke leading the wave. Soul and R&B became a major influence on surf, as well as the chart-topping girl groups like The Angels and The Shangrilas, only some of whom were white. Black divas like Diana Ross & the Supremes and Aretha Franklin became 60s crossover stars. In the UK, British blues became a gradually mainstream phenomenon, returning to the United States in the form of the British Invasion, a group of bands led by The Beatles who performed classic-style R&B, blues and pop with both traditional and modernized aspects. Blues music redirects here. ... Gospel music is a musical genre characterized by dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) referencing lyrics of a religious nature, particularly Christian. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Ben E. King (born Benjamin Earl Nelson on September 28, 1938, in Henderson, North Carolina) became a famous soul singer of the early 60s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly Orange County and other areas of Southern California. ... The Supremes A Go-Go (1966) was the first album by a female group to reach the top position of the Billboard magazine pop albums chart in the United States. ... See The Angels (Australian) for the Australian group The Angels were an American girl group, best-known for their 1963 hit My Boyfriends Back. Barbara and Phyllis Allbut and Linda Jansen (soon replaced with Peggy Santiglia) had their first hit was in 1961, with Till, followed by a lesser... The Shangri-Las on the cover of a modern collection of their works. ... For other senses of this word, see diva (disambiguation). ... Reissue album cover showing The Supremes in 1966. ... Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. ... The British blues is a type of blues music that originated in the late 1950s. ... For other uses, see British Invasion (disambiguation). ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ...

The British Invasion knocked most other bands off the charts, with only a handful of groups, like The Mamas & the Papas, maintaining a pop career. Soul music, in two major highly-evolved forms, remained popular among blacks. Funk, usually said to have been invented by James Brown, incorporated influences from psychedelia and early heavy metal, particularly Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was himself innovative in electric guitar, being one of the first guitarists to use effects pedals such as the wah wah pedal. Just as popular among blacks and with more crossover appeal, album-oriented soul revolutionized African American music with intelligent and philosophical lyrics, often with a socially aware tone. Marvin Gaye's What's Going On is perhaps the best-remembered of this field. The Mamas & the Papas (credited as The Mamas and the Papas on the debut album cover) were a leading vocal group of the 1960s. ... For other uses, including related musical genres, see Funk (disambiguation). ... James Brown, known variously as: Soul Brother Number One, the Godfather of Soul, Mr. ... Psychedelia is a term describing a category of music, visual art, fashion, and culture that is associated originally with the high 1960s, hippies, and the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, California. ... Heavy metal redirects here. ... Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter. ... An electric guitar An electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into electrical current, which is then amplified. ... Wah-wah is an imitative word for the sound of bending or altering musical notes to improve expressiveness, sounding much like a human voice saying the syllable wah for each note. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... Whats Going On is an album by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. ...

The 1970s and 1980s

The 1970s saw one of the greatest decades of black bands concerning melodic music, unlike a much contemporary rap, with hip hop being the only roots to the melodic music of blacks of the 70's. Album-oriented soul continued its popularity, while musicians like Smokey Robinson helped turn it into Quiet Storm music. Funk evolved into two strands, one a pop and soul fusion pioneered by Sly & the Family Stone, and the other a more experimental psychedelic and metal fusion led by George Clinton and his P-Funk ensemble. William Smokey Robinson, Jr. ... Smokey Robinsons 1975 hit single provided the name for the quiet storm radio programming format and the music category. ... Sly & the Family Stone was an American rock band from San Francisco, California. ... For other persons named George Clinton, see George Clinton (disambiguation). ... P-Funk is an abbreviated, compound name for two bands, Parliament and Funkadelic. ...

Black musicians achieved generally little mainstream success, though African Americans had been instrumental in the invention of disco, and some artists, like Gloria Gaynor and Kool & the Gang, found crossover audiences. White listeners preferred country rock bands, singer-songwriters and, in some subcultures, heavy metal and punk rock. This article is about the music genre. ... Gloria Gaynor (born Gloria Fowles September 7, 1949) is an American singer, best-known for the disco era hits I Will Survive (Hot 100 #1, 1979), Never Can Say Goodbye (Hot 100 #9, 1974), and I Am What I Am (Hot 100 #82, 1983). ... Kool & the Gang is a highly successful American jazz/R&B/soul/funk/disco group. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... Heavy metal redirects here. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ...

The dozens, an urban African American tradition of using rhyming slang to put down your enemies (or friends) developed, through the smart-ass street jive of the early Seventies into a new form of music. In the South Bronx, the half speaking, half singing the rhythmic street talk of 'rapping' grew into the hugely successful cultural force known as Hip Hop.^[5] Hip Hop would become a multicultural movement. Jamaican immigrants like DJ Kool Herc and spoken word poets like Gil Scott-Heron are often cited as the major innovators in early hip hop. Beginning at block parties in The Bronx, hip hop music arose as one facet of a large subculture with rebellious and progressive elements. At block parties, DJs spun records, most typically funk, while MCs introduced tracks to the dancing audience. Over time, DJs began isolating and repeating the percussion breaks, producing a constant, eminently dance-able beats, which the MCs began improvising more complex introductions and, eventually, lyrics. Your father redirects here. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Hip hop is a cultural movement that began amongst urban African American youth in New York and has since spread around the world. ... Categories: People stubs | Hip hop musicians | Hip hop DJs | 1955 births ... Spoken word is a form of music or artistic performance in which lyrics, poetry, or stories are spoken rather than sung. ... Photo of Gil Scott-Heron. ... A block party is a large informal public celebration in which many members of a single neighborhood congregate to observe a positive event of some importance. ... For other uses, see The Bronx (disambiguation). ... DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ... A Master of Ceremonies or MC (sometimes spelled emcee), sometimes called a compere or an MJ for microphone jockey, is the host of an official public or private staged event or other performance. ... This article is about a break as a section of a musical work. ...

In the 1980s, black pop artists included Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston, and Prince, who sang a type of pop dance-soul that fed into New Jack Swing by the end of the decade. These artists are the most successful of the era. Hip hop spread across the country and diversified. Techno, Dance, Miami bass, Chicago Hip House, Los Angeles hardcore and DC Go Go developed during this period, with only Miami bass achieving mainstream success. But before long, Miami bass was relegated primarily to the Southeastern US, while Chicago hip house had made strong headways on college campuses and dance arenas(ie. the warehouse sound, the rave). The DC go-go sound like Miami bass became essentially a regional sound that didn't muster much mass appeal. Chicago house sound had expanded into the Detroit music environment and mutated into more electronic and industrial sounds creating Detroit techno, acid, jungle. Mating these experimental, usually DJ oriented, sounds with the prevalence of the multiethnic New York City disco sound from the 1970s and 1980s created a brand of music that was most appreciated in the huge discoteques that are located in cities like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Boston, etc. Eventually, European audiences embraced this kind of electronic dance music with more enthusiasm than their North American counterparts. These variable sounds let the listeners prioritize their exposure to new music and rhythms while enjoying a gigantic dancing experience. Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958), commonly known as MJ as well as the King of Pop, is an American musician, entertainer, and pop icon whose successful career and controversial personal life have been a part of pop culture for the last three decades. ... Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. ... Whitney Elizabeth Houston (born August 9, 1963) is a six-time Grammy award winning, American R&B singer, soprano, pianist, actress, film producer, and former model. ... Prince changed his stage name into an unpronounceable symbol in 1993, but took up the name Prince again in 1999. ... New Jack Swing, or swingbeat[1], is a hybrid style popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s, which fuses hip-hop with rhythms, samples and production techniques with the urban contemporary sound of R&B. The new jack swing style developed as many previous R&B styles did... For the comic book character previously known as Techno, see Fixer (comics). ... For other uses, see Dance (disambiguation). ... Miami bass (also known as booty music, a term that may also include other genres, such as dirty rap), is a type of hip hop music that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... Hip house, also known as house rap, is a mixture of house music and hip-hop which arose during the 1980s in New York. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... Hardcore hip hop is a form of hip hop music characterized by confrontation and aggression in its subject matter, heavy beats, raw sampling and production, or any combination thereof. ... ... For other uses, see Go go (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rave (disambiguation). ... Chicago house is a style of house music. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ...

At the later half of the decade about 1986 rap took off into the mainstream with Run-D.M.C. Raising Hell and Beastie Boys Licensed To Ill which became the first rap album to enter No.1 Spot On the Billboard 200.Both of these groups mixed rap and rock together which apealed to rock and rap audicences.Hip Hop took off from its roots and the golden age hip hop scene started.Hip Hop became popular in America until the 1990s when it became worldwide.The golden age scene would die out in the early 1990s when gangsta rap and g-funk took over. Run-DMC is a famous hip hop crew founded by Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay) and includes Joseph Run Simmons and Darryl DMC McDaniels, all from Hollis, Queens. ... Raising Hell is a 1986 (see 1986 in music) album by old school rappers Run-D.M.C.. Their breakthrough album, Raising Hell trumped standing perceptions of commercial viability for hip hop groups, achieving triple-platinum status and receiving critical attention from quarters that had previously ignored hip hop as... The Beastie Boys are a hip hop musical group from New York City consisting of Michael Mike D Diamond, Adam MCA Yauch, Adam Ad-Rock Horovitz. ... Licensed to Ill is the debut album by the Beastie Boys, released in 1986 (see 1986 in music). ... The golden age of hip hop, derivative of old school hip hop, was probably introduced with the popularity of Run-DMCs 1986 album Raising Hell. ...

The 1990s and 2000s

Hip Hop, Rap, and R&B are the most popular genre of music for African Americans in this time.

Contemporary R&B, as the post-disco version of soul music came to be known as, remained popular throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Male vocal groups in the style of soul groups such as The Temptations and The O'Jays were particularly popular, including New Edition, Boyz II Men, which ended up being the highest selling R&B male group of all time, Jodeci, Blackstreet, and, later, Dru Hill and Jagged Edge. Girl groups, including TLC, Destiny's Child, and En Vogue, were also highly successful. Destiny's Child would go on to be the highest selling female vocal group of all time. Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... “Temptations” redirects here. ... The OJays is a popular Philadelphia soul group, originally consisting of Walter Williams (born August 25, 1942), Bill Isles, Bobby Massey, William Powell (January 20, 1942 - May 26, 1977) and Eddie Levert (born June 16, 1942). ... New Edition is an American R&B/Pop group formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1980, that was most popular during the 1980s. ... Boyz II Men is an American R&B/soul singing group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Jodeci is an American musical group, whose repertoire included R&B, soul music, and new jack swing. ... BLACKstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1992 by Teddy Riley, a New Jack Swing pioneer known for his work as a member of Guy. ... Dru Hill is an American singing group, most popular during the late 1990s, whose repertoire included R&B, soul, and gospel music. ... Jagged Edge is an American R&B singing group that were originally signed through Jermaine Dupris So So Def Records to Columbia Records. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article is about the group. ... This article is about the American quartet. ... This article is about the group. ...

Singer-songwriters such as 2Pac, R. Kelly, Mariah Carey, Montell Jordan, D'Angelo, and Raphael Saadiq of Tony! Toni! Toné! were also significantly popular during the 1990s, and artists such as Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans and BLACKstreet popularized a fusion blend known as hip-hop soul. D'Angelo's Marvin Gaye/Stevie Wonder-inspired sound would lead to the development of neo soul, popularized in the late 1990s/early 2000s by artists such as Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, India.Arie, and Musiq. Years after his death, Tupac Shakur is still considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. ... R. Kelly (born Robert Sylvester Kelly on January 8, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American R&B and pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and occasional rapper. ... Mariah Carey (born March 27, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, music video director, and actress. ... Montell Jordan (born December 3, 1968 in Los Angeles, California) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. ... For other uses, see DAngelo (disambiguation). ... Raphael Saadiq (born Charlie Ray Wiggins on May 14, 1966 in Oakland, California) is an acclaimed American music artist. ... Tony! Toni! Toné! was an R&B group from Oakland, California popular during the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s. ... Mary Jane Blige (born January 11, 1971) is an American R&B, soul, and hip hop soul singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, record producer, actress, and hip hop icon who has sold more than 40 million records and over 10 million singles worldwide. ... BLACKstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1992 by Teddy Riley, a New Jack Swing pioneer known for his work as a member of Guy. ... Hip-hop soul is, despite its name, a subgenre of contemporary R&B. The term generally describes a style of music that blends R&B singing and hip hop production. ... Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... Stevie Wonder (born Steveland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Steveland Hardaway Morris)[1] is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. ... Neo soul (also known as nu soul) is a music genre and an umbrella term for current soul music. ... Lauryn Noel Hill (born May 25, 1975) is an American singer, rapper, musician, record producer and film actress. ... Erykah Badu (born Erica Abi Wright, February 26, 1971, in Dallas, Texas) is an American neo-soul, R&B/hip hop artist whose work crosses over into jazz. ... India. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

By the 2000s, R&B had shifted towards an emphasis on solo artists, including Usher and Alicia Keys, although groups such as B2K and Destiny's Child continued to have success. The line between hip-hop and R&B became significantly blurred by producers such as Timbaland and Lil Jon, and artists such as Nelly, and Andre 3000, who, with partner Big Boi, helped popularize Southern hip hop music as OutKast. Usher (born Usher Jamie Raymond, IV on October 14, 1978 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States) is an African-American singer and actor. ... Alexis is Alicias #1 fan. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This article is about the group. ... Timothy Z. Mosley, who works under the performing name Timbaland (born March 10, 1971), is a Grammy Award-winning American record producer, composer, rapper, and singer. ... Jonathan Smith (born January 27, 1972), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, hype man, and producer. ... For other uses, see Nelly (disambiguation). ... Andr 3000 (born Andr Benjamin on May 27, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an African American hip hop artist and producer; one half of the successful and avant-garde hip-hop duo OutKast. ... Big Boi (born Antwan André Patton on February 1, 1975 in Savannah, Georgia) is an American hip hop artist and producer; one half of the alternative hip-hop duo OutKast. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the hip hop group. ...

"Urban music" and "urban radio" are race-neutral terms which are synonymous with hip hop and R&B and the associated hip hop culture which originated in New York City. The term also reflects the fact that they are popular in urban areas, both within black population centers and among the general population (especially younger audiences). Hip hop is a subculture, which is said to have begun with the work of DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, and Afrika Bambaattaa. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

In February 2004, plans were announced for a Smithsonian affiliated Museum of African-American music to be built in Newark, New Jersey. Groundbreaking is planned for 2006. The Smithsonian castle, as seen through the garden gate. ... Nickname: Map of Newark in Essex County Coordinates: , Country State County Essex Founded/Incorporated 1666/1836 Government  - Mayor Cory Booker, term of office 2006–2010 Area [1]  - Total 26. ...

See also

• Afro-Caribbean music
• African American musical theater
• Banjo
• Beach music
• Blackface
• Blues
• Cultural appropriation
• Jazz
• Juke joint
• Music of the African diaspora
• Musical genres, List of
• Quiet storm
• Rhythm and blues
• Rock music
• Spiritual (music)

Image File history File links AmericaAfrica. ... Afro-American music is a broad array of musical genres that arose from the synthesis of African, European and Native American music. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... For other uses, see Banjo (disambiguation) The banjo is a stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments. ... For the novel, see Beach Music (novel). ... This reproduction of a 1900 minstrel show poster, originally published by the Strobridge Litho Co. ... Blues music redirects here. ... Cultural appropriation is the adoption of some specific elements of one culture by a different cultural group. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Juke joint (or jook joint) is the vernacular term for an informal establishment featuring blues music, dancing, and alcoholic drinks, primarily operated by African American people in the southeastern United States. ... Much of the music of the African diaspora was refined and developed during the period of slavery. ... African American music Bluegrass Blues Cajun music Disco Doo-wop Funk Go Go Gospel Hip Hop Music Jazz Neo Soul Ragtime Rhythm and blues Rock and roll Soul Music Spirituals Swing Zydeco Brazilian music Afoxé Capoeira music Maracatu Samba-reggae Samba Black British Music Drum and bass Garage Grime Cape... Smokey Robinsons 1975 hit single provided the name for the quiet storm radio programming format and the music category. ... R&B redirects here. ... This article is about the genre. ... == Historical background on spiritual music Spirituals were often expressions of religious faith, although they may also have served as socio-political protests veiled as assimilation to white, American culture. ...

Notes

References

• The Music of Black Americans: A History'. Eileen Southern. W. W. Norton & Company; 3rd edition, (1997). ISBN 0-393-97141-4
• Stewart, Earl L. (1998). African American Music: An Introduction. ISBN 0-02-860294-3.

Eileen Jackson Southern (born 1920 in Minneapolis - died October 13, 2002 in Port Charlotte, Florida) was an African American musicologist, reasearcher, author and teacher. ...

External links

• Shall We Gather at the River, a collection of African American sacred music,; made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida
• Black Music Milestones 20 Historical Milestones in African-American Music