History of Jazz Music in Nazi Occupied Europe

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History of Jazz Music in Nazi Occupied Europe
Jazz music is one of the most popular music genres in the world, but it was largely unknown in Nazi-occupied Europe before World War II. Jazz music was first introduced to Europe in the late 19th century by African Americans who performed in the United States. By the early 20th century, jazz music had become popular in various European countries, particularly in France and Germany. During World War II, the United States became one of Nazi Germany's greatest enemies, and as a result, performing, recording, or anything to do with jazz music in Nazi-occupied Europe was severely persecuted but the music’s influence was still vivid in Europe.
The music of jazz was a major cultural force in the United States during the early twentieth century. It is associated today with the fun, energetic, and sometimes raunchy lifestyle of the African-American community, but when it was first introduced to the United States, it was associated with the European aristocracy and represented the height of sophistication and refinement. It was only a short time before the music had become associated with black Americans in a way that denoted their race and their culture, but it was also a time when the music and its practitioners were beginning to be viewed as having a political message. This was the case, particularly in Europe, where jazz was seen as a critical part of the Black American culture that had been brought to that continent by African Americans during the early twentieth century. But when the United States entered World War II, the country's music came to be perceived as a threat by the German government. This prompted the German government to promote its homegrown music, which was perceived as more suitable for the Nazi regime.
Jazz music was one of the first styles to be appreciated as a legitimate American art form, and it was also the first popular style to go against traditional European musical styles and be considered illegal. Many musicians at the time thought that jazz was immoral and played only classical music. The Nazi government saw jazz as a threat to German culture and vowed to make it illegal. A journal published an order from Reichsmusikfiihrer about popular rhythmic music, which is jazz. The article talked about jazz as music that is pervaded by the Jewish and Bolsheviks and that it was noticeable that it was becoming popular in entertainment joints and some parts of the Nazi empire. A list of names of Teutonic musicians was named and charged with promoting anti-state cacophonic music that is contrary to the German legendary pianist Peter Kreuder. A set of rules were released that dictated the kind of music that musicians could play to put an end to the spread of jazz music.
Musicians had to submit compositions to the National Socialist Music Association (NSMA) for approval before presenting them in a concert. This association was responsible for organizing music performances for the German Nazi regime. In the short story “Eine Kleine Jazzmusik” by Josef Skvorecky, the masked rhythm bandits of Prague wanted to hold a concert of joyful music from the world to the natives. They got a letter from th...