20th Century American Music Fusion and Global Influence

20th Century Musical Fusion

By the turn of the 20th century, the United States had become one of the largest industrial powers in the world. The fusion of musical traditions from enslaved Black populations and European immigrants ignited the musical revolution of the 20th century.

1.1. Folk Music

A large part of the Black population worked on cotton plantations in the Mississippi Delta in the southern United States. British colonists who inhabited the Appalachian Mountain region in the eastern United States sang songs from their home countries. This music was called Appalachian folk music.

1.2. Primitive Blues

Primitive blues was a style characterized by a melancholy tone and simple compositions, typically accompanied by the guitar, allowing performers to improvise the lyrics.

1.3. Jazz: From New Orleans to Chicago

Jazz music first appeared in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century and was inspired by European military marches and polka. The main characteristics of jazz music are:

• Marked rhythm
• Frequent use of syncopation
• Instrumental improvisation
• A very expressive soloist

Louis Armstrong (1901–1971) is often called the father of jazz.

From Country to the Blues of Chicago

In the first third of the 20th century, two new musical styles developed simultaneously with distinct characteristics in rhythm, melody, and lyrics: country and blues.

2.1. Country

Country music is the evolution of folk music originating from the Caucasian population. Its lyrics are narratives, often telling stories about trains, cowboys, miners, and love. The main instruments used include the guitar, bass, violin, and banjo. One of the precursors of this style was the singer Woody Guthrie.

2.2. Blues Music

Primitive blues, born at the end of the 19th century, evolved much differently in big cities than it did in the rural areas where it began. In urban environments, blues music adopted electric instruments. Groups were created using the drums, bass, piano, electric guitar, harmonica, and occasionally, the saxophone. Each city or zone produced a different type of blues; the most important came from Chicago, exemplified by artists like Muddy Waters (1913–1983).

The Evolution of Jazz

In the 1930s, swing music emerged. It was a type of danceable jazz performed by big bands—large ensembles made up of ten to twenty members. The main instruments played were the saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, double bass, drums, and guitar. Free improvisation was generally not allowed.

In the 1950s, cool jazz originated, characterized by a more balanced and relaxed style (e.g., Miles Davis). Following cool jazz came free jazz, characterized by a rupture with traditional form, tonality, rhythm, and even tuning. At the end of the 1960s, jazz rock emerged. This style mixed rich jazz harmonies with the sound of rock.

3.1. Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Roll, and Soul

Rhythm and blues (R&B) is a type of danceable blues with a quick tempo. This music is played by smaller bands, typically made up of around six people.

Rock and roll emerged in 1954. This new style resulted from the fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. The star of rock and roll was Elvis Presley.

3.2. Protest Songs

In the 1960s, great social changes occurred throughout the world. This had a critical influence on the evolution of pop music, leading to the rise of protest songs. The main singer was Bob Dylan.

3.3. Music in the United Kingdom

All the music produced in the United States during the 1950s arrived in Europe, specifically the United Kingdom, in the 1960s. In the United Kingdom, many unique styles emerged because of the influence of the music from the United States:

• Beat
• British rhythm and blues
• Rock

3.4. British Rhythm and Blues

A series of British musicians reclaimed a style inspired directly by blues in its purest state.

3.5. Beat

Starting in Liverpool, beat was a style characterized by strongly emphasized *beat* compositions. Key artists included The Beatles.

3.6. Rock

Rock came directly from British rhythm and blues, featuring powerful guitar chords and a stronger drum and bass presence that accompanied the generally charismatic singer. The most important artists were: Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, and others.

Music Since 1970: A Wide Array of Trends

4.1. Reggae

A totally new style of music, reggae had nothing to do with rock music. It arrived in England from Jamaica, popularized by artists like Bob Marley.

4.2. Punk

Around 1975, punk music was born in England and was considered half musical style, half social phenomenon. Bands like The Ramones, The Offspring, and Green Day.

4.3. New Wave

New Wave music came about in the 1980s and was characterized by music that was more direct and intimate with the audience. Key artists included The Police.

4.4. Funk Music

Halfway through the 1960s, the singer James Brown began to sing in a style called funk. The group Earth, Wind & Fire is also notable.

4.5. Disco Music

In the 1960s, a new style emerged: disco music. It is mainly music made for dancing. Key artists included The Bee Gees.

4.6. Electronic Music

At the beginning of the 1980s, devices like the sequencer, MIDI, and drum machines were being incorporated into different styles of music. From this came styles like electric pop, techno pop, and dance pop.

4.7. Alternative Music

This style of music is sometimes known as indie pop because these groups often had contracts with independent record labels. Another important trend is grunge music, exemplified by Nirvana.

The Sound of Soul

Soul became a primary medium of expression for the African American population, often featuring songs with socially conscious content. This style incorporates aspects of spiritual gospel music, characterizing soul as vocal, passionate, and heartfelt.

Classical Music and Traditional Music

Formal or classical music is created and written by composers, transcribed in scores, and performed by musicians trained to play in a professional manner.

There was a time when music was a spontaneous expression and there was no specialization needed to play music: musicians were people from the community, not professionals. This music has been passed down orally from generation to generation, without the need for written scores. Unlike classical music, traditional music is anonymous with no known authors.

6.1. Arabic Culture

Music from the Arabic culture spans throughout three main regions, each exhibiting different characteristics: Maghreb, the Middle East, and other African countries characterized by their mixture of cultures.

6.2. Folk Music

A large part of traditional music is vocal and is usually accompanied by a percussion or melodic instrument. It is usually monophonic and has a single rhythm.

6.3. Sub-Saharan Africa

There are some common characteristics among the music in this region of Africa:

• Polyrhythm
• Frequent use of *ostinato* (a repeating musical pattern)
• Polyphonic vocals, almost always associated with the spoken word
• Based on the regular use of pentatonic scales

6.4. African Instruments

Sub-Saharan Africa is extremely rich in musical instruments. Within this group, the membranophones take precedence over other instrumental families.