What does "Deep river" by Marian
Anderson make you feel?
Marian
Anderson had an amazing voice. She is characterized by her lowest voice, which
is called contralto. This song is an anonymous spiritual that is the perfect
example of that kind of music, because the lyrics refer to the freedom of the
slaves, the Promised Land, the Jordan, and is linked to Jesus, and to Christianity.
Although the context of the song refers that, nonetheless it can move you or
translate you to a better place. Her sweetest voice with the lyrics of “Deep
River” can make you feel relaxed, in peace, and perhaps that is the point of
the song, but we will never know because is an anonymous song.
This song
needs no more than the voice of Marian Anderson and the contribution of the
piano to be sensational. Both are the perfect complement, the slowly rhythm
simultaneously between her voice and the piano create a relaxing melody that
can provoke in the audience a wonderful taste, a good sensation related with
parsimony and tranquility.
Actually the
song is about the feelings who had the people kidnaped from their home Africa,
in the decades of the slavery, so this song is not about happiness or
tranquility, but about the sadness of the African American people begin to God
to returns them to their land. Notwithstanding, this can have a double sense because one may thing is a very sad and disappointed
song while other may think is a charming and relaxing one. Finally one can
say, it depends on what the people perceives
about it. For me, the song, the melody, along with the voice of Marian Anderson
and with the company of the pianist it can take you to a state of tranquility,
because of the sweetest touch she can give to the song.
Minstrel shows
I would consider the performance of “Sábados Felices”
as a kind of Colombian minstrel show, because it shows two men dressing up like
a black couple of the Colombian pacific coast and they’re making jokes about
their customs, their physical appearance and about their intellectual capacity.
The most related part of this performance with a minstrel show, what make it so
similar with the minstrel shows watched in the class is the appearance of the
“actors” because they overact and highlight the physical characteristics of the
black people they’re imitating.
Although, the real minstrel shows were created in
United States by the 1830’s era, and were interpreted by the working class. The
American minstrel shows “combined savage parody of black Americans with genuine
fondness for African American cultural forms”[1].
Initially the music of this kind of theater exposed the idea of what withe guys
though was the black south music, so “they combined work songs, hymns and the
old folkloric music of violin and bassoon, making it closer to Irish and
Scottish music than African American music”[2].
Having this in mind, I can say that it exist many
differences between the real minstrel show and the episode of “Sábados Felices”,
according to the context, the deep of object
and most important the musical aspect. That is to say, the first one had by
scenario the American culture, and had by object the “insult” or joke about the
African American people, and it had a musical background which made it
“attractive” for the public. And the second one, the Colombian, is just a joke
about the blacks of the pacific coast, with blackface but with no musical
background which is distinctive of the first one.
I consider those are racists because both make a mock
of black people, and the mean of mock is “to treat with contempt or ridicule”[3],
minstrel shows try to give a bad image of the black people, try to show them
like ignorant and analphabets, and most of all the ridicule the culture and the
identity of the other.
The man depicted in the picture is wearing very particular clothing which definitely demonstrates that he is not from this time era. With this trench coat and tie, along with his semi-formal suit, he is able to demonstrate not only the chilly weather but also the sophistication and elegance. His hat also shows these characteristics said above, with a special touch. It gives the hint that he is probably in the 1970´s, a very special period for the Blues industry. His guitar, a long his side, shows that he is a musician. The way he holds it not only says something about his musical ability but also seems that is his way of life, due to the fact that he is alone with his guitar on what seems an open journey.
His face, unfortunately, is filled with grief and his hand covers it in order to portray that. Due to the time period of the seventies, it could be speculated that he is completely disappointed with the injustice that exists for his race or maybe he is just sad due to personal reasons during this time because it was not uncommon for a black individual to be mistreated with verbal or physical abuse. Like Rosa Parks perhaps he was taken off a bus after a long day of work and all he could possibly think about is the distress he feels.
This time to most seems like a change for the black community, but the reality is that it was a long process where many individuals suffered injustice and cruelty from behalf of others, where many were sent to jail for meniscuses details and some even lost their lives in a road to equality. The railroad behind his maybe illustrates this road that Civil Rights movements. A movement that started out of the inconceivable oppressions and racism during centuries in the United States, a large group of people who just got tired of these mistreatments and decided to do something about it. But if there is something that is obvious it´s that it was a very difficult journey for this African American race. The man in the picture definitely demonstrates that, he looks like a pacific being, who protests with his blues, and after being sick and tired of society´s injustices and sorrow, is ready for change.
THE AFRICAN AMERICANS: A MIX BETWEEN RELIGION AND
MUSIC
This essay is going to be associated with the relation
between the religion and music, especially in the context of African American
Music, like gospel and Negro Spiritual. It’ll have by scenery the work of JW Johnson
and JR Johnson, which is called “The
Books of American Negro Spirituals” and the history of gospel music.
Some people may think there’s no relation between
music and religion, but this essay is going to explain what the links among
these categories are. That’s why this problematic appears: does religion affect
the kind of music you listen to or does it not? This paper will try to argue
that in some cases like in the African American Music it does. Gospel music has
much influence of religion aspects, and generally the African American music
has a history which is involve in the culture and Christianity that is reveled
in their lyrics.
When the African slaves arrive to America once they
were kidnaped from their lands, leaving their lives, their culture, their
tribe, and their all, brought with them a wonderful piece of the African
culture as Johnson and Johnson say “The negro brought with him from Africa his
native musical instinct and talent” (Johnson and Johnson, 1969, p. 17). The
African Negro was abused in a labor sense, they felt like literally slaves and
they discover the Christianity and found in here that there exists a God who
can let them free of that abuse and cut the thread that their were attached.
The African American found in the Christianity a
refuge, they found in the church a home. They combine their African talent with
the Christianity and created with it a wonderful relief. According to Johnson and Johnson “the Negro
took complete refuge in Christianity, and the Spiritual were literally forged of
sorrow in the heat of religious fervor” (Johnson and Johnson, 1969, p. 20). The
Spiritual is highly influenced by the combination of African talent with
Christian lines.
Once they found discover the Christianity they add a
lot of that sense to their songs, they used the psalms and all they’ve learned
in the church and in the Bible and they put it on their songs, this is just
related by “the fact that the bible was the chief source of material for the
lines of these songs” (Johnson and Johnson, 1969, p. 38).
The Negro Spirituals reflect the sentiments of the
American slaves who express the begins to God, the “Hallelujahs”, they were
used for expressing personal feeling, and sometimes to express secrets
messages, covert to their owners. “Therefore, only Christian slaves understood
them, and even when ordinary words were”[1].
They associated many meanings from the Bible with their lives and their
suffering for being a slave, and this can be shown in several songs. For
example, “they had faith in God, and they associate it with the freedom of
Israel” (Johnson and Johnson, 1969, p. 21), it means, they related the issue of
Israel to their issue, both prayed for freedom and God save them.
Between 1865 and 1985 Gospel music showed those
characteristics, and it can be seen in the lyrics of the songs, like “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” and “Heaven” by JoAnne Stephenson. Then
Spiritual was evolving but Gospel music was created and taking new sceneries,
for example, “the struggle for Civil Rights, in the 1960s, negro spirituals
like “We shall overcome”, “Oh Freedom” and “This Little Light of Mine” used to
be sung”[2] ,
but this gospel also expressed music with exalted melodies.
The Dixie Hummingbirds can be considered the perfect
example of how much the religion affect the music, even in the present this
group is still active and reflect in many of their songs the Christianity, that
shows how does it remain from the epoch of the spirituals till the present.
Having all of this in mind, this essay argues that
there is a close relation among the music and the religion, especially if it is
related with the African American music. Nonetheless, there is no only with
African American music, another kind of music reflect that, in some cases a
genre reflect the absence of religion, which is a relation with religion too,
it is the heavy metal, or reggaeton, these kind of music can´t be more away
from religion, it is the opposite of gospel music, instead having a Christian
message it has another way to see it, like secular or profane.
Finally and to conclude, the essay exposes reasons
that explain a close relation between music and religion, which can’t be better
showed that in the gospel music, which is based in lines of the Bible and mixes
of African rituals songs with Christian songs and this kind of music is the
example that try to answer why the religion affect the kind of music you listen
to.
Bibliography
“A
History of Gospel Music”.
2004. M, Norris. Accessed from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4233793
If was a teacher in The United States and if i taught a
class in which I treated the theme or the topic of African Americans, being a
Caucasian teacher, I wouldn’t use the N word. I don’t think it is a bad word or
it has a bad meaning, referring to the debate of the last class, my position or
my way to see that word is not respectful, depending to the context. I would
use it only if I have confidence with the person I would say to.
Anyway, I wouldn’t use the N word in the class,
teaching “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” because of the context. First of
all, is an academic context in which you probably won’t have the confidence
with your students to call them “N**s”. And second, I prefer to use “African
American” to refer to them.
I would continue teaching the class without skip the
important topic, the deep of that book, or of the literature. I mean, I if
would use “African American” I didn’t change the meaning of the story and I could
continue with the class.
According to the debate between Ann Silvio and Byron
Pitts, I think that even nowadays the word is controversial for the American
society, and it don’t depends of the context or on the confidence you have to
say it, but it depends on the people whether is he/she agreed to the use of the
N word or not, whether he/she find it offensive, not respectful, violent or
anything.
Alicia Keys has a dream and
it is one shared by all African American
The video illustrates the love story between a black
woman and a White gentleman. It takes place in several scenarios, from the
1950’s which is greatly depicted by its scenery until the present. Not only do
the backgrounds but also the great portrayals of the artist help to demonstrate
the adaptation to the fifties with all details, which is no easy task.
In the video we can observe the situation that lovers
live through. It shows that in every decade until the present the situation has
not changed much. This is due to the fact that the oppression of the society
and the family remained constant. Also, we could observe the scene where the
couple, who is just trying to live their lives, is in a grocery store and they
are observed by the people there who judge them, in a silent way.
Unfortunately,
through the years the relationship between a white and black people has been
criticized, as in the 90’s when the video shows a fight between the brother of
the black woman and her lover. Even in the present it is still extremely common
to find interracial couples who are judged by the community around them.
Also, it teaches us to be more tolerant with the
racial issue. No matter what color, gender or religious beliefs people should not
be treated as that. The 1950’s are often depicted as the ultimate utopia of the
American dream, white fences, happy families, but if one makes a quick research
among the multimedia contents that remains of this apparently golden ages it is
going to be sure that black families are not as represented as white ones, or
not at the same level.
The 1950’s were fundamental in the struggle of the
African Americans, it just brings to mind the memories of the bravery and
courage of such men as Martin Luther King, whose speech “I have a dream” has
long since been like a prayer for every citizen of the United States,
remembering them that their great nation is founded under the principles of
equality, justice and fraternity. Gone are the days in which black and white
women could not share the same spot in the public buses, but there is still
remaining of this dark years and “Unthinkable” can perfectly serve as one. The
prominence of black women in every industry, including the music industry gives
us clues about a bright future for African Americans. On the other hand we must
never underestimate the power of reminders because cases as Trayvon Martin’s
show a bitter side of the story. Even though scientists have widely proved that
there’s no intellectual difference between black and whites the racist fallacy
still very much present this days, not always in the form of murder or Ku Klux
Klan but in the subtle subjects. Just taking a look of internet memes that show
African American as less educated or polite (for example that ain’t nobody got
time for that meme).
We know about the Obama’s, we have heard Ms and Mr
Carter songs, we have cried with Oprah, but little de we know about common
families, about the love and struggle history of couples such as the one that
is showed in the video. Until the day we manage to look beyond the color we
could never be a successfully society.
Unthinkable is a wonderful way of look at the black
issue in North America, and understand todays dynamics in politics and life in
general, there is no bigger triumph for the African Americans that having an
including government and look at tomorrow with the nostalgia of the past but
the hope in the future.
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