The Sample Discusses the Evolution of African American Music Over the Years (Thesis Sample)

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The Evolution of African American Music
African American music is a term that describes different types of music and music genres mainly created by the African Americans. The music origin can be traced to the slavery that black people faced before the American civil war. Blues and ragtime genres were developed late in the 19th century while the modern house, techno and hip hop were formed in late 20th century. The modern day music is highly influenced by current and previous African American music genres.
After the civil war a new form of music called ragtime was developed by the black Americans. The genre later developed into jazz. The dance involved in jazz music was mainly borrowed from Africans living in Western and Sub-Saharan Africa. Earliest blues and jazz recording was in 1920s. Styles such as rhythm were developed in the 1940s. in 1960 and after African Americans developed funk.
In the 18th century southern slaves were converted to Christians. The conversion came with the emergence of folk spirituals. Instead of adopting to the Christian ways, they sang the spirituals in a way that had a meaning to them. They mostly sang in groups while working in the plantations. Unlike the white gospels, folk spirituals were very spirited. The slaves also added dances known as the shout. They also changed rhythms and melodies of hymns and psalms (Anderson and Hennessey 115).
The impact of black Americans in the wider American music was felt in the 19th century. The banjo instrument became popular – it was of African origin. Songs by Stephen Foster and other musicians became popular hit songs. In the 1830s, there was a rise in Christian revival especially among the African Americans. The blacks began performing a wide variety of Christian songs and Spirituals. The messages were often against slavery (Deaville 89-112).
After the civil war, African American music continued to spread. Artists such as Jack Delany helped revolutionize the music in the United States. The first ever black comedy troupe was in 1876. The barbershops acted as community centers and most men would come together.. Not only would they socialize but also sing the popular songs and the folk spirituals. At the tail end of the 19th century, African American music had become an integral part of the mainstream American music.
In the 1940s and 1950s the blacks created a genre called rock and roll. It had prominent musicians such as Louis Jordan. The rock and roll music was a great achievement. The rock music thereafter became associated with the whites. Nonetheless, some black musicians such as Chuck Berry became successful. Also, there was the increase in popularity for hard blues and the doo-wop style during this period (Caldwell 163-178).
In the 1960s and after, the African Americans played melodic music. Soul music became increases in its popularity. Two new stands of funk evolved – pop soul jazz and a more psychedelic fusion. The sound of disco developed from the African American artists who epitomized so...