We cannot continue to discuss the Black contributions to music without acknowledging jazz music.
Jazz originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was created within the Black communities of New Orleans, influenced by blues and ragtime. Like many modern genres, jazz has roots in West African musical tradition and slave folk songs, it also is influenced by European classical music.
Jazz and its creators also influenced music in general; the drum set was created by jazz musicians and jazz has influenced genres like R&B, rap, and classical music. Jazz has also influenced and been adopted by other cultures, resulting in new musical genres like CuBop, a form of Latin jazz invented by Cuban musician Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillepsie. It has been absorbed into many different genres, exemplified by singers like Beyoncé compiling elements of jazz within their pop style.
The jazz genre is influential to our society not only for its contributions to other genres, but the incredible influence it has had on Americans. Jazz is instantly recognizable, but unique. The creativity of the genre and its nuanced features is known to help with focus, especially while studying. The genre also helped bring forward African-American influence to music, especially important in the polarized mid-1900s. Jazz music helped Americans across the board recognize Black history and culture as important and desirable, and furthered the position of female musicians as female jazz artists gained prominence in popular culture.
Check out some of the best Black jazz musicians like Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis.
Continuing with my series about Black contributions to music, I am highlighting a genre especially important to those of us who are Southerners: bluegrass. This genre of music is another that is often dominated by White men, but it has been influenced by Black musicians who are typically not recognized for their achievements.
Many features of Appalachian bluegrass were influenced by or originated from African musical traditions, brought to America by African slaves. A key feature of bluegrass music is its instrumentation, including the fiddle, banjo, guitar, and more. The four-stringed banjo actually originated in Africa, most likely West Africa. In the 18th century the banjo and music inspired with themes of freedom and religion contributed to the spread of African-American music like gospels and spirituals, which was especially influential to the sound of music in the South. Black people in America were the first to learn and perform with the banjo. Another facet of bluegrass, “thumbpicking” or “thumb style” of guitar, popular in the bluegrass genre, is credited to Black instrumentalist Arnold Schultz. Schultz influenced both the bluegrass genre and many white guitarists. Another influence to bluegrass is the vocal tradition and tunes. Much of the powerful, emotive lyricism and vocal traits originate from African musical influence, and the dance tunes famous in bluegrass are very similar to those of the African musical tradition. There are also many European contributions to the genre, but the African, particularly West African, influences on bluegrass are just as essential.
Bluegrass is such a unique genre of music and is especially important for Southerners and the Appalachian region. It’s important to recognize its roots and the incredible influence of Black musicians and African musical traditions which have shaped the genre.
To further your understanding, check out these quintessential Black bluegrass artists: Joe Thompson, Victor Wooten, Kaia Kater, and Rhiannon Giddens.
As music listeners and lovers, we may forgot the importance behind the history of music. In lieu of the Black Lives Matter movement, I want to highlight some of the incredible influences by black musicians to music in general through this series. We will start by looking at some influential black composers and influences to classical music by black artists.
Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Saint-Georges was the first classical composer of African origin. He was also a violinist and conductor of a leading symphony orchestra in Paris. He’s most remembered for composing many string quartets and musical compositions for multiple operas.
George Bridgetower
Bridgetower was an Afro-European virtuoso violinist. He began as an extremely successful young musician who traveled across Europe performing. He was a protégé of Beethoven, but is often forgotten in history despite his talent, most likely because of his racial identity. He also created his own compositions.
Florence Price
Florence Price was the first African-American woman to have her composition performed by a major symphony orchestra. Living in Arkansas with her husband, she faced much racial discrimination. The couple moved north after racial tension led to a lynching nearby, to Chicago, where Price completed her first compositions. Price’s music combines traditional European classical with melodies inspired by African-American folk music. Price and her work are often overlooked based on her race, so most of her music is not available online, though you can hear some of her compositions on YouTube.
Thomas Wiggins
Thomas Wiggins, known as “Blind Tom,” was one of the most well-known 19th century pianists and composers. He was a musical prodigy and was the highest paid pianist of the 19th century by the age of 10. He created over a hundred piano compositions. Despite his relevance during this time, he is relatively unknown today, especially compared to his white musical counterparts.
George Walker
Walker was an African-American musician who broke ground in the musical world, known for influencing the world of black classical music. He was the first African-American to win a Pulitzer Prize for music, first black graduate of his college, and first black musician to play New York’s Town Hall. He’s known for his beautiful and moving string compositions.
Today, there is still obvious evidence of discrimination clouding the talent of black classical musicians. There’s still a blatant lack of representation within classical performances. Artists like Florence Price have reshaped the sound of American classical music despite the many obstacles; as listeners we must acknowledge their contributions and work against the institutional racial bias within music. Next time you are in the mood for classical music, remember the contributions of black musicians that shaped music today.
As a fan of EDM, I am constantly reminded of the under-representation of black EDM artists, despite the fact that EDM originated from gay black men. I wanted to write about the origins of EDM and recognize the influence of black artists, which constantly goes unrecognized based uninstitutional racial bias in the world of music.
House music and dance music was first created in the gay club scenes of the 70’s and 80’s. This sound is credited to gay men, particularly gay men of color; the music was created for and by LGBTQ people of color. Frankie Knuckles, a gay black man from Chicago’s South Side, is known as the “Godfather of House Music.” EDM draws heavily upon these influences and the rise of the genre would not have been possible without the queer black musicians experimenting with dance music. EDM gained global recognition as a genre in the mid-2000s with the appearance of artists like Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia. The industry has only gained in popularity since then, but is still dominated by straight, white men. EDM still lacks LGBTQ and POC representation, despite its origins. On the topic, Adam Davenport, the first African-American EDM musician to chart on Billboard said this: “It’s interesting that EDM has been dominated by largely straight white DJs [and] producers from Europe, and yet the godfather of house music — to which electronic dance music is indebted — happens to be a gay Black man, also from Chicago, named Frankie Knuckles. Frankie passed away in 2014, but I’d like to think that his spirit is blessing my efforts.” Largely the history of EDM has been ignored by the artists who have risen to fame from the genre, like David Guetta, who was credited by an ABC special for bringing house music to America.
Remember this the next time you hear a top-100 EDM song, likely produced by a straight, white artist. If you love the genre, remember its true history and consider it wouldn’t have been possible without the creativity of black individuals like Frankie Knuckles. Additionally, check out and celebrate black EDM artists like Green Velvet, Flying Lotus, and Black Coffee.
This Friday is a holiday known as Juneteenth. On this day in 1865, General Gordon Granger federally proclaimed that all enslaved people were now free in the state of Texas. Though the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed two years prior, its impacts were slow and varied within the South. Texas was the last state to officially recognize this decree, and thus Juneteenth became a community holiday.
In celebration of Juneteenth (from midnight to midnight), this year and every subsequent year, Bandcamp has committed to donating “100% of [their] share of sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.” They have further agreed to allocate $30,000 of their yearly budget to “partner with organizations that fight for racial justice and create opportunities for people of color.”
For the past few months during quarantine, Bandcamp has also been doing “Bandcamp Day” sales, in which they waive their portion of proceeds so that artists on their platform earn the entirety of the sale. WKNC reminded our audience to support local musicians on each previous Bandcamp Day, and for this Juneteenth edition we want to highlight specifically local Black musicians. The following list contains ten artists that WKNC has booked and promoted in the past who have music and/or merch available for purchase on Bandcamp.
Black Surfer was the second act of the second night of Double Barrel Benefit 17, and released their sophomore EP Run It Byke in the following month. Recently they raised $7,000 for Take Action Chapel Hill through merchandise sales on Instagram.
You can connect with Black Surfer on social media at @blacksurferband on both Instagram and Facebook, and check out their podcast done with DJ Beowvlf before Double Barrel Benefit.
King Gino performed on night one of Double Barrel Benefit 17 and brought the house down. He also spearheads an artist collective called Callisto Records, for which our very own Underground Music Director Nate Browning also works. King Gino also did a podcast before performing at Double Barrel Benefit.
Pat Junior is a jack of all trades who has his hands in every artistic medium that catches his eye or ear. He is another Double Barrel Benefit 17 performer and headlined night two. Much like his predecessors on this link, Pat Junior also did a podcast with WKNC, which you can listen to for more information about his artistic journey and his most recent album, I Thought I Knew.
GRRL rocked our world at Double Barrel Benefit 16, and really did us a huge favor hopping on that show at the last minute. This electronic maven is a staple of the Triangle house scene and a favorite of WKNC’s. Listen to GRRL’s interview with Afterhours Music Director, Liz and Social Media Director, Becca, here. Furthermore, GRRL’s next full-length album, Marathon, will be released on July 3, but you can already preorder it on Bandcamp now.
Switching it up from Double Barrel acts, Linanthem worked with WKNC in the fall of 2019 performing at our annual Concert on the Lawn series with future Double Barrel artist, DOTWAV Media. Linanthem is also a current NC State student and up-and-coming in the Triangle scene. His music is self-described as “chilled hip-hop beats and jazz vibes” which sounds like the ideal summer vibe.
Sonny Miles and WKNC have collaborated a handful of times, but most recently at a Concert on the Lawn in 2018. This prolific multi-instrumentalist seems to be constantly releasing music and for that we are grateful. His most recent single, Arbor Day, is available on Bandcamp along with the rest of his discography. Sonny has also been incredibly outspoken about current events on his social media, which we similarly urge you to check out.
What can we say except for the fact that the Muslims ROCK?! They performed at Double Barrel 15 but have also done a Local Beat session back in 2018, which you can stream on all podcasting platforms. Their most recent album, Gentrified Chicken, is brash in-your-face rage rock that never quits and does not leave a safe space.
Obviously, you can get connected with The Muslims on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, but to further get involved you can submit a clip to their crowd-sourced music video through Saturday. More details on that video can be found on their website.
Deniro Farrar has perhaps grown beyond the limited label of “local” and become an icon in his own right, but as he was a performer at Double Barrel Benefit 13 so we’ve still got a spot in WKNC history for him. Deniro’s fanbase has been called “cult like” based on its rapid growth and intense fan involvement.
If you’re unfamiliar with his work, check out his Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, as well as the music he has uploaded on Bandcamp.
Hailing from Carrboro, North Carolina, this local artist kicked off his expansive musical career while also being a Ph.D. student at UNC-Chapel Hill. WKNC is honored to have booked XOXOK for our Concert on the Lawn in Fall of 2017. It is fitting that XOXOK make it onto this list, not only for his musical prowess, but also for the content of his most recent single “Right On.” XOXOK explains this song’s purpose on his Bandcamp page, but an excerpt is written below. You can read the entire passage on his artist link above.
“On July 5, 2016, I defended my doctoral dissertation at the University of North Carolina. The next day, approximately 1100 miles away, Philando Castile was shot and killed in Minnesota. Each one of these shootings has taken a toll on me, but for some reason, this one leveled me… I wrote this song as a reminder – to myself and to others – that my education is not a shield, and that I could be next.”
Tim Mensa recently graduated from NC State University in the Class of 2020, but was able to connect with WKNC during his time as a student. He performed at one of our Concerts on the Lawn in 2018. Since that time Mensa has been rather active as a musician, though there is only one track available on his Bandcamp. Nonetheless, we encourage our audience to check it out for Bandcamp’s Juneteenth donation day. Here is Tim’s Instagram page.
‘Welcome back to Música de Indie, I’m DJ Psyched and in this show where we go over my favorite spanish indie tunes from the past couple of weeks. To start things off today we’re talking about Ángel, the song, not my leopard gecko. So be sure to keep it locked.’
Ángel by Angelica Garcia – I clicked on this song so fast when I saw the title, I am a sucker for anything with the name Ángel (because that is the name of my beautiful gecko), and I’m so glad I did because this track is absolutely beautiful. The singer’s voice is so smooth and soothing, and with the backing orchestra instruments and harmonies, this track is about mesmerizing. I couldn’t quite find the lyrics to translate this time, but the song is slow enough that someone in the learning phase of the language, such as myself, can really enjoy the track and sing along after a few listens. The singer does say a part of the hook in english ‘Even when you hide it I can always see the real you’ and based on how the music sounds it seems the singer is singing words of affirmation, or a confession, to someone they love. This song also apparently comes from the TV show ‘Vida’.
Muy Muy Chico by Juan Wauters – This track comes from the five track EP the artist recorded while traveling across South America. The artist said ‘some of these unreleased tracks are among my favorite ones from that time in my life’. I also could not find direct lyrics from this song, but thankfully someone on youtube explained that the track is a metaphor about height and how people complicate themselves when they focus on the fact that there are taller people around. He is really talking about worrying that others might be better than us. The guitar in this song is what hooked me in, the intro was very nostalgic feeling and the singing reminds me of folk style music. It’s a short but sweet track, reminding me vaguely of bedrooms’ song ‘nothing lasts’.
‘Thanks for tuning into 2k Indie online, I’m DJ Psyched and I ask that you keep it locked on the blog for all the sweet content to come. Thanks for reading, and until next time…’
‘I’m DJ Psyched and you’re reading 2k Indie online. In this show I highlight new Indie releases from the last few weeks or so. This week we’re starting the segment off with Black Dog by Arlo Parks. This track blew me away from first listen, so be sure to keep it locked as we explore some new Indie today.’
Black Dog by Arlo Parks – As I was saying, this track absolutely blew me away at first listen and it only got better and better upon each new listen. The artists mesmerizing vocals were definitely the first thing I noticed upon listening to the track, but upon further evaluation, I found that the meaning behind the track was also incredibly powerful. The track is about mental health and what it feels like to experience feelings of depression, and it’s done incredibly well. The lyrics seem to be reflecting both the person with these feelings thoughts and the thoughts of those close to them ‘I would do anything to get you out your room.’ The guitars are steady enough to keep the track softly flowing, and the drums’ upbeat mood contrasts in a way that makes this track one that’s easy to move along to, but also hold the mood of a more serious and mellow track. The artist’s track was named ‘tune of the week’ by BBCR1 and I couldn’t agree more. ‘This is an incredible moment for vulnerable music’ the artist said in a recent tweet ‘I’ve always put a piece of myself into songs which can be terrifying but to be given this platform and recognition is encouraging me to keep on doing so’. I for one can’t wait to hear more.
House by Baba Ali – This is another track that blew me away at first listen for its uniqueness. The song has a sound that is a bit hard to define. It’s genre bending roots feel like a cross between Pop, Funk, Dance and alternative/ indie. The bass is groovy and keeps the track feeling alive, fresh, and keeps my head bopping along. The track, from the EP ‘This House’, talks about what it feels like to be in a house that is not a home, because of how economic struggles can provide stressors and barriers to a smooth home life. This comes from the hands of ‘this rat race’, as the artist put it. ‘They keep cuttin’ the lights out, And everybody’s getting priced out, If it goes up anymore they won’t be anywhere where to go’. The track is easy to listen to because of it’s catchy chorus and instruments, but again, the meaning behind it digs deep in a very real and beautifully said way.
‘It’s funky with a hardened edge. It’s urgent and it’s fed up. I remember writing the lyrics on a roll of receipt paper at the end of a long bar shift staring out at a crowd of drunkards.” the artist said in an article by Elicit Magazine.
It is important to support black creators and let their voices be heard. Baba Ali’s Band Camp notes under the track ‘House’ that ‘100% of proceeds from sales will go to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. Be sure to check it out, I highly recommend.
In this series, I try to highlight some of my favorite tunes I listened to this month. May was another month full of new releases, but here are just a few that I find myself going back to a lot.
Was It Something I Said (feat. Cavetown) by MyKey – I love how this song has a very old school sound to it. The music instantly comes out sounding very 60s(?) influenced, the guitars and violin make it a soothing trip back in time. The album art also reflects this ‘classic’ style. The song is definitely a heartbroken tune, and the music makes it feel incredibly authentic. The collaboration was brilliantly done, as the two artists’ voices mesh well together.
Dance Alone by Blanks – Blanks is an Indie pop artist and his music is incredibly catchy and fun to sing along to. The artist made a lyric video for youtube where he said ‘Got bored in quarantine so I wrote a song’. The song is the perfect tune to dance to if you ever feel a bit lonely during this time. The hook is catchy and fun; and the guitars, bass and drums really make the song hard not to dance along to.
Social Drinker by Ballyhoo! – It’s been a while since I’ve listened to this artist, but I was really excited after my first listen to this song. I find the lyrics are extremely relatable. The singer talks about social pressures often associated with drinking, and how hard growing out of this can be. The artist is over avoiding their problems and always turning to drinking. ‘Save me from myself’ is a lyric that reflects how the artist knows that they are responsible for themselves and what they choose to do, but that they understand their environment contributes to these choices. The song also reflects the struggles associated with growing up.
I would love to know what your favorite picks from May were, definitely let me know!
Music has always intersected with historical events and movements. In many cases music has fueled movements forward and allowed more individuals to understand the scope of the issues being protested.
In the late 60’s and early 70’s, musicians and bands focused on mobilizing a cause to end the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War lasted over sixteen years, and countless American and Vietnamese lives were lost. Pete Seeger, an American folk singer, wrote a song against the Vietnam War, singing “Bring ‘em Home.” This song was widely used as a tool of the peace movement and it represented widely held views against the war. He also wrote “Turn, Turn, Turn” which discretely advocated for peace. Both of these songs written by Seeger around the time of the Vietnam War served to embolden an increasing public dissatisfaction with the war and its many costs.
USA For Africa was created in 1985 by Harry Belafonte, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, and Lionel Richie; as an American response to Band Aid’s song “Do They Know It’s Christmas.” The group performed pop-style songs on their We Are The World album. Their song,“We Are the World,” won a Grammy for song of the year and helped raise more than seven million for famine relief. Many groups and singers like USA For Africa, Band Aid, and others helped raise awareness and funds through charity songs. The African famine was a major social issue during this time period, and groups like this helped to raise money to provide medical aid, clothing, and food for countries in need.
The events of the September 11th terrorist attacks in late 2001 sparked a musical movement which highlighted patriotism and strength during a difficult time in our country’s history. Bruce Springsteen, a rock artist, performed “My City of Ruins,” breaking the silence after a period of fear and anxiety over safety and our nation’s future. Multiple musicians during this time period contributed to the healing of our country after the attacks and raised awareness about what happened on 9/11.
A lot of music today is reflective of the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the issues that have caused it. We can reflect on Kendrick Lamar’s album, DAMN., which became the first non-jazz and non-classical album to win a Pulitzer Prize for Music. This album contains so many themes relevant to why this protest is important today. Artists like Lauryn Hill, Beyonce, and Kanye West have also all created music relating to police brutality and oppression against black people in America.
I will be releasing another blog post diving deeper into some of these modern movement songs, but for now most major music platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have created playlists by black artists relating to the social issues that have prompted protests in all 50 states.The Rolling Stone also published a list of songs relating to the movement. Definitely check these out!
It’s been 3 months without going to a live show and honestly… I don’t know how I am still sane. I am usually at a show twice a week so this new “normal” of no live shows for a while has not been a good time. I miss my friends and I miss seeing bands. I miss the energy a live show gives off and the atmosphere that a venue has when the crowd is as into the music as the bands are.
Not only is this a hard time for fans, but also for bands/artists, venues, and booking companies. Every show I had planned this summer is now cancelled and it is very discouraging to see. A lot of people make a living and have a career in music so this time is very difficult for them but also everyone else.
I believe that live music brings different people together because they all have a bond and a connection to the music. I have had some great social experiments and people watching at shows. I miss seeing a wide a variety of people and feeling the energy of the crowd during a breakdown.
Now bands are still releasing music which I am thankful for and some bands are doing virtual shows. I think this is very inventive and works during the time that we are in. But nothing will ever compare to actually being at a show. I have watched some virtual shows, but I tend to watch live sets on YouTube of my favorite bands. I will have dance parties alone in my room and I would just act like I am at a show. This is honestly one of my favorite things to do.
