African American Musical Styles
First part of the assignment
Write a 3-4 page essay that addresses one of topics below. Discuss the various ways African American musical styles have influenced the social and cultural developments in American society and culture. Paste your response in the assignment submission box, but also include the document file as an attachment by the date listed above.
- What impact did Rhythm & Blues have on American popular music in the 1950s and 1960s?
- How did the development of Soul and Funk styles impact African American music in the 1960s and 1970s?
- How have R&B, Rock, Hip Hop, and Reggae influenced developments in popular music in Brazil and the Caribbean?
Second part of the assignment
Write short answers, [3-5 sentences] for each of the questions below. Each answer is worth 25 points toward a maximum score of 125 points. A well-written short answer should identify significant themes addressed in each lesson. Paste your responses in the assignment submission box by the date listed above, but also attach a document file for security and formatting purposes.
- How is dance used as an expression of identity and culture among working class African American and Caribbean peoples?
- How did James Brown change the direction of R&B music from Soul to Funk in the 1960s?
- How are stylistic elements from African American music expressed in contemporary musical styles from Brazil and the Caribbean?
- What is the relationship between the drum rhythms of traditional African music and production techniques displayed in Rap and Hip-Hop?
- Why have Rap and Hip Hop had such a significant impact on contemporary music from the Caribbean and Latin America?