Modern music is a product of evolutionary inventions in the music industry. Music has undergone a lot of transitions aimed at refining and making it better than it was before. This pepper gives an in-depth analysis of Langston Hughes and Paul influences they contributed in the musical industry.
Introduction
World over, music is one of the fastest growing industries apart from acting as a chief source of entertainment, music has been used to inform, educate and warn humanity. In fact as literary work, music is used as mirror of the society; this explains why it becomes popular with all the people o0f all the ages. However, for it to reach this far, it as undergone a lot of developments. This can be traced to many centuries ago (Alexander, E.C., 2001).
Influences
Specifically, the modern development in jazz music can be traced to the 20th century during the time of Langston and Dunbar. These are to great African Americans whose music proves made a significant mark in African folla love. They used their writing skills to benefit Africa music which was then not given any recognition in the white dominated racist American community in the contribution of these scholars can be overlooked without acknowledging their contribution to the Harlem renaissance that would letter break out in the 1920s (Ostrom, H., 2003).On his part Langston can be said to the person whose tireless effort greatly contributed to the outbreak of this movement which would letter advocate for the culturally superiority of Africans- Americans. It actually showed that these people had a rich culture which should have been recognized as equally important, but not inferior to the whites.
The other contribution made by Langston in the music industry is the introduction of African dialects in music. According to many historians, this was a breakthrough from the past when the Negroes could not use their dialects in the presentation of their songs or poems. Because of this music would not be so accessible and achieve much appeal to these people. The essence of music could make more significance if it were delivered in a language that one could easily make out (Alexander, E.C., 2001). This is how they could identify with such literary work. In this regard , it is invaluable to commend Langston for revolutionizing the industry by advocating for the introduction of the use of many dialects in music. It makes music more accessible to quite a good number of listeners. The deliverance of message in different dialects made it came out so clearly in manner which everyone would easily understand. Truly, the use of different dialects has been in use in the art industry since this time. Different artists prefer to produce their works in different dialects, a development which as enermonoly impacted on music. This explains why many artists I America, Europe and Africa use various dialects to appeal to their fans (Joyce, J.A., 2004). As a result music has become popular with many people from all earners of the world. Since then, music as experienced a lot of changes right from the then jazz, to blues, to soul and finally to the lyrics which heavily borrowed from Langston’s jazz poetry.
Mean while, Langston is attribute to be a significant force behind the famous Harlem renaissance. His writings propelled the Negros movement which opened the eyes of many people and made the perceive negroid art as an important element of their culture which also had to be respected as well. As a result of the publication of his poems such as the Negro speaks of rivers, the navy blues he managed to change the minds of many people to rally behind him. It made them support him and in this movement so as to fight for the cultural liberation of the Negroes. Because of this, he was supported by many writers both in Harlem, New York City and Paris, France’s a result, music changed significantly. For instance, there was the introduction Harlem stride style, an initiative that transformed the use of instruments during music performances. It introduces the use of piano which would be familiar with the Negroes. Besides, it introduced sweet enjoyable melodies, rhymes nmd harmony. This is the reason why many African-Americans developed a great passion for music because it was now more interesting. The use of such musical instruments in music, made jazz music become significant and entertaining to the Negroes alike. It boosted their racial pride since the new had something to be happy a bout and identify with. Because of this, music became so attractive. I would like to agree that Langston really impacted on the music industry. His art enable him to be seen as an intelligent fellow who introduced jazz poetry which was greatly welcomed by his contemporaries. in fact it is this rhythm which letter transcended to the preserver hip hop and jazz lyrics used in different parts of the world today, his insistence on the use of music instruments like piano is a very common thing today. Nearly all musicians use piano, guitar and violin. These are very popular instruments which when skillfully used to blend the work of the singers, thrills fans, it helps to produce a harmonious melody especially when the players and singers are well trained and directed properly. Therefore, I a greed with people like dr. D.E.B. Du Bois for praising him as a great negroid mind. Surely, music has today become what it is because of his contributions.
I would like to say that Paul Dunbar also made an enormous contribution towards the development of contemporary music. Together with Langston, Dunbar has to be accredited with the introduction of negroid dialects in jazz music. Through the writing of poems such as majors and minors (1895), Dak and Ivy (1893) and poems of cabin and field (1899), it became clearly evident that he should not be disputed as revolutionary mind (Alexander, E.C., 2001). Just like Langston, Dunbar also helped in the introduction of the use of Negros folklore in his poems. As a skillful writer, he fully explained this technique when he presented the African –American folklore in a verse. This gave rise to the emergence of jazz music which was making the use of verses as a stylistic device (Alexander, E.C., 2001). This made it more effective to present their ideas as they tried to deliver their message to their readers. Truly, the use of verses has become so prominent that nearly all the artists use it today in their work of art. This has made song presentation be simpler to recite and present to the audience. Jazz crews today only use to write their songs in a short piece manner in resemblance to the idea put forth by Dunbar.
He deserves the praises he got from scholars like Booker Washington and Langston Hughes who later became his contemporary. Before the founding of their work, poetry was not reflecting the plight of the minority groups like the African-Americans. It is only the whites who would use writing to propagate their racial ideologies at the expense of liberating the oppressed minorities (Amos, S., 2005). Therefore, Dunbar has to be commended for fully exposing the Negro folk lore even if this was not something easier to come by. It is right to attribute the emergence of blues to his efforts. The styles used in the blues and souls heavily borrowed from ideas which were first founded by this great scholar. It was not a mean achievement to change the minds of the whites to appreciate the cultural art of the discriminated Negro groups. The development of music owes a lot to Dunbar because if it were not for their boldness, the world might not have known the presentation of poems in a verse form (Riis, T.L., 2007).
The two writers made a significant contribution to jazz music. As a result of their influence during the Harlem Renaissance, musical instruments changed to adopt the new instruments like piano. This was actually a shift from the traditional brass instruments which was only symbolizing the south. Because of this, there emerged the new instruments which would now be used by all the people biasfree. Initially, piano was a symbol of wealth and would only be used by the rich. Similarly, the musical concerts in which it was played was mainly being attended by the rich people. Later, it changed because these instruments would be necessary accompaniments to the newly introduced jazz music. Hence, music became more enjoyable and would attract many people. The idea of associating piano to the wealthy would be eliminated. Eventually, music became more accessible to all the people without any hindrance.
The genre of jazz music gained a lot of popularity with many artists joining it. Because of their increasing knowledge on instruments like piano, their music became so lively. This is why they became regarded as good artists who could entertain their fans during all their concerts. It is definitely because of this that music attracted so many people particularly the wealthy African Americans who would initially link them to good fortunes. Music composition for the African Americans and the whites saw the role of these styles in the development of their work. Therefore, they used pieces of poems written by these authors during the composition of their songs. However, this was not only restricted to jazz, but to other lyrics such as blues, reggae, souls and spiritual songs. This kind of strategy is still used in the composition of music today (Amos, S., 2005). As already explained, many artists nowadays write their songs in a poetic form as was invented by these two writers. They also touch on major themes of concern which affects the society.
Conclusively, I would like to agree with the fact that Langston and Dunbar made a lot of significant contributions in the development of music. The modern music owes a lot to them. The poetic style, the use of modern instruments, use of many dialects and the composition of music with thematic concerns is a product of their novelty. The transition of music from the classical to the modern hip hop is attributed to them.
Works Cited
Alexander, E.C. (2001) Lyrics of Sunshine and Shadow: The Tragic Courtship and Marriage of
Paul Laurence Dunbar and Alice Ruth Moore. New York: New York University Press.
Amos, S. (2005) Rhapsodies in Black: Words and Music of the Harlem Renaissance. Los
Angeles: Rhino Records.
Joyce, J.A. (2004). A Historical Guide to Langston Hughes. In Steven C. Tracy (Ed.), Hughes
and Twentieth-Century Genderracial Issues. London: Oxford University Press.
Ostrom, H. (2003). Langston Hughes: A Study of the Short Fiction. New York: Twayne.
Riis, T.L. (2007) Just Before Jazz: Black Musical Theater in New York: Smithsonian Institution
Press.
