Why do African Americans play classical music? The African rhythm is much more pronounced and volcanic than classical, which rides the waves of the ocean at its calm.
Music is what awakens the African soul, that ignites his spirit! As he was travelling through the middle passage, music in his voice ignited his strength to survive.
After coming ashore onto the Americas, influences conditioned his approach to music. His white slave masters played the piano, the trumpet, the pipe organ, the drums, symbols, with human voices, classified as an orchestra.
In the late 1800’s that influence gave birth, with the inclusion of the black vibrance; how the black man felt he should use the piano, and the trumpet to accent classical music. The same as he has done to Country Music, and “Rock N Roll”.
WILL GRANT STILL, wrote classical pieces that included African Rhythms, with poetry from Paul Lawrence Dunbar. ( also,African American)
At one time I read during the hay day of Stax Records (Isaac Hayes), some felt Mozart either had African blood or was so impressed with African Rhythms, he incorporated the rhythm in his Sonata No. 12.
Blacks, (African Americans), have taken the classical instruments, rearranged them and frothed the mouths of the originators.
This leads me to the Myerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, where was held the BALTIMORE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA’s, season Finale.
On the same night when Beethoven’s Symphony N0.7 was played, so was ANIMALS OF THE SOLSTICE, by KAREN INGRAM, an African American.
0 thoughts on “BLACK RHYTHMS IN CLASSICAL MUSIC”
Enjoyed this musical experience. Your questions to the participates gave great clarity. Music does touch the heart and joins humanity as we improve the human conditions.