Music In Life Essay Sample

Many say that music is the food of life and this has no better meaning than the actual experience music brings. Amongst the most popular genres, one can find pop and rap as well as R and B where jazz plays an important part. In fact, Rhythm and Blues actually came out of jazz as a genre and this type of music has been considerably influential across a number of countries in different continents.
Jazz is a genre of music that begun in the 20th century as result of a mixture of African and American music culture. For over a long period jazz has included 19th and 20th century’s music. West African jazz has a unique characteristic that uses blue notes, improvisation, syncopation, polyrhythm, call-response and the swing note. Jazz has generated different subgenres namely: Dixieland, which existed in the early 1910s, big band style swing from 1930s to 1940s, bebop from mid 1940s, free jazz, hard bop and a range of Latin fusions. The Latin fusions further included afro-Cuban which lived from 1950s and 1960s, jazz fusion from 1970s, acid jazz from 1980s. Acid jazz merged both funk and hip-hop features. Afterwards Nu jazz preceded acid jazz later in the 1990s.
Some pop songs continue to dominate proceedings down memory lane. These include songs by Queen such as ‘We Will Rock You’ and other similar trailblazers. Songs such as these have defined people’s lives for decades and can still send ashiver down one’s spine when they are played today. For me, the 1980’s were full of great pop songs ranging from the New Age era such as dépêche Mode and Duran Duran onto the ballads and love songs from Whitney Houston and Kylie Minogue, the latter is incidentally still going today but the former has sadly left us.
Amongst the most popular hip hop artists who have revolutionized the music world by storm is Jay Zee and Rihanna. Although their songs are different, there is still a palpable sense of emotion in all that they bring to the musical stage. Other popular R and B artists such as Nelly Furtado and Timbaland have even collanorated together creating songs of deep intensity and sexual proclivity.
The female diva pop artist has also joined the fray in recent years. Two which spring to mind are Lady gaga and Jennifer Lopez who have sold records in their millions and who have provided inspiration to several who feel dejected but want to enliven their otherwise terribly boring lives.
Jazz music has advanced over time characterized by periods. The first period was referred to as rag time which is characterized by the eradication of slave trade. It was experienced from 1890s to 1910s. This opened up new prospects for the African Americans at liberty. Employment was limited to the educated Africans hence resorted to entertainment. They provided cheap entertainment in dances and vaudeville, mostly bring together the bands formed. Ragtime emerged as a sheet of music, popularized by musicians like Ernest Hogan, Vess Ossman. The jazz age preceded the ragtime and it existed between 1920s and 1930s. During this age, the sale of alcohol was prohibited resulting to rise of illegal speakeasies changing to scene of the jazz age. This era had popular music that had present dance songs, originality and show tunes. During this stage, jazz acquired a negative reputation of being decadent. Members of the older generation pictured this to threatening to old customs in culture and supporting immoral values.