Diversity in Music: Visual & Performing Arts Essay

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October 28, 2020
Diversity in Music
Since time immemorial, music has been a platform for emotion and expression. Music is a particular element of society manifesting a diverse range of sentiments, ideas, and messages, which tend to reverb and echo with a vast populace than other traditional media channels such as the written word. People feel the music, dance to it, bob their heads to it, listen to it to relieve to stress, and listen to it to face stress head-on. It is a popular accompaniment in times of joy, in times of despair, in times of solemnity, in times of anger. It is a vehicle to bring people together.
However, as strong as it is in its binding effect, it is just as strong in its power to divide. Music, being such a core component of human expression, is not spared of politicization and is actually marred with multiple sociocultural and political issues. Contemporarily, music in the United States such as rap and hip-hop, is tagged as detrimental relative to African American communities for sending the “wrong message” (Sharpley-Whiting, 2007). The other side of the argument is that rap and hip-hop help to point out the particular issues in society, and the “wrong messages” are products of an intentional effort on the part of the artist to help expose or bring awareness to this flawed and oppressed diaspora.
For the purpose of this paper, attention will be given to blues and “race” records of the 1920s and 1930s, and how the discussion in class has helped bring to light, the social conflicts manifested in this particular genre.
Discussion
Blues and “race” records began in the 1920s with prominent Blues artists such as Mamie Smith, known for a New Orleans-esque jazzy repertoire. Blues evolved to cater to new urban populations and became what is known as “race” music. “Race” m...