We are the Music.

Music has always been a powerful medium for expressing emotions, telling stories, and fostering unity. Let’s explore a few aspects related to music and people of color:

Representation in Music Industry:

A study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that while progress has been made, there’s still work to be done. Female songwriters now account for 14.4% of the most popular songs, up from 11.6% in 2018. However, more than half of the 800 songs examined did not credit any woman as a songwriter.

Only 5% of producers are women, and just 8 out of 1,093 producing credits went to women of color. On the bright side, 56.1% of charting acts in 2019 were people of color.

Modern Protest Songs by People of Color:

Music has often been a vehicle for social change. Here are seven modern protest songs by people of color that you should listen to:

Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright”.

Beyoncé’s “Formation”.

Janelle Monáe’s “Hell You Talmbout”.

Childish Gambino’s “This Is America”.

Solange’s “Don’t Touch My Hair”.

Common and John Legend’s “Glory”.

H.E.R.'s "I Can’t Breathe".

“We Are The People”:

This song, written by The Edge (from U2), emphasizes unity among people from diverse backgrounds. It highlights the power of collective action and the potential for positive change when individuals come together with a common purpose.

Reclaiming Folk Music:

The Reclaiming Folk Event Series celebrates people of color in folk music. Folk music is not only traditional but also a voice for what’s happening in the world today. It provides a space for marginalized individuals to tell their stories through music.

Emotional Connections to Music:

Did you know that people associate emotions and colors with music? Researchers have found that each song has a color and an emotion attached to it. For example, some songs evoke feelings of happiness, while others may feel sad or calming. It’s a fascinating intersection of art and psychology.

So, whether it’s through protest songs, folk music, or chart-topping hits, music continues to be a powerful force for expression and connection across cultures and backgrounds.

Tell me more about the impact of protest songs.

Certainly! Protest songs have had a profound impact throughout history, serving as powerful tools for social change, expression, and unity. Here are some ways in which protest songs make an impact:

Raising Awareness:

Protest songs bring attention to social issues, injustices, and inequalities. They serve as a call to action, urging listeners to pay attention and take a stand. For example, songs like “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday highlighted the horrors of lynching in the United States.

Creating Solidarity:

Protest songs foster a sense of community and solidarity among people who share similar concerns. Singing together at rallies or demonstrations creates a collective voice that amplifies the message. Songs like “We Shall Overcome” during the civil rights movement exemplify this unity.

Inspiring Change:

Music has the power to inspire action. Protest songs motivate individuals to participate in movements, whether through peaceful protests, voting, or advocating for policy changes. Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” encouraged reflection and action during the 1960s.

Challenging Authority:

Protest songs often challenge authority figures, governments, or oppressive systems. They question the status quo and demand accountability. N.W.A’s “F*** tha Police” addressed police brutality and systemic racism.

Preserving History:

Protest songs serve as historical records, documenting specific moments and movements. They capture the emotions, struggles, and triumphs of a generation. Joan Baez’s rendition of “We Shall Overcome” at the 1963 March on Washington is etched in history.

Emotional Catharsis:

Music provides an outlet for emotions. Protest songs allow artists and listeners to express anger, frustration, hope, and resilience. Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam” expressed her outrage at racial violence.

Changing Cultural Narratives:

Protest songs challenge dominant narratives and reshape cultural perspectives. They force society to confront uncomfortable truths. Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” challenged racial stereotypes and systemic oppression.

Remember that protest songs continue to evolve, adapting to contemporary issues and reflecting the spirit of their time. They remain a vital part of our cultural and social fabric, inspiring change and promoting justice.

African-American music is a broad term covering a diverse range of musical genres largely developed by African Americans and their culture. Its origins are in musical forms that developed as a result of the enslavement of African Americans prior to the American Civil War . It has been said that "every genre that is born from America has black roots."

White slave owners subjugated their slaves physically, mentally, and spiritually through brutal and demeaning acts. White Americans considered African Americans separate and unequal for centuries, going to extraordinary lengths to keep them oppressed. African-American slaves created a distinctive type of music that played an important role in the era of enslavement. Slave songs, commonly known as work songs, were used to combat the hardships of the physical labor.

Work songs were also used to communicate with other slaves without the slave owner hearing. The song "Wade in the Water" was sung by slaves to warn others trying to leave to use the water to obscure their trail. Following the Civil War, African Americans employed playing European music in military bands developed a new style called ragtime that gradually evolved into jazz .

Jazz incorporated the sophisticated polyrhythmic structure of dance and folk music of peoples from western and Sub-Saharan Africa. These musical forms had a wide-ranging influence on the development of music within the United States and around the world during the 20th century.

Analyzing African music through the lens of European musicology can leave out much of the cultural use of sound and methods of music making. Some methods of African music making are translated more clearly though the music itself, and not in written form.

Blues and ragtime were developed during the late 19th century through the fusion of West African vocalizations, which employed the natural harmonic series and blue notes. "If one considers the five criteria given by Waterman as cluster characteristics for West African music, one finds that three have been well documented as being characteristic of Afro-American music.

Call-and-response organizational procedures, dominance of a percussive approach to music, and off-beat phrasing of melodic accents have been cited as typical of the genre in virtually every study of any kind of African-American music from work songs, field or street calls, shouts, and spirituals to blues and jazz."

The roots of American popular music are deeply intertwined with African-American contributions and innovation. The earliest jazz and blues recordings emerged in the 1910s, marking the beginning of a transformative era in music. These genres were heavily influenced by African musical traditions, and they served as the foundation for many musical developments in the years to come.

As African-American musicians continued to shape the musical landscape, the 1940s witnessed the emergence of rhythm and blues (R&B). R&B became a pivotal genre, blending elements of jazz, blues, and gospel, and it laid the groundwork for the evolution of rock and roll in the following decade.