Jammin' In Jamaica - The History Of Jamaican Dub Music

Around the explosive, political and musically transitional period of the late '60s, America, Jamaica and England were affected by a new production technique that first reared its head in Jamaican studios. Special effects units like delays, echoes, and reverbs had gained popularity through producers like Osbourne (King Tubby) Ruddock, who owned a sound system and cut acetates at Duke Reid's Treasure Isle Studio. By accidentally leaving out parts of the vocal mix to a song, Ruddock stumbled upon a new formula that offered more options for performing studio magic. He took this new mix with him to a dance, and played the recognizable version first. Then he played his 'accident,' and the dub mix was born. Not only did he blow the people away that night; he ran back into the studio to do it again.

In the 1970s when a single was released, it was often answered by another record that gave the second artists' commentary on the first record. Sometimes, many spin-off versions came out of this technique, known as toasting. This form of rapping caught on later in the United States via the concrete jungles of New York City. On many Rap mixtapes and CDs, artists would modify toasting by 'dissing' each other when they had beef among themselves. Though some of the product was hard to find, fans ate up the resulting, often-exclusive releases anyway. Toasting utilized catch-phrases that incorporated the sharp Jamaican dialect--it added a rhythmically expressive, deep melodic quality to Reggae music. When many of my fellow Jamaicans speak, their accents often make them sound like the music: quite rhythmic, quite expressive, quite melodious, quite harmonic, and quite textural. Some popular Jamaican phrases follow:

Babylon - hard living, trouble My yute - homeboy

Bwoyfren' - boyfriend N'yam - eat food

Cool runnin's - it's all good 'Ole on a likkle - wait just a minute

Cho' - never mind Oonu - you all

Diy'yah - over here Pickney - children

Frock - a dress Redi dress - showing out

Is fi' mi - it's mine Roll tide - keep it moving

Good good - that's fine Selectah - a DJ

Gweh - get out of my face S'mody - somebody

Gwine - going Soccamibassa - dressed poorly

Gyalfren' - girlfriend Tegereg - troublesome; a P.I.T.A.

Leggo beas' - wild, unruly Tump you - hit you

Maahgah - skinny Whe' mek? - why?

Dialects of Jamaican 'patois' can be spoken fast, slow, or moderately. Some of the diction is easier to understand than others because it may depend upon which region of Jamaica one is from. Some people may have emotional inflections in their speech patterns, while others may have musical ones. One thing for sure is that unless you can't hear, you will definitely know it when a person from the islands is talking or singing...'yah, mon.' But even without vocals, this underground Dub music of Jamaica was still shaping itself into a more defined entity. By 1973, 'King Tubby' Ruddock was experimenting with instrumental versions of songs by manipulating sounds on the tracks. His equipment contained a disc-cutter, mixing console, tape machines and effects units. He worked with the top producers on the island to compose and release the dub album "Blackboard Jungle."

Instrumental versions of songs soon showed up on the B-sides of singles, called 'dub mixes.' Whether tracks were abruptly punched-in with buttons or smoothly faded-in with the sliding fader, they were still given a heavy dose of sound effects. In some cases, interesting effects were created by running a looped tape over the heads of a tape machine. To facilitate this method, a section of the tape was identified for 'surgery' or 'splicing.' Splicing occurs by putting the section of tape on a 'chopping block' with vertical and diagonal grooves etched into it. The grooves guided a razor blade as it sliced the tape at the beginning and end of the section to be cut. The two ends of the isolated tape were then taped together and run through the tape rollers, which passed the tape over the three heads (erase, record and playback) in a repeated, looped manner.

The playback head picked up the signal and played it till the 'stop' button was depressed. If the splice wasn't precise, this procedure could become tedious and time-consuming. This method may not have caught on in the fast-paced world of 'put it together quick' Rap music, but sampling sure did. Electronically-made sounds and sampling went on to become worldwide phenomena. Like tape looping, Jamaicans used sampling to create new music such as Dancehall Reggae. You'll want to see the chapter "What Makes Music" in the forthcoming "Musicology 102" for more on sampling. If the info in that chapter tweaks your interest, we'll be covering more studio techniques that you may find interesting in the sequel to that book, "Musicology 103."

Dub remixes were released as a standard configuration by the mid '70s, and DJ's constantly played them in the clubs. The open relationship between the United States and Jamaica allowed new styles and trends to drift between the two cultures. By the end of the decade, Rap music made its introduction by creatively looping drum and bass lines with a rhythmic (non-melodic) vocal track and new sounds. Rap brought showmanship to a new level by using the techniques of Jamaican Dancehalls and sound systems, courtesy of innovative DJs like Kool Herc. In case you may have forgotten, we opened up the book chapter by talking about the DJ who brought thunder to the clubs. 'Big ups' to these unsung heroes--they changed the era's musical protocol by breaking down music and remixing it. In America, R&B, Funk, Jazz and Dance music were also broken down and rebuilt; adding anticipation, excitement and exhilaration to physical activity (dancing) and other types of live performances.

Dub music was often fused together in a live setting (people are around), with the mixing board serving as the action centerpiece, as if it were a musical instrument. In the hands of an experienced, partially or totally insane sound engineer or producer, this meant hit records. Besides tweaking the sound processing devices to get a desired or unexpected effect, other studio tricks were also employed. Some techniques include the use of gunshots, screams, sirens, whistles, test tones, mechanical sounds; even physically striking a reverb unit to get a new sound. Therein lays the answer to the exclusivity factor, which was taken very seriously in Jamaican music. Since no one else had the sounds, no one else could play them. To quote pioneering rapper Rakim (of Eric B & Rakim), "I said it before."

By the late '70s, the Imprint label, headed up by top Dub engineer Lloyd James (also known as 'Prince Jammy'), stepped into the limelight to become one of the leading forces in this new wave of music coming from Jamaica. In the meantime, concerts by Jamaican artists were supported by a core group of Blacks and Whites in England and in the United States. The support of British and American recording artists encouraged a curious fan base to listen closer to Reggae. Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton and The Police made hits that hinted at Reggae, while Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder gave their own convincing perspectives. Just take a good listen to groups like The Eagles ("Hotel California") and Steely Dan ("Hey Nineteen") as you dig through hordes of great music tracks to decipher what they and so many others have created during their fabulous careers. More tactical support was on the way when the new Dancehall genre came out of Jamaica. During the late '80s to early '90s, it filtered into the Rap/Hip-Hop culture, by way of transplanted Jamaicans and inner-city Big Apple youth who were already thinking "outside the box."

The loss of Jamaica's musical prophet Bob Marley in 1981 shook the shores of Jamaica and chain-reacted to a worldwide level. Before things improved, things got worse and Jamaica's economics took a nosedive. Political turmoil ran rampant between the Jamaican Labor Party (JLP), and the People's National Party (PNP). Jamaican posses became murderously volatile at home as well as in the States and in the U.K. Well-known activists (including musicians and others) were getting viciously gunned down, left and right. The per-capita statistics were astounding. Something had to give; there was too much trouble popping off on this nearly 150 mile-long island starving for ongoing attention, out in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. Through multiple Prime Minister hand-offs over the years, the bureaucracy of Jamaica (liberated in a year that holds strong significance to me), has passed among seven pairs of hands:

1962 - 1967 Alexander Bustamante (JLP)

1967 Donald Sangster (JLP)

1967 - 1972 Hugh Shearer (JLP)

1972 - 1980 Michael Manley (PNP)

1980 - 1989 Edward Seaga (JLP)

1989 - 1992 Michael Manley (PNP)

1992 - 2006 P.J. Patterson (PNP)

2006 - Present P.S.-Miller (PNP)

Notice anything interesting? It's been said that there's no constant like change: for the first time in history, Jamaica handed off its male-dominated political reigns to another original--the first female Jamaican Prime Minister, in March of 2006. The PNP's own Portia Simpson-Miller succeeded another PNP member, Prime Minister Percival James Patterson.

Over in England, Reggae and Dub artists made successful entrances into the music industry's battle arena by slicing and dicing the studio mix exclusively for the club. By the 90s, the eminent sub-division of Dub music emerged not only from Jamaica, but also the U.K. and U.S. with styles like 'Drum & Bass,' 'Jungle,' 'Trip-Hop' and 'Techno.' International groups from other genres like The Cure, Depeche Mode, Garbage, Living Colour, Nine Inch Nails, and dozens of rappers, producers and DJs tested Dub in their tracks. Dub influences are often heard in recordings with electronic drums, bass, keyboards, strings, and horns in Reggae styles like Dancehall. A popular sound was found in an early form of Reggaeton called Dancehall Reggaespanol, or Spanish Dancehall. This style of music appealed more to people of the Hispanic/Latino societies in Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and abroad. Spanish Reggae featured Reggae music with Spanish lyrics and catchy horn arrangements. Traditional Latin music may often feature the guitar in songs.

Many people may not realize it, but the Panama Canal was built not only by local Panamanians, but also Jamaicans and other immigrants from around the world in search of economic relief. It didn't take long for the music industry to notice there were many Black Latinos in places like those listed above, and in South America. By 1991, Columbia Records acknowledged Dancehall Reggaespanol, as it appealed to a large, multi-cultural fan base. Some acts:

Arzu

Cocoa Tea

Cutty Ranks

El General

Fab 5

Killer Ranks

La Diva

Lisa M.

Little Lenny

Marcony

Nando Boom

Nardo Ranks

Ninjaman

Sugar Minott

Supercat

Rude Girl

(La Atrevida)

INTERESTING POINTS:

o Featured artist Lisa M is from Puerto Rico; not only is she making songs like ones on this CD, but she also creates music in other styles such as Merengue. Merengue is popular throughout the Caribbean islands, and in South America. While we're pointing out well-known Merengue hot spots, let's not forget the site of the famous, international canal--Central America's Panama, home of red gold. Lisa M and the remaining "Dancehall Reggaespanol" cast were on the forefront of something that wouldn't crest until after the new millennium arrived.

o Now going by the name of Reggaeton music, Latin Dancehall music incorporates Spanish lyrics as the driving force; moving forward in its popularity, a whole new generation of music appreciators will be pleasantly surprised to hear this exciting music form: some of them, for the first time. Godspeed, children.

o You may have noticed the name "Ranks" attached to Cutty, Killer, and Nardo. Trust me - these guys are not brothers by blood. In fact, many Dancehall artists used "Ranks" in their stage names. One of the biggest was "Shabba." He got signed to Epic Records around the time Columbia Records signed another hot Jamaican artist known as Supercat. Since I worked for Sony Music (the distributor of Epic), I marketed and promoted Shabba Ranks' Epic releases.

o Supercat (also known as Don Dada), was already doing his thing on a 'super' level when he got signed to a Columbia Records contract during the late '80s. He was also one of the first-round draft picks when the label began their Dancehall/Reggae signing spree. In keeping ahead of the violins, let me point out that he was another act I marketed at Sony Music, along with Columbia's "Dancehall Reggaespanol" compilation CD. Considered a 'West Indian Godfather' in 'the biz,' Supercat is given love in Damian Marley's song with the somewhat infamous Bobby Brown, called "Beautiful." That's another hit song on Marley's "Welcome To Jamrock" CD. Trust that! Supercat still has his mojo too, with his name mentioned twice each time it comes up throughout the song. "Check it!"

A valedictorian and contributing author to Bernard Percy's books during elementary school, L.A. finished high school in Brooklyn, then went to L.A.City College. He graduated in 1987 from Georgia State University in Atlanta. An internship led to 10 years with CBS Records/Sony Music, where L.A. worked with almost every act, implemented sales/marketing campaigns, received numerous gold/platinum albums, awards, and traveled throughout the U.S., Canada and Jamaica to events.

As a recording studio owner, AV technician and manager for a global audiovisual company (TAVS), L.A. owns MKM Multimedia Works. In 2001 he executive-produced the Million Mom March?s Atlanta Artists Against Gun Violence compilation CD, featuring top Atlanta acts. In 2002, L.A. secured a commercial with The GAP for Arrested Development?s Baba Oje. L.A. now initiates his ?6 books in 5 years? plan.

With a vision of where he's going, L.A. works towards a goal. A quote that L.A. picked up from mentor/author/educator BernardPercy.com is: "Everything turns out right in the end - if it isn't right, it isn't the end."

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The History Of Music: From Grunts To Guitars

Where did music begin, and where is it going? The answers are surprising. There is a modern movement leading humanity back to the music it first created tens of thousands of years ago. A conflicting movement is creating ever more complex sounds, and creating a world of smaller audiences for more musicians.

Before humanity could write, and even before they could speak, rhythm and single tones were used to communicate. The song of a bird may have inspired a prehistoric man to mimic and improve on the noise. Evidence of prehistoric music is sparse, since there was no language to describe the sound to descendants. Drumming objects and mimicking are considered to be the first "music". This continued with words being added as speech was discovered.

After the development of writing, music became more refined. Crafted instruments were added. Harmonies were created. Pipes, flutes, basic stringed instruments, and similar tools were used to create the first sounds that modern man could easily recognize as music. The oldest known song is over 4000 years old, written in cuneiform, and uses the diatonic scale. This period is referred to as "ancient" music.

Further developments created more regional sound, as different technology discoveries in different areas led to unique instruments. While "classical music" is generally assumed to be the sounds of composers like Bach or Beethoven, it actually refers to any music of this period. The music was usually religiously inspired or supported, and usually taught formally as a skill rather than developed through experimentation. As musical notation unified regionally, the composed masterworks of the area were generally performed according to the rigid written work.

Folk music continued soon after. This was generally the sound of the unlearned classes, those that could not write or read. Learned orally, this music was learned and modified time and time again to reflect the personal artistry of the performer. This type of music often portrayed the concerns of the illiterate class. It was usually not supported, but tolerated, but the government and religious leadership. The tradition of folk music still continues as a genre of music to this day throughout the world.

Classical music developed into a less rigid modern style of music, mixing with the concept of personal artistry from folk music. Performers would still use either written or learned pieces, but would add their personal touch. The music would sound different each time it was played, even when played by the same performer.

The invention of recorded music and radio began the slide backwards. Recorded music is very rigid. It never changes. Audiences began to expect live performances to be as close to the recorded music they have been listening to as possible. Sheet music allowed amatures to closely mimic the original performer. To appeal to a larger audience, music started to become less an expression of what the artist wanted to say, and more what the audience would pay to hear.

This trend continues today in the form of ever simplifying music. Music has to be quick and easy to identify. Complexity would lead to missed sales. Many modern styles forgo either the lyrics or the melody completely. Recycling previous music in the form of sampling gives an artist an instant audience, while limiting the artistry possible.

Fortunately, the Internet allows for any artists from any styles to combat the decline in music artistry. The low cost of entry makes it possible for almost anyone to gain an audience. The low cost also allows artists to perform what they wish, rather than pander to a larger audience. Hopefully, this will allow the trends in popular music to reverse, creating ever more artistic and unique music in the future.

The author, Alex Combs, is the webmaster of http://www.landoflyrics.com. Land of Lyrics allows visitors to reminisce about their favorite songs and soundtracks while discovering new sounds and ideas they may enjoy.

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Discover the History of Mechanical Music, Part III

There is much more to music figurines, wooden jewelry boxes, children's jewelry boxes, and wooden keepsake boxes that meet the eye. Indeed, all mechanical music, including music boxes, has a unique history. Let's continue to discover what that is.

After the creation of carillons, chiming watches, and barrel organs, musical movements made from carillons without bells or hammers began. After Antoine Favre's creation of using a steel toothcomb, which could be plucked to make music (cylinder music box), initially no one thought of making a music box just to enjoy. However some, such as Phillppe Meyland did begin to make musical snuffboxes, and a group of watchmakers in 1810 and began to work on manufacturing small movements for watches and seals in Geneva. This resulted in the Geneva industry beginning and was started by the likes of Henri Capt, Les Freres, Long Champs, Morse Aubert, and Pierre Rochot. Sometime later in 1812, L.G. Jaccard, Jereme ReCordon started a similar product.

Once the mechanical music industry was started and settled, trade was brisk and further developments with musical boxes continued to improve until they reached their peak in 1870. It is interesting to note that by this time, there was virtually no music, which could not be played by a music box.

In 1890, a different musical mechanism began to impact the success of the comb and cylinder musical box. David Tallis in "Music Boxes: A Guide for Collectors" stated that: "Instead of putting the music onto a brass cylinder by means of pins, it was being set on steel discs, which were interchangeable and expendable. The polyphon had arrived and immediately caught everyone?s imagination with its unlimited repertoire of music. It was mass produced and soon took over the market which had previously been the sole right of the cylinder box manufacturer."

Unfortunately, the success of the disc music boxes weren?t to last. The two main German companies for disc music boxes existed for 25 years, and the American Regina Company lasted a little longer, until 1919. The phonograph, a unique musical production, eventually took the place of the cylinder and Regina music boxes. Author David Tallis has this to say about the phonograph: " It resulted from an invention which was made before that of the disc music box. In 1877, Thomas Edison made his phonograph. He put on a record made of tin foil and recited into the horn the first line of 'Mary Had A Little Lamb'."

Of course, it took time for the phonograph to develop where it could compete with the cylinder and disc musical boxes. However, by 1900, they were beginning to become more notable and very popular.

The history of mechanical music is truly interesting and like no other. So, the next time you play your music box figurine, wooden jewelry box, children's jewelry box, and wooden keepsake box, you can remember what makes them so special.

Copyright 2006 Monique Hawkins

Established in May of 2005, http://www.My-Music-Box.com is a music box gift store specializing in products such as inlaid ballerina music boxes for ballerina rooms décor, whimsical carousel music boxes, and musical jewelry boxes. The company provides interesting information for music lovers of all ages. Owner Monique Hawkins is also the author of the blog "What You Never Knew About Music" http://whatyouneverknewaboutmusic.blogspot.com , and owner of the eBay store "Monique's Music Box" at: http://stores.ebay.com/Moniques-Music-Box Monique can be contacted at (540) 858-2885.

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Discover the Unique History of Mechanical Music, Part I

The delicate sounds of a ballerina music box, inlaid music box, musical jewelry box, or music trinket box is loved by many a music box and antique collector. Some collectors and lovers of mechanical music may not realize the interesting history that is part of the world of music boxes and mechanical music. Let's discover what that is.

Attempts to create mechanical music reproductions really began in the third century B.C. Plato had an idea for making a water clock that would sound the hours of the night on pipes. He felt this was needed since darkness made it impossible to read the face of a clock. No one knows whether or not the clock was made, but it did reveal that interest to produce music automatically occurred very early in history. Singing birds and organs, which were worked hydraulically likely, were developed from Plato's clockwork idea.

After clocks were invented in AD 1000, more advances were made. Soon carillons of bells were made which played simple tunes on a barrel. Next came the barrel organ, which had air for the organ coming from bells driven by clockwork.

One of the most basic elements of mechanical music is how storage of the music is in a barrel or sheet, both of which rally make the memory of the instrument. The music was then set on the barrel with pegs and pins and on the actual sheet as perforation or projections. When rotated steadily and evenly against the levers, the levers then played an organ or carillon.

In 1502, the first mechanical music was made in the form of a barrel organ. The most famous one was the organ made in Salzburg for L. Von Keutschach. It had 350 pipes from which music from a barrel was played. The organ only had one tune for centuries until Leopole Mozart composed 11 more in 1753. Now, only 9 tunes survive on the original barrel. Announced with a grand and might chord, the locals have nicknamed it the "Salzburg Bull".

It is fascinating that mechanical music has been around for so many centuries. It puts a unique perspective on the history of collectibles such as music boxes, antique music boxes, ballerina music boxes, inlaid music boxes, musical jewelry boxes, and music trinket boxes.

Copyright 2006 Monique Hawkins

Monique Hawkins is the owner of Monique's Music Box. Located at http://www.My-Music-Box.com is a music box gift store specializing in products such as inlaid music boxes, wooden keepsake boxes, ballerina music boxes for ballerina rooms décor, and musical jewelry boxes. The company also provides interesting information for music lovers of all ages.

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Discover The Unique History of Mechanical Music, Part II

Inlaid music boxes, musical jewelry boxes, wooden keepsake boxes, and other types of mechanical collectibles are favorite items for some music box and antique collectors. Let's continue to discover the unique history of music boxes and other mechanical music.

The barrel organ was the first form of mechanical music that was made in 1502. Following this, the carillon was the next mechanical music item that was made. This musical instrument plays a musical scale on a set of bells. Initially, they automatically played chimes on the hour, but later when the advantages of the barrel organ were recognized, barrels were pinned with melodies of increasing complexity.

After carillons, attempts were made to produce watches that chimed. Daniel Quare in 1686 made the first chiming watch. The watch struck the hours and quarters or a bell when the stem was pressed and released. Parisian, Juline LeRoy, realized after Quare's invention, that it would be necessary to make the watches thinner. He proceeded to do this by taking the bell out and allowing the hammer to strike the inside of a case. After this, sometime during the second half of the 18th century, he was also credited for the invention of the spiral gong on which hammers strike. It appears as if Breguet made a watch with repeating gongs in 1785.

Soon after the inventions of the carillons and chiming watches, music boxes with combs and cylinders were created. David Tallis in "Music Boxes: A Guide for Collectors" states: "By definition, the musical box is a mechanical instrument in which tuned steel tongues are set in vibration by means of pins set in a rotating cylinder or disc, and the invention was made as a result of all the developments already mentioned. The method of setting up music on a barrel was well known and had been used for many years on barrel organs and carillons, so it was only a short step from the gong in the repeater watch to the tuned steel tooth which could be plucked by a note. The man to whom the invention is attributed is Antoine Favre, and the date of the invention was 1796. The authenticity for this date is taken from the records of the Society of Arts in Geneva for the 15th February, 1796, which reported that Monsieur Favre had found the means of producing a carillon without bells or hammers." As a result of Favre's invention, musical boxes as we know today came into being.

There indeed is much history behind the music box and antique collector collectibles. The next time one looks at an inlaid music box, musical jewelry box, wooden keepsake box, and other types of mechanical music, their unique history can be remembered and appreciated.

Copyright 2006 Monique Hawkins

Monique Hawkins is the owner of Monique's Music Box. Located at http://www.My-Music-Box.com is a music box gift store specializing in products such as inlaid music boxes, wooden keepsake boxes, ballerina music boxes for ballerina rooms décor, and musical jewelry boxes. The company also provides interesting information for music lovers of all ages.

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African American Music; The History Of

When I saw this title, I was afraid and I'm still afraid regarding my opinion about the subject. The subject is complex and difficult so I cannot resolve it overnight. I am an African. I do things the African way. I cannot write about African American music like a Western scholar. In my culture we live the past and the future in the present. When I listen to some African American music I can feel the past, the present and the future all at the same time. Now, the best way for me to handle this subject is to work by questions and answers.

[Question] Yaya! Who do you think you are?

Yaya Diallo - I don't think! I am Farafin, which means I am a dark skin man. The word Africa is the Arabic name for our continent. In Bambara we call the so-called "Africa" Farafina. Farafina means the land of dark skin people. I am from Farafina and I am proud of it. I don't want to be somebody else. People in general say African American. I would say American Farafin, which means dark skin human being who lives in America.

[Question] What is your African background?

Yaya Diallo - I come from far away. I was born in 1946 in Fienso (French Sudan), now Mali. My parents were nomadic. When I was very young I used to travel a lot. I grew up in the bush far from any western civilization. The music that I heard was very traditional and played live. I did not have a radio or TV. I had the opportunity to listen to the music of the different ethnic groups from the Ivory Coast, Burkina and Ghana. In some villages I heard Muslim songs coming from the mosques. By night, I would enjoy the frog symphonic orchestras. From 1946 to 1960 I was living in complete nature. My musical training is a long story but you can learn more from my book The Healing Drum.

[Question] What are your feelings about the civilized world?

Yaya Diallo - In the city I had strange feelings. I saw people listen to music through what I thought was two kinds of boxes. The first was a radio. You could change the singer with the tuning button, I thought. The second needed records. It read 78, 45 and 33 1/2. You had to adjust everything with something but I did not have a clue as to what. Even still, the only music that I heard was the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Johnny Holliday.

[Question] What do you think about the word African American?

Yaya Diallo - Dark skin people living in America are not different from people I met in Africa (Farafina). To me they are just different ethnic groups like the Yoruba, the Bantou, the Zoulou or the Touareg. Africa is not one culture. We have thousands and thousands of languages and different music. My wife is an African American from Louisville, KY. Her mother is from Dark Corner, MS and her father from Jackson, TN. Like my wife and family there was one African American man, James Brown, who saved my life with his music.

[Question] How can an African American man save the life of a traditional African?

Yaya Diallo - In 1967 I left my country to go to Montreal, Canada. On my way, in Paris, I saw a big picture of James Brown in the Olympia Theater. In my mind I thought, "Oh! A black man in Olympia in Paris, France." In Montreal I was looking for a place to dance or listen to the music that I loved. One day I found a radio station that played black music. I heard James Brown and felt at home.

[Question] What do you think about African American music?

Yaya Diallo - I always say that I don't think, I feel. When we talk about African American music we talk about Spirituals, Blues, Funk, Jazz, Gospel, Rap, dance music, etc. I want to talk on each one by one.

When people in Canada were dancing the twist, jerk and go-go, in my country a French man named Johnny Holliday was playing bad versions of Wilson Pickett and Ray Charles' music in French. In America I found out this French man was a robber. He stole the music, sang it in French and looked like a genius for us Africans.

[Question] What did you feel when you started to dance?

Yaya Diallo - I used to go out to dance to Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and Sly and the Family Stone's music. For me they were Africans. They had good beats, good feelings and most important, African Soul. I did not feel that from Chinese or European music. In the 70s I discovered the Funk music, The O'Jays, Parliament, Ohio Players, Kool and the Gang and JR Walker and the All Stars. I felt I was at home when I knew the Motown Family (Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder). I could survive because I had those kinds of musicians.

[Question] In terms of music, what is the link between African and African Americans?

Yaya Diallo - African Americans are Africans from the village and sadly they just don't know it! When you listen to the music you can find out. Kool and The Gang played Funky Stuff. When you listen to the drum part you will get the Dounouba part of the dance Sounou. Sounou was played in the 15th century and today is the dance young people love. In Africa we learn the past in the present and teach it to the next generation. The African Americans sometimes do not know how African they are.

[Question] Why can you say that they are African?

Yaya Diallo - The first time I heard the Four Tops I thought I was listening to the Bambara Farmers in the evening after a hard working day. The Temptations reminded me of the men Fire dancers and singers. I can listen to Temptations but I am afraid to see them. I am not initiated to the Fire dance and the music brings out memories about the secret ceremonies that happened afar in the village. Aretha Franklin is for me a great Djeli-mousso coming from the Empire of Mali in the 13th century. When I listen to African American music I don't worry about the meaning, only what I feel.

[Question] What do you think about Jazz?

Yaya Diallo - Really, to tell the truth, I don't feel jazz. Many people coming from Africa feel the same way. I learned about jazz in 1980 when I recorded my first album, Nangape, on Onzou Records. That opened the door for me with jazz. Jazz magazines like Cadence and Down Beat wrote articles on me like I was a "jazz man." I was invited to do workshops at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY. I met jazz big names like Art Blakey. He said, "Yaya is the only African that I can jazz, that I can play with and be comfortable." I completed a trio with Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell in the Symphony Space in New York.

[Question] What about Gospel?

Yaya Diallo - To me gospel means religion or church but my father-in-law changed my mind. When going to church with him I saw a big band and a big choir. People were singing and I forgot that I was in church. I was surprised; I saw ladies in a trance like in my village but they called it shouting. This reminded me of the Mania Secret Society where only woman go into a trance when praising god (See The Healing Drum).

[Question] What is rap?

Yaya Diallo - I love rap! I use to lie about buying rap and say that it was for my children. Rap is the old tradition of the Fulani people in Mali. It tells life stories through poetry that is recited quickly. Nomadic people have to explain their daily journey through this same quick form, but without the foul language. Today, the young people think that they have reinvented the wheel.

[Question] Yaya, what is wrong with African American music today?

Yaya Diallo - Today everything is easy. Instead of buying a drum set you buy a drum machine. Computers do everything. You can get almost every sound by pressing a button. This is the type of world that we live in today. The young Africans love it like we used to love James Brown. Time is the only thing that has changed!

[Question] How did African American music change American Society?

Yaya Diallo - We changed everything! We changed the style of dance; we created new sounds, new styles, and new way to dress ... EVERYTHING! Country music is the white version of the Blues. Rock-n-roll comes from our music. People forget that Jimmie Hendricks was a Blues player that just changed his sound and look. Without James Brown, Sly and Family Stone and the Motown Family there would be no Madonna, no Celiene Dion, no techno, and no disco. African Americans brought this to the world. It is sad because people do not recognize it. We changed the world and it will never be the same again.

[Question] How do people know you in America?

Yaya Diallo - I am the author of two books, The Healing Drum and At the Threshold of the African Soul. I have four CDs, Nanagape, The Healing Drum, Dombaa Folee, and Dounoukan. I thank Onzou Records, the first company that trusted me to make my first album in 1980. That was not easy!

"The History of African American Music" by Malian musician/author Yaya Diallo was written to celebrate Black History Month. The article is translated into English by LaKesha Churn and edited for English grammar and clarification by Stephen Conroy, Producer/Publisher of the independent label to first produce Yaya Diallo in 1980 on Onzou records, http://www.onzou.com

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Music Then and Now - A Brief History of Music and Woodwind Instruments

Music is all around us. It is a mainstay of our society and is inherent in the souls of our beings. Even in utero it is said that the fetus is able to respond to music that the mother plays or sings. Music can be found in just about every environment around us: calming or happy music in restaurants, grocery stores, doctor/dentist offices, department stores, elevators, schools, or weddings; majestic music at firework displays or parades; or even serene music at a funeral. It can be heard on almost every television commercial and in the theme of every television show. Some people crave music like a drug and just cannot live without it playing in the car and even singing in the shower.

Every person has the ability to produce music whether vocally or with a music instrument. We may not all have accurate intonation or pitch vocally or may not produce a great sound due to a difference in how we process auditory information, as Simon Cowell so blatantly points out on "American Idol", but we have the capability of producing music. With some coaching or instruction, like many of the cast members of the television show "Glee" as reported by Emile Menasche', we can deliver a powerful vocal performance.

Over time, music has developed into an extensively large variety of categories and subclasses. These can include classical, jazz, blues, swing, symphony, opera, rock, rap/hip-hop, country, folk, pop, R n B, theatre, heavy metal, Latin, techno, tango, children's, electronic, Native American, inspirational, marching band, gospel, romantic, melancholy, or spiritual. Most of these types of music have come about as a part of the changes in the structure and function of our cultures.

Music also serves to be very therapeutic. From my own experience as an occupational therapist, music helps persons with a range of different disabilities to improve function whether it may be for communication or movement purposes. For example, in working with persons who have sustained a stroke and have expressive aphasia (able to understand language, but unable to formulate the words to verbally express it), singing allows them to say what they want since this involves a different part of the brain. In working with children with autism spectrum disorders, I have found music helps develop more coordinated movement and motor planning as it provides the timing and rhythm that these children are not able to access in their brain. Any music instrument can also be therapeutic, whether it is woodwind instruments, brass instruments, or string instruments, or even just dancing to music.

But where and when did woodwind instruments originate? If we look back in history we could find out what the first woodwind instruments were. However, as the late Curt Sachs so intelligently points out, music originates back to pre-instrumental music and primitive man. He states that "all higher creatures express emotion by motion" eg. stamping his foot on the ground, slapping his body, or clapping his hands. These audible actions were the precursors to our first woodwind instruments and most likely man was not even consciously aware of sound as a separate idea.

Through archeological findings, the first true music instrument noted in history was the strung rattle which consisted of nutshells, seeds, teeth, or bones strung in cords or tied in bunches and suspended from a part of the body (ankle, knee, waist, or neck) as a means of adding sound to body movements or dancing. However, this was a delayed sound after the body movement. Later, the sound became more direct, but not exact, as gourd rattles filled with pebbles or small hard objects were shaken in tribal dances. From there, other more direct sounding instruments were developed which used the feet or hands to produce sounds eg. stampers (used stamping sticks or devices to make sound on board or bark covering hole in ground), slit-drums (stamping on hollowed out tree trunk over a pit), drums (used hands or later sticks to hit membrane stretched over opening of hollow body of any shape), friction instruments (using a tortoise shell or rounded piece of hard wood with four notches cut into it and rubbing it on palms to make a humming or squeaking noise), bull roarers (quickly whirling a thin board attached to a cord overhead making a roaring sound), and scrapers (scraping a notched stick, shell, bone, or gourd with a hard object).

The ribbon reed was the first simple music instrument to be played with the mouth like the woodwind instruments. This was just a blade of grass taken from a reed stretched between the two thumbs held side by side and by blowing into the crack the blade would vibrate with a high pitched screeching noise (what young child hasn't done this even today?). More developed civilizations rolled up a wide blade of grass spirally to form a funnel tube with the thin end of the blade crossing the upper opening. Eventually, the flute was developed which was played like most other woodwind instruments: by blowing into the air column of the tube a vibration was created and produced a specific tone. Flutes and other reed woodwind instruments have been played since the Middle Ages (476-1400) and Renaissance period (1400-1600) as they have undergone various changes in design, however, orchestral woodwind instruments are of more recent origin.

The Baroque period (1600-1750) is noted for its radical revolution in music with the need for novelty in the style of composition. There was an emphasis on strong emotion ("What passion cannot music raise and quell" sung by Dryden) requiring a wide range of sound to express passion and the sudden changes from joy to grief. Just like the Middle Ages, the monodic style of singular parts being emphasized returned to music versus the polyphonic style of the Renaissance period in which equal weight was given to all the string, brass, or woodwind instruments played in concert. To achieve this sound, woodwind instruments underwent a variety of improvements and alterations. Instead of being made from one piece of wood or other material, they were now made of two or more pieces fitting tightly together in order to be able to regulate pitch by adjusting the length. Reed woodwind instruments changed the cut of reed and the bore was changed for a smoother tone. Oboe-like instruments were dismissed and only bassoons, smaller oboes, and flutes made up the woodwind instruments of an orchestra.

Romanticism (1750-1900) created additional transformations for woodwind instruments, although the musical style was reminiscent of the 16th century. The expressive emotional music brought about a significant increase in the quantity of timbres and woodwind instruments were changed to be able to modulate from timbre to timbre with greater ease through a variety of technical enhancements. Woodwind instruments were required to have a stronger, more powerful sound in concurrence to society's change from an aristocratic to democratic culture. Overall, the arts evolved from aristocratic reserve to unrestrained passion. To advance the woodwind instruments to meet the changing musical style, technical changes were made for improved musical flexibility, fluency of tonalities, accuracy of pitch, and freer modulation. Addition of keys, position of holes, key placement, key mechanisms, key padding, and sizes of bores were altered. This created more efficient woodwind instruments that were easier to play and maneuver through the ranges. The woodwind instruments section of an orchestra now included not just the oboe, flute, and bassoon, but also the saxophone and clarinet. Families of woodwind instruments were also created eg. soprano, alto, tenor, baritone to enhance the melodies and harmonies and create a fuller sound.

The twentieth century brought about many radical changes in musical styles such as jazz, swing, pop, and rock. However, aside from the introduction of electric instruments (eg. piano, organ, stringed instruments), the amount of changes to woodwind instruments were not as great. Woodwind instruments in the twenty first century today still retain their prototype of the nineteenth century, but can be made from different metals, their mouthpieces are made of differing lengths/widths and reed sizes, and some persons prefer varying colors for their woodwind instruments.

Woodwind instruments have certainly made great strides in their evolution as cultures and societal demands have dictated. Luckily, the preference for certain sounds evolved as well. The music emanating from these woodwind instruments has become pleasurable with the ability to affect our well being deep into our hearts and souls versus the screeching and roaring sounds of some primitive instruments. Let us all enjoy the music deep within us by freely singing a song, dancing to music, or playing woodwind instruments! If you would like to pursue your musical passion or aspiration, you will find highly crafted woodwind instruments at very reasonable prices at http://www.marchingbandinstrumentsandmore.com.

Dianna Joseph is the owner of Marching Band Instruments & More. She is a saxophonist, novice pianist, and novice guitarist. In addition, she is an occupational therapist who works with a host of disabilities utilizing sensory integration and neurodevelopmental therapy in combination with music and a variety of other techniques to assist these persons in achieving the highest level of function and quality of life possible. For more information on purchasing professionally crafted and reasonably priced marching band instruments (woodwind instruments, brass musical instruments, and drum sets for sale), string instruments including cellos for sale, the best acoustic guitars, and accessories please visit my website at http://www.marchingbandinstrumentsandmore.com

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Printable Sheet Music - History and Evolution

Printable sheet music has come a long way from being written on parchments to Internet software that is easily accessible to perform many functions. The aim of this article is to give a brief introduction and history of its evolution.

Most people who are not in the music industry might not know what printable sheet music is. To explain it in layman terms, it is like a piece of literary writing whereby the writer gives distinct, nitty-gritty details of how the work was done - Like a literary masterpiece,written in common accepted language.But the writer weaves the so called common language in a way that it becomes a gem, a uniqueness. Let us say now the writer gives the blueprint of his composition for anyone willing to do the exact same or variation to proceed with or without condition.In this case, anybody that can read and is lettered in the genre will be able to reproduce the masterpiece.

The only difference is that the former(literary) is mostly written, while the latter (music) is either audio,visual, or the two combined (audio-visual). That is why in music,because of the uniqueness of each composition or masterpiece,anybody that wants to reproduce this same piece live must look at the printable sheet music or notation.

In other words,it  is musical notation written with hand or printed.Nowadays,however,musicians can reproduce any piece of music by simply hearing it (audio), and maybe watching it simultaneously and repeatedly. Hence to distinguish between the two "printable sheet"  music" is used, printable to show that it could be printed just like a book,pamphlet,booklet,hand-out.

Just as an illiterate can't read a piece of writing, so also cannot a person who is unlettered in reading music notation be able to make sense of it.

It is however interesting to know that composing music does not necessarily require sheet music literacy. Musicians like John Stanley in the 18Th century and composer and lyricist Lionel Bart are good examples. Most Nigerian,especially Yoruba musicians also fall into this category. This latter musicians don´t even study music, save some local instruments before breaking into limelight.

What is the use of printable sheet music then if composers and musicians can do without it? Instrumentalists and lyricists of classical tradition need the scores or sheet music to reproduce the exact music or its variations. Also the notes have made it possible the preservation of  a tradition copied and inherited by this present generation.If not for this, most of the earlier music would have been lost.

Brief Historical Background

We owe the the beginning of printable sheet music to the scribes of the Medieval European monasteries. They wrote music on parchments. These have become valuable collectibles that run into thousands of dollars.With the invention of printing press, Johann Gutenberg lead in the development of printing sheet music.

By 1800,it has become a booming industry in Europe and America as firms started printing both popular and serious music. We should remember that this was also the period of Industrial Revolution and the coming of the Middle Class.This class in particular also had time for leisure and income to purchase musical instruments for their homes(mainly pianos). They could also hire teachers to teach them and their children.

Printing the sheet music was done with the writer,(in this case the musician or the person having the rights to the music) entering into legal binding with the firm. This legality involves, what rights an individual has on the printed sheet music and the royalty to be paid.The American music of today- be it jazz, blues, country, spiritual owes its growth and preservation to both the virtuoso composers and the publishers of sheet music.

Influx of people from Germany during world War 1 because of Hitler´s torture and annihilation crusade forced many notable composers out of Germany.Some of them were Bela Bartok, Arnold Schoenberg, and Igor Stravinsky among others. This brought a boom to music in Europe.

The popularity became more widely spread with the invention of phonograph and the radio,further accelerated by Television after World War II. This not only made easy accessibility possible, but as well cascaded printable sheet music price.

The information age has made printable sheet music available everywhere. Even though most don´t care since they can download any music free from the net. Yet in the same Internet there are affiliate programs specifically for printable sheet music. No need knowing the composer of a music before the sheet is made available.There are computer tools that reproduce the sheet music for you just by playing the tunes.

Especially notable are sites for music students, helping them learn music through the readily available sheet music of any kinds and sorts. Playing instruments are also included in the nutty-gritty of the computerized sheet music- How the instruments are held,tuned,pressed, etc. For anybody willing the world of music indeed is an oyster of opportunity.

Without face to face tutorials, people are now learning music through ingenious inventions of some tools. Why not take a look?

Get to a resource that will help you with writing sheet music and singing in no time.

http://hubpages.com/hub/LearnToSing

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Pop Music That Made American History - The Top Twenty Songs of the First Half Century of Rock N Roll

The world changed dramatically during the second half of the Twentieth Century, as the United States became the most powerful nation both politically and culturally. One American phenomenon that has left its mark in all corners of the world is pop music. Here is my list of the most important pop songs of the Twentieth Century, in chronological order. Perhaps they were not the first, the best or the most original, but they were the right thing at the right time, and they changed history.

1. "Rock Around the Clock," (1954). Bill Haley and the Comets. In the early years of Rock music, the inclusion of this song would be a no brainer. It was the first great Rock and Roll hit, selling 25 million copies. Nowadays, we may have a desire to right the record, and say that black performers like Big Joe Turner, Bo Diddley and Ike Turner were the real originators of the style, but the fact is that in the segregated atmosphere of that time, it was necessary for a talented white group to champion the music to a larger audience. The Comets were able to rise to the occasion.

2. "Only You," (1955). The Platters. They became the personification of the emerging doo-wop style which was a blend of rock and roll combos and vocal styling that can be traced back to the Ink Spots and other performers of the Big Band era. Doo-wop was first successfully introduced by the Penguins a year earlier, with "Earth Angel," but it was The Platters, a classy act from the West Coast that really established the genre. Their many hits, such as "The Great Pretender" and "My Prayer," served as a standard of quality for other groups to strive for. With its popularity in the multi-ethnic society of the Northeast, doo-wop was the first racially integrated style, and it still has a devoted following to this day, thanks to the many brilliant vocal performances.

3. "Hound Dog," (1956). Elvis Presley. In that year Elvis exploded on the scene with this hit, plus "Blue Suede Shoes", "Heartbreak Hotel" and others. He was revolutionary in the McCarthy era age of conformity. The influence of Elvis Presley cannot be underestimated: he introduced national audiences to rockabilly music, white audiences to black rock and roll and his on-stage persona made venues accessible for the even more flamboyant acts like Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. He created the Rock and roll version of the teen idol, updating the image from Frank Sinatra's time.

4. "La Bamba," (1958). Ritchie Valens. This song is important on two counts: it brought the Spanish language and Mexican tradition into the mainstream of Rock music. The opening phrase, "Para bailar la Bamba," sounds like an historic cry, "un grito." It is also important because it launched the fad of dance songs that conceived of dance as an expression of the inner self, rather than a dating ritual. "In order to dance the Bamba, you have to have a touch of grace," and listeners began to see dancing in a new light, as communication with their own bodies.

5. "Shop Around," (1960). Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. A perfectly crafted blend of doo-wop vocals and driving rock and roll beats, this is the recording that launched Motown. The Shirelles, a New York "girl group" had scored a hit a few months earlier with "Dedicated to the One I Love," (1959), thus establishing the genre. The Shirelles were trailblazers, building on the success of the earlier doo-wop oriented Chantels and leading to many other girl groups, but it was Motown that became the spiritual home of this new musical style that eventually came to be called "soul music," and so the Motown recording is the one that made history. Motown was one of the richest veins of pop music of this entire period, culminating in the landmark recording, "Papa was a Rollin' Stone," (1972) by the Temptations. By that point the cultural revolution that was the 1960s had transformed the Motown sound into something completely different.

6. "At Last," (1961). Etta James. Mixed the styles of raucous R and B, Rock and roll and the female slow groove. She did not have the jazz cachet of her contemporary Dinah Washington, instead she represented a new, rebellious era of earthy hedonism. She opened the way for the acceptance of other iconoclastic female performers like Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin (with her distinctive version of "Summertime"). It proved to be fertile ground for male singers, as well, notably, Percy Sledge with "When a Man Loves a Woman," (1969).

7. "She Loves You," (1963). The Beatles. Though not an American group, they had an enormous influence on the history of American music and the pop culture of the 1960s. "I Wanna Hold your Hand" was their first U.S. hit in January, 1964, and was followed almost immediately by this song. The two songs taken together illustrate the innovative quality of the Beatles in terms of melody, song structure and vocal harmonic style. "She Loves You," however, was the more iconic of the two, with its "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" refrain that came to symbolize this genre. The British Invasion that followed changed music history.

8. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," (1965). The Rolling Stones. The Beatles were soon followed across the Atlantic by their bizarro-world evil twins, the Rolling Stones. If the Beatles had little halos, the Stones had horns. Their spirit of rebelliousness would find fertile ground in the atmosphere of the 1960s. They stayed true to their heavy guitar based genre, even as the Beatles became more cerebral and psychedelic. The Rolling Stones can be seen as the fathers of Heavy Metal, and through their influence on groups like the Velvet Underground, the spiritual fathers of Alternative Rock.

9. "Subterranean Homesick Blues," (1965). Bob Dylan. As a singer of protest songs, Bob Dylan had been one of the leading performers of the early 1960s folk movement. His move to "folk rock" in 1965 was shocking to his fan base, and when he appeared on stage at the Newport Folk Festival with an electric guitar, he was vigorously booed, in one of the most famous incidents of the period. This song was revolutionary not only for its innovative blend of musical styles, but also for its new use of language. The intensity of imagery was something that had never been heard before in pop music and would not be equaled again until Grand Master Flash and "The Message" of 1982. (See below).

10. "White Rabbit" (1967). Jefferson Airplane. This was their second hit song to come out of the album "Surrealistic Pillow," after "Don't You Want Somebody to Love." "White Rabbit" really exemplified the West Coast psychedelic style of the 1967 Summer of Love, with its surrealistic lyrics and mindblowing crescendo. Grace Slick single handedly invented the concept of the powerhouse rocker female. Other important West Coast groups at this time were the Doors with "Light My Fire," and the Byrds, with their cover of Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." Anybody going to San Francisco?

11. "Hey, Joe," (1967). Jimi Hendrix. Working mainly in New York and London, he represents the Atlantic variant of the psychedelic rock scene. His guitar work and his performance style made him a trailblazer of that period, along with the Who and Cream. He is a giant of pop music history because he bridged black and white musical styles so successfully, and with his creativity helped to launch both the Heavy Metal style and the Funk style of the 1970s.

12. "Respect" (1968). Aretha Franklin. With the overwhelming impact of the British Invasion and the psychedelic styles, soul music had lost its luster as a vanguard form of pop music. Aretha changed that with her infusion of gospel and driving rhythms to the old formulas of Motown music, bringing the music back to its African-American roots. Respect is a perfectly appropriate title for this achievement, because suddenly the centrality of black music to the creative spirit of American pop music became indisputable.

13. "Living for the City," (1973). Stevie Wonder. Profoundly significant both from a musical and a social perspective. The use of synthesizers and the spoken interlude in the song gave it an innovative structure. The social commentary and spoken dialog led the way for the development of rap music later in the decade.

14. "I Will Survive," (1978). Gloria Gaynor. It is the anthem of the disco mania of the 1970s. Previous disco hits had been "The Hustle," (1975) by Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony, and "Tangerine," (1976) by Salsoul Orchestra. These instrumentals allowed dancers to focus on the rhythms and steps as they learned the new dance crazes of the period, be they partner dances, like the Latin Hustle, or line dances like the Bus Stop. The 1977 film, "Saturday Night Fever" included songs with vocal parts by the BeeGees (Stayin' Alive) and the Trammps, "Disco Inferno." However, the lyrics to these songs were always secondary and usually barely intelligible. With the soaring vocal performance of Gloria Gaynor on this song, and the message in the lyrics, the hustle finally found its voice and came alive.

15. "Rapper's Delight," (1979). Sugar Hill Gang. This song marked the beginning of rap music. It is a moment of pop music history every bit as significant as anything done by Elvis or the Beatles. The rap style was soon perfected and packaged by other groups, notably Run-DMC, and went on to permeate Western pop music in the following decades.

16. "The Message" (1982). Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five. By infusing their verses with such powerful social commentary, they demonstrated the immense power of the rap style. The syncopated line of monosyllables, "Don't push me 'cause I'm close to the edge, I'm try-in' not to lose my head," was unprecedented, and the little laugh that followed it was truly haunting. With their virtuoso command of language, they did for rap music what Bob Dylan did for folk rock. The form was brought to complete commercial fruition 13 years later with Coolio's "Gangster's Paradise," (1995).

17. "Thriller," (1982). Michael Jackson. A huge event. Musically, it was a synthesis of many styles that came before: funk, rock, r n b, disco, novelty song, but it was so much more than its parts, as it seamlessly fused these styles together. It was also the prototypical music video, a visual accomplishment that has never been duplicated. The album is the best selling album of all time.

18. "Like a Virgin," (1984). Madonna. Both she and Cyndi Lauper crashed onto the music scene at the same time in 1983, as the first female performers to create every aspect of their onstage personas and to present themselves as performance artists rather than simply artists who perform. However, Lauper's style remained idiosyncratic and inimitable, but Madonna's style became a genre. She created the sexy, leggy female pop idol, in the tradition of male performers like Michael Jackson and Prince, and she was followed by an endless string of other women, some imitators, some artists in their own right.

19. "Conga," (1985). Miami Sound Machine. It introduced English speaking music lovers to the Caribbean Hispanic style that had been percolating on the East coast for the previous two decades. Gloria Estefan's clipped phrasing even gave the English lyrics a Spanish feeling. She matched or even surpassed this achievement with "Oye Mi Canto" in 1989. World Music and Latin fusion are concepts that began to take their present form here.

20. "Smells Like Teen Spirit," (1991). Nirvana. The grunge style of the 1990s got its most iconic performance in this. Kurt Cobain's stage persona and aesthetics have influenced all the alternative rock singers that have come after him, giving them an alternative to the fake cockney whines that had dominated before. The members of Nirvana were particularly articulate through their music and artistic statements, thus codifying the characteristics of this new style.

This is a list of twenty very different and unique songs, but there are certain characteristics. One striking thing is the low number of women on this list (six, including Grace Slick and Gloria Estefan). It seems that women have had a hard time being seen as innovators and being given the opportunity to take a lead role. An example of this double standard can be seen in the way that Mick Jagger, with his middle class British background from the opposite end of the English speaking world, never faced serious questioning about his embracing of black performance and musical styles, but Janis Joplin, born and raised in the Deep South, was criticized as being derivative or worse, and her reputation suffered for many years because of this. A clear division of styles along racial lines is, in fact, one of the most persistent traits of pop music even to this day. However, if such divides are normally seen as polarizing and undesirable elsewhere, that is not necessarily the case in pop music.

Here, they have created the terrain for multi-faceted and rich traditions that thrive on cross-pollination, and when we allow performers to bridge these gaps with their creativity, we get some of the greatest performers, such as Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix. As American pop music has grown in complexity, the opportunities have emerged for more productive mixtures, but the innovative spirit seems to have hit a dry patch. It remains to be seen where the next great song will come from; it's been a long time coming.

Dominic Ambrose is a writer and script developer living in Paris. Take a look at his blog of words at http://dominicambrose.wordpress.com and his art blog at http://ambroseartgallery.wordpress.com

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A Few "Notes" On the History of Music

Music is major part of our everyday life. Music also has a long, complex and captivating history. It may predate language, and most certainly predates the written word. It is found in every known human culture, both past and present, varying wildly between certain periods and locations on the globe. The music of every culture is influenced by all other aspect of that culture, such as social and economic organization, climate, and access to technology.

The development of human music occurred against the backdrop of natural sounds like the lapping of ocean waves, the rippling of river water, the singing of birds and sounds created by other animals. Prehistoric music, more commonly referred to as primitive music, is the name given to all music produced by preliterate cultures, beginning somewhere in very late geological history.

The prehistoric period is considered to have ended with the creation of writing, and with it, by definition, prehistoric music. "Ancient music" is the term given to the music that followed. This music was produced by various early cultures, particularly Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Mesopotamians and citizens of the Muslim world, as well as Asiatic cultures.

Following ancient music, came "early" music which is a very general term referring to music in the European classical tradition from the fall of the Roman Empire in 476, until the end of the Baroque period in the 18th Century. Music within this enormous time span was extremely diverse, encompassing multiple cultural traditions throughout a wide geographic region. What unified these many cultures in the Middle Ages was the Roman Catholic Church, and its music served as a focal point for music development for the first centuries of this period.

The Medieval period (from the 9th to the 14th Centuries) was rich in musical history as attested by the artistic renditions of instruments, writings about music, and other historical references. The only collection of music which has survived from pre-900 AD to the present is the liturgical music of the Catholic Church, the largest part of which is called the Gregorian chants.

Renaissance music followed the medieval era, but the beginning of Renaissance music is not as clearly marked as the start of the Renaissance in the other arts, and began, not in Italy, but in northern Europe specifically central France, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The invention of the printing press had an immense influence on the dissemination of musical styles and by the 15th century, composers and singers from these Low Countries begin to spread over all of Europe.

Baroque music became quite popular after 1600, and instrumental music became dominant. Although strong religious musical traditions continued, secular music came to the forefront with the development of the sonata, the concerto and concerto grosso. In Baroque music the keyboard, particularly the harpsichord, is the dominant instrument. The three most outstanding composers of this period are J.S. Bach, G. F. Handel and A. Vivaldi.

The early Classical period was ushered in by the Mannheim School which exerted a profound influence on Joseph Haydn, and through him, on nearly all subsequent European music. Wolfgang Mozart was the central figure of this period and his phenomenal and varied output defines our perception of the Classical era.

Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert were transitional composers who led Europe into the Romantic period with their expansion of the existing genres, forms and even uses of music. During this Romantic period, music became more expressive and emotional. By the late 19th century, there was a dramatic expansion in the size of the orchestras, and in the role of concerts as part of a rapidly growing urban society. Strauss, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Verdi and Wagner comprised a powerful group of Romantic composers. A prominent feature of late 19th century music is its nationalistic fervor, as exemplified by figures like Dvorak, and Sibelius.

The 20th Century saw a music revolution as radio gained popularity worldwide and new media and technologies were created to record, capture, reproduce and distribute music. Because music was no longer limited to concert halls and clubs, it became possible for music artists to gain fame and fortune quite quickly.

And music became more mobile with the use of headphones, CD players, and iPods. Music of the 20th Century brought a new freedom and wide experimentation with styles and forms that challenged the accepted rules of earlier musical periods. Heavy metal music and rap entered the picture and joined hip-hop, jazz, country/western, ballads, folk, acid rock, Christian rock and a variety of other genres to create today's fascinating world of music.

For a music store filled with constructive, informative and useful information about all genres of music, please visit http://www.MusicJaunt.com

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The History of Computing [Infographic]

If you’re guilty of skipping computer history class, here’s an exhaustingly lengthy Infographic from Manolution that can help you catch up. It sums up in detail the story behind the two biggest names in the industry: Microsoft and Apple, from their inception to today.

C4 Universe, Image Credit

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