by Nicole Kidder

Created on: April 12, 2011

Stripped of their possessions, ripped from their families and robbed of their identities, slave were only able to carry with them memories of their rich music and dance traditions. Many slaveholders allowed workers to sing as they toiled in the fields, so long as the songs did not have malicious intent. Spirituals served as a balm for the soul since many of the songs promised eternal peace and glory in Heaven. Because slaves were forbidden to read or write, these spirituals also served as an important means of passing along news, such as escapes to freedom through the Underground Railroad. The first song collection was compiled in 1867 in a book titled "Slave Songs of the United States.”

After slavery was abolished, the field spiritual morphed into the church spiritual, or gospel, which continues to play a prominent role in African American communities today. Inspired by social problems, the lyrics of these songs praise God and promote brotherly community life. Spirituals, such as “We Shall Overcome” and “This Little Light of Mine”, played a crucial inspirational role during the Civil Rights Movement.

Jazz and blues, two intricately linked, but separate, genres that have their origins among Southern Blacks in the early part of the 20th century, helped propel African American music into the mainstream musical culture. Building upon the traditions of African music, these songs are spontaneous and emotional. Lyrics deal with universal human problems, such as love, poverty, heartache and death. Coinciding with the rise of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s, blues music reflected the new status of African Americans after the Civil War.  

While African American artists continued to experiment with new genres, it wasn’t until the 1960s that they finally gained widespread success and acceptance. Combining elements of blues, gospel, swing and pop, with a thumping backbeat that is easy to dance to, the Soul, or Motown, genre produced scores of musical legends.

The airwaves of the 1970s and early 1980s was dominated by Funk and Disco, which found crossover audiences, especially in dance clubs. However, in the underground scene, rap began to capture the attention of inner city youth, especially those living in the Bronx and Harlem. Early rappers were accompanied by beatboxing, a vocal percussion that creates beats and rhythms using sounds generated by the mouth. Later, DJs used two turntables to spin funk, disco and R&B

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