Influence of African-American Culture on Rock n Roll Music

Rock and Roll were introduced to the mainstream in the 1950s by white musicians such as Elvis Presley. Rock and Roll was a distinct amalgamation of different genres of African-American music such as jazz, blues, and jump blues. The genre was mainly dominated by White musicians despite the significant influences from Black culture. Black artists in the early 20^th century developed distinct sounds that majorly impacted the development of different genres of music in America.

Rock and Roll music owes its roots to Africans brought to America through the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The slaves carried with them a distinct music tradition rich in long melody lines, stringed instruments, and complicated rhythms¹. They developed a unique genre of music known as rhythm and blues (R&B). This music tradition was born of the hardships faced by the early slaves. They used it as an escape from the cruelty of their White masters in a foreign country. Rhythm and blues remained prominent in the African American community until Rock n Roll became popularized to bridge the racial gap in the country. R&B developed from black spiritual songs and stories². Rock n Roll borrowed many elements from this genre to create music that could be listed by both Black and White Americans.

Jazz and country, which was predominantly listened to and performed by White musicians, heavily influenced the popularity of Rock n Roll. In the 1950s, the Civil Rights movement was just beginning. The emergence of the new music helped to boost Black artists to the mainstream, where they could contribute towards the national discourse on race³. The songs were mainly directed at a teenage audience and therefore faced a lot of criticism from the adults. However, performers such as Elvis Presley became so popular, promoting interracial relationships and exhibiting the robust qualities of African American music.

References

Friedlander, P., 1996. Rock and Roll: A Social History. Boulder, Colo: Westview Press.

Bordowitz, H., 2004. Turning points in rock and roll. New York: Kensington Pub.

Footnotes

1. Friedlander, P., 1996. Rock and Roll: A Social History. Boulder, Colo: Westview Press.
2. Friedlander, P. Rock and Roll: A Social History.
3. Bordowitz, H., 2004. Turning points in rock and roll. New York: Kensington Pub.