Abstract
Different genres of music will have different themes and this will be in reference to the message that the singer intends to pass. The origin of funk music is the United States of America was mostly done by the African-Americans (Curtis, 2006). At some point the theme depicted by some of the singers showed the regeneration of the black race from slavery to fame. For this reason funk music has been listened to and greatly appreciated by members of the black community.
James Brown’s song Say it loud I am Black and I am proud, 1968, is a good example of a song which encouraged African-Americans to be proud of who they are. It acted as a way of persuading the government to formulate statutes that defend the rights of the African-Americans as citizens of the United States of America. James Brown received a death threat before going to make the recording. This shows that the issue of racial discrimination was prevalent in the country and music was one of the ways to bring it to an end (Saul, 2006). James Brown’s music acts as a way of delivering African-American citizens from racial discrimination and oppression in the country.
“Mothership Connection”, an album by the American funk is one that contains funk music that tends to unify the African-Americans in the United States of America. The music tries to dismiss the misconception of relating the African-Americans to aliens. This is the reason why one of the songs in the album proposes that the African-Americans journey is from slavery to success in the country. The album refers this from slave ship to space ship. This acts as a sign of prosperity to the African-American community. This kind of music prompted the American parliament to come with statutes of law that catered for the welfare of the American citizens regardless of their ethnicity. This gives the implication that music can be used as a channel of communication to pass important information to the federal government of any country.
Parliament was another music band whose main themes in the funk music were strengthening the African-Americans in the United States of American. The band tries to show that the black race is one that is able to accomplish great achievements in different social, political and economic fields (Ogbar, 2005). Research on the development of different genres of music reveals that some of the themes generated by the musicians are a result of real life experiences. These people must have seen or experienced some form of racial discrimination or oppression based on ethnicity before composing the music.
Conclusion
Funk music in the United States of America acted as a way of reducing oppression of the African-Americans on the basis of their race. These kinds of music acted as a way of fighting for the rights of the African-Americans in the country. The music tried to show that racial discrimination and oppression on the basis of race is unjust and against the laws of any country. Music can therefore act as a way of positively influencing the society in a way that enhances ethics and moral values. From the current situation in the United States of America, it can be concluded that funk music was able to achieve the set objectives of ending racial discrimination in the United States of America.
Reference
Brown, J. (1968). Say It Loud – I am black and I am proud,
Curtis A. (2006). Up Against the Wall: Violence in the Making and Unmaking of the Black
Panther Party. Kansas: University of Arkansas Press
Saul, S. (2006). "On the Lower Frequencies: Rethinking the Black Power Movement", New
York: Harpers.
Ogbar, J. (2005). Black power: radical politics and African American identity. Reconfiguring
American political history. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins
University Press
