Music Business

2 Pages 492 Words

Why was New Orleans such a strong influence on the development of jazz?

In the late 1700’s Mardi Gras was presented. The New Orleans carnival grew six weeks long in the 1800’s. The festival had been symbolic and traditional, including different floats and bands, marching and playing music.

When Jazz formed the city divided into two; the downtown musicians, and the uptown musicians. Later both styles discovered each other’s strengths and helped bring out the first authentic jazz style; The New Orleans style.

New Orleans became a unique environment with all the different roots and different ethnic traditions. Jazz was nurtured in these cultural families and New Orleans was the city where the families settled. New Orleans was the city where many successful musicians were born and the spread of music was rich. The New Orleans style was very distinctive; “percussive” piano rhythms, rocking, vocally suggestive horns; and a “parade time” backbeat on the drums.

The different cultures and styles all combined with the help of the various events in New Orleans. New Orleans is where free men and women of color got to play in bands. The community of New Orleans played the biggest influence, like the prostitution in the presence that went on, and all the other things that went on socially.

New Orleans acted as the home of the cultural awakening and it currently still posses a deep sense of self and recognition. Players and listeners recognize New Orleans as the home of jazz.

How did racism affect the history of American Popular music up to and including the swing era?

Racism had a big impact on American popular music. At the time of its takeoff there was still racial segregation, meaning separate theatres, booking agents, and most importantly, separate audiences.

During the Great Depression African American traditions began to increasingly influence the popular culture of “white” America with their...