All Flashcards
Define Harlem Renaissance.
Flourishing of African American cultural and intellectual life in Harlem, NYC, early 1900s.
Define Jazz Age.
Period in the early 1900s when jazz music and African American musicians gained popularity.
What is blues music?
Evolved from hardship to resilience, originating during slavery in the American South.
What is electric blues?
Blues music with amplified instruments, emerged in cities like Chicago and Detroit.
Define jazz.
American art form blending African and European traditions, emphasizing improvisation.
What is big band swing?
A subgenre of jazz popular in the 1930s-40s.
What is bebop?
A subgenre of jazz popular in the 1940s-50s.
What is syncopation?
A musical technique that emphasizes off-beat rhythms.
What is improvisation?
Creating music spontaneously, without prior planning.
What are all-Black cast musicals?
Musicals produced by major Hollywood studios featuring entirely Black casts.
What was the Great Migration?
Movement of African Americans to northern cities, transforming blues music.
What was the impact of the Harlem Renaissance?
Created platforms, celebrated Black identity through arts and intellectual life.
What was the significance of the Jazz Age?
Record labels signed more African American musicians; radio spread blues, gospel, and jazz.
When did jazz originate?
Originated in African American communities of New Orleans in the early 1900s.
What was the impact of Shuffle Along (1921)?
Broadway musical that launched stars like Josephine Baker and Paul Robeson.
What was the significance of Cabin in the Sky (1943)?
All-Black cast musical starring Ethel Waters, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington.
What was the significance of Stormy Weather (1943)?
All-Black cast musical featuring Fats Waller, Cab Calloway, and the Nicholas Brothers.
What was the effect of radio on African American music?
Radio helped spread genres like blues, gospel, and jazz nationwide.
Describe the evolution of blues music.
Emerged during slavery, transformed by the Great Migration, led to electric blues.
How did jazz evolve?
Spread from New Orleans, diverse subgenres emerged, continues to absorb new influences.
Who was Langston Hughes?
Writer during the Harlem Renaissance who celebrated Black identity and experience.
Who was Zora Neale Hurston?
Writer during the Harlem Renaissance who celebrated Black identity and experience.
Who was Josephine Baker?
Star launched by Broadway musical Shuffle Along (1921).
Who was Paul Robeson?
Star launched by Broadway musical Shuffle Along (1921).
Who was Ethel Waters?
First African American to headline her own TV show in 1939, nominated for an Academy Award.
Who was Lena Horne?
Starred in Cabin in the Sky (1943).
Who was Louis Armstrong?
Starred in Cabin in the Sky (1943).
Who was Duke Ellington?
Orchestra leader in Cabin in the Sky (1943).
Who was Fats Waller?
Featured in Stormy Weather (1943).
Who was Cab Calloway?
Featured in Stormy Weather (1943).