As the United States attained massive development and economic
progress in the late 19th century, immigrants from both the Old and New World
immigrated as the country was put on the global spotlight. However, I believe
one specific city, New Orleans, stood out as both an important center of trade
and a cultural melting pot. Attracting people from all backgrounds, it became
one of the most diverse cities in America at the time, and brought people
together who all had a similar goal of prosperity and becoming wealthier in
America.
Jazz was not a sudden development, but a culmination of
styles whose first were long-practiced African traditions that were brought to
the New World. The Congo Square was the first indication of a thriving African cultural
presence in America specifically, and was an integral part of the colonial
slave population's lifestyle. As Gioia notes, "Such a chronology implies
that their (Congo Square dances') disappearance almost coincided with the
emergence of the first jazz bands in New Orleans" (Gioia, 4). The styles
seen in Congo Square, such as the ring shout and the pairing of sound and
music, were able to thrive in New Orleans despite the entirely new environment
Africans had been deported to. In effect, the songs and dance reminded the 19th
century slaves that their culture had followed them, and represented a symbol
of optimism and belonging in the face of a foreign country and oppressors.
The core traditions of African slaves became the framework of
jazz, but with the diversity of New Orleans, the style did not have only one
source of influence. The geographic location and history of the city drew
European influence to the art form. Gioia states, “As a result, French and
Spanish settlers played a decisive role in shaping the distinctive ambiance of
New Orleans during the early nineteenth century, yet immigrants from Germany,
Italy, England, Ireland, and Scotland made substantial contributions to the
local culture” (Gioia 6). In spite of being within the United States’
boundaries, the historical legacy of New Orleans had a global impression on the
new African residents, contributing further to the development of a hybrid
music. Unlike other cities at the time, New Orleans offered both a diverse past
and population, and never became truly “Americanized” like Boston or
Philadelphia. In particular, Mexico offered a definite contribution after the
World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition by popularizing woodwind
instruments (Johnson 226). This highlighted a continuing separation of African-American
music from mainstream society as the 20th century started, and
demonstrated a foreign influence that was given to jazz players alone, further
distinguishing the genre.
After examining the numerous sources Gioia gives, I believe that
jazz was a slow, gradual process that depended on a basis in African rhythm,
but grew with European, Mexican, and American contributions that were embedded in the history of New Orleans. The power of the genre’s first contributors, the
slaves, cannot be overstated, however. Dismal conditions and mass displacement
to the New World played a large role in solidifying the unity of African-Americans
and their traditions, long before jazz had even developed. It was only during
the early 20th century when the African expressed optimism and hope
for a better future after being freed from slavery and racial prejudice of the
South, and jazz reflects both ancient traditions and the modern lifestyle of a
black person’s urban environment. Feelings of hesitant optimism combined with a
longing for the past cumulated into jazz, and an integral identity that would
define African-Americans for generations. The style of New Orleans and its
music crossed boundaries of both time and space.
Commented on Steven Bennett's blog
