African American Music The History Of

When I saw this title, I was afraid and Im still afraid regarding my opinion about the subject. The subject is complex and difficult so I cannot resolve it overnight. I am an African. I do things the African way. I cannot write about African American Music like a Western scholar. In my culture we live the past and the future in the present. When I listen to some African American Music I can feel the past, the present and the future all at the same time. Now, the best way for me to handle this subject is to work by questions and answers.

[Question Yaya! Who do you think you are?

Yaya Diallo - I don't think! I am Farafin, which means I am a dark skin man. The word Africa is the Arabic name for our continent. In Bambara we call the so-called Africa Farafina. Farafina means the land of dark skin people. I am from Farafina and I am proud of it. I don't want to be somebody else. People in general say African American. I would say American Farafin, which means dark sk in human being who lives in America.

[Question What is your African background?

Yaya Diallo - I come from far away. I was born in 1946 in Fienso (French Sudan), now Mali. My parents were nomadic. When I was very young I used to travel a lot. I grew up in the bush far from any western civilization. The Music that I heard was very traditional and played live. I did not have a radio or TV. I had the opportunity to listen to the Music of the different ethnic groups from the Ivory Coast, Burkina and Ghana. In some villages I heard Muslim songs coming from the mosques. By night, I would enjoy the frog symphonic orchestras. From 1946 to 1960 I was living in complete nature. My Musical training is a long story but you can learn more from my book The Healing Drum.

[Question What are your feelings about the civilized world?

Yaya Diallo - In the city I had strange feelings. I saw people listen to Music through what I thought was two kinds of boxes. The first was a radio. You could change the singer with the tuning button, I thought. The second needed records. It read 78, 45 and 33 1/2. You had to adjust everything with something but I did not have a clue as to what. Even still, the only Music that I heard was the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Johnny Holliday.

[Question What do you think about the word African American?

Yaya Diallo - Dark skin people living in America are not different from people I met in Africa (Farafina). To me they are just different ethnic groups like the Yoruba, the Bantou, the Zoulou or the Touareg. Africa is not one culture. We have thousands and thousands of languages and different Music. My wife is an African American from Louisville, KY. Her mother is from Dark Corner, MS and her father from Jackson, TN. Like my wife and family there was one African American man, James Brown, who saved my life with his Music.

[Question How can an African American man save the life of a traditional African?

Yaya Diallo - In 1967 I left my country to go to Montreal, Canada. On my way, in Paris, I saw a big picture of James Brown in the Olympia Theater. In my mind I thought, Oh! A Black man in Olympia in Paris, France. In Montreal I was looking for a place to Dance or listen to the Music that I loved. One day I found a radio station that played Black Music. I heard James Brown and felt at home.

[Question What do you think about African American Music?

Yaya Diallo - I always say that I don't think, I feel. When we talk about African American Music we talk about Spirituals, Blues, Funk, Jazz, Gospel, Rap, Dance Music, etc. I want t o talk on each one by one.

When people in Canada were dancing the twist, jerk and go-go, in my country a French man named Johnny Holliday was playing bad versions of Wilson Pickett and Ray Charles Music in French. In America I found out this French man was a robber. He stole the Music, sang it in French and looked like a genius for us Africans.

[Question What did you feel when you started to Dance?

Yaya Diallo - I used to go out to Dance to Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and Sly and the Family Stones Music. For me they were Africans. They had good beats, good feelings and most important, African Soul. I did not feel that from C hinese or European Music. In the 70s I discovered the Funk Music, The O'Jays, Parliament, Ohio Players, Kool and the Gang and JR Walker and the All Stars. I felt I was at home when I knew the Motown Family (Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder). I could survive because I had those kinds of Musicians.

[Question In terms of Music, what is the link between African and African Americans?

Yaya Diallo - African Americans are Africans from the village and sadly they just don't know it! When you listen to the Music you can find out. Kool and The Gang played Funky Stuff. When you listen to the drum part you will get the Dounouba part of the Dance Sounou. Sounou was played in the 15th century and today is the Dance young people love. In Africa we learn the past in the present and teach it to the next generation. The African Americans sometimes do not know how African they are.

[Question Why can you say that they are African?

Yaya Diallo - The first time I heard the Four Tops I thought I was listening to the Bambara Farmers in the evening after a hard working day. The Temptations reminded me of the men Fire Dancers and singers. I can listen to Temptations but I am afraid to see them. I am not initiated to the Fire Dance and th e Music brings out memories about the secret ceremonies that happened afar in the village. Aretha Franklin is for me a great Djeli-mousso coming from the Empire of Mali in the 13th century. When I listen to African American Music I don't worry about the meaning, only what I feel.

[Question What do you think about Jazz?

Yaya Diallo - Really, to tell the truth, I don't feel Jazz. Many people coming from Africa feel the same way. I learned about Jazz in 1980 when I recorded my first album, Nangape, on Onzou Records. That opened the door for me with Jazz. Jazz magazines like Cadence and Down Beat wrote articles on me like I was a Jazz man. I was invited to do workshops at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY. I met Jazz big names like Art Blakey. He said, Yaya is the only African that I can Jazz, that I can play with and be comfortable. I completed a trio with Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell in the Symphony Space in New York.

[Question What about Gospel?

< p>Yaya Diallo - To me Gospel means religion or church but my father-in-law changed my mind. When going to church with him I saw a big band and a big choir. People were singing and I forgot that I was in church. I was surprised; I saw ladies in a trance like in my village but they called it shouting. This reminded me of the Mania Secret Society where only woman go into a trance when praising god (See The Healing Drum).

[Question What is Rap?

Yaya Diallo - I love Rap! I use to lie about buying Rap and say that it was for my children. Rap is the old tradition of the Fulani people in Mali. It tells life stories through poetry that is recited quickly. Nomadic people have to explain their daily journey through this same quick form, but without the foul language. Today, the young people think that they have reinvented the wheel.

[Question Yaya, what is wrong with African American Music today?

Yaya Diallo - Today everything is easy. Instead of buying a drum s et you buy a drum machine. Computers do everything. You can get almost every sound by pressing a button. This is the type of world that we live in today. The young Africans love it like we used to love James Brown. Time is the only thing that has changed!

[Question How did African American Music change American Society?

Yaya Diallo - We changed everything! We changed the style of Dance; we created new sounds, new styles, and new way to dress ... EVERYTHING! Country Music is the white version of the Blues. Rock-n-roll comes from our Music. People forget that Jimmie Hendricks was a Blues player that just changed his sound and look. Without James Brown, Sly and Family Stone and the Motown Family there would be no Madonna, no Celiene Dion, no techno, and no disco. African Americans brought this to the world. It is sad because people do not recognize it. We changed the world and it will never be the same again.

[Question How do people know you in America?

Yaya Diallo - I am the author of two books, The Healing Drum and At the Threshold of the African Soul. I have four CDs, Nanagape, The Healing Drum, Dombaa Folee, and Dounoukan. I thank Onzou Records, the first company that trusted me to make my first album in 1980. That was not easy!

The History of African American Music by Malian Musician/author Yaya Diallo was written to celebrate Black History Month. The article is translated into English by LaKesha Churn and edited for English grammar and clarification by Stephen Conroy, Producer/Publisher of the independent label to first produce Yaya Diallo in 1980 on Onzou records, http://www.Onzou.com

Author:: Yaya Diallo
Keywords:: Africa, African, Music, Diallo, Onzou, Rap, Gospel, Jazz, African American, Black,, Blues, Dance
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Musical Guide Review Of The Producers

In this article we're going to review a musical that has had more revivals and renditions than any musical in history.

For those who were not around in the 1960s it is really hard to know which came first, the chicken or the egg. Or, in the case of the musical The Producers, which version came first.

The original version of The Producers was actually a movie from back in the 60s that starred Zero Mostel as Max Bialystock and Gene Wilder as Leo Bloom. It wasn't until the movie was turned into a Broadway musical play by creator Mel Brooks years later that its popularity really soared. To confuse things even more, the play was turned back into a movie just recently, with the latest version looking more like the play than the original movie. As a matter of fact, the movie starred the two people most identified with the popular play, Nathan Lane as Bialystock and Matthew Broderick as Bloom. This cast has been said to have performed the definitive version of thi s critically acclaimed play.

For those not familiar with the story, it is a simple one. Bialystock tries to think of a way to make a lot of money on Broadway. He figures out, with the help of Bloom, that the best way would be to create a play that was so bad that it would close after one performance. Then they could take all the money that backers gave to them for a long run and make their way to Rio with it. Well, things didn't quite work out the way they planned. The horrible play, Springtime For Hitler became an instant smash and the two crooks were eventually sent to jail for their diabolical plan.

Mel Brooks is no less than a genius, not only because he wrote such a clever and insane plot but because he knew to get two of the most talented people in the business, Lane and Broderick, to play the lead roles.

Musically, the show is full of memorable pieces. None, however, became more popular than the timeless Springtime For Hitler. Most pieces of mu sic are great because of the music. This was one song that was a lyrical masterpiece. Done totally tongue in cheek, this song shows off Brooks' genius like nothing he has ever done before or has done since. Just to see this done live on stage is worth the price of admission.

The rest of the music is simply meant to fill out the story, and this is done well. The Producers may be one of the few Musicals in history that was really greater than the sum of its parts. The music itself was okay outside of Springtime. The actors were okay outside of Lane and Broderick. And the story was, in all honesty, kind of ridiculous. But everything put together as a whole created something that is just beyond description and has to be seen. It's too bad Land and Broderick are no longer on Broadway but if you can see the movie remake, do so. It's something you won't soon forget.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Music
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Author:: Michael Russell
Keywords:: Musicals,The Producers
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Italy Lesson: Venice

Two weeks ago, I went to Italy to visit family and see the country. I was a military brat, so I've been there plenty of times before, but nevertheless, it was a magnificent and learning experience, both artistically and as a guerrilla marketer. So for the next few weeks, I'm gonna take you on a brief tour of Italy, and show you what I learned from my trips. I'll take you from Venice to Florence, Pisa and Rome, plus few places thrown in. The travel industry is an outstanding resource for learning about marketing, so let's get started.

Italy Lesson: Venice

Of all the cities in Italy, Venice is my favorite. There's some sort of deep connection between me and Venice. Perhaps it is the old, rustic look to the city? Perhaps it is the enchanting waterways? The exquisite food? Or the beautiful and friendly people? Or maybe it's just a town that truly has a sense of itself. IT is one of Italy's greatest former city-states, and it currently is one of the most-visited vac ation spots in the world. Yes, to many it is just a tourist town that sometimes smells bad in the summer, but the people there know marketing. They know how to get tourists into their shop, or drop a tip.

Let's take, for example, Rondo' Veneziano. This band has gained a small degree of fame in Italy, particulary in Venice. I suspect part of the notoriety is due to their name which alludes to Venice, and also their musical style. They play Classical music to upbeat electronic drums. After years of listening to copies of their tape, I was surprised to find that there was a five-piece band behind the music. Five women playing their violins with such incredible timing and skill you'd think there was a DJ.

Well, I was thrilled to find they would be playing Venice that night we arrived. And I found out in a fairly unusual manner. Among the hordes of street merchants, a man dressed in Victorian garb approached us and spoke in Italian, then English to tell us about this band. He was selling tickets...in the streets. Sure you find Hawkers doing this all the time, here, but it struck me as interesting... Even more so when we came across the second and third groups of Hawkers. It was a coordinated effort.

You see, what this lesson is about is getting people to your shows. It takes work, but think about it for a minute. What if they next time you had a gig, you went down there a week in advance, handed out flyers, sold tickets, gave out discount coupons that many clubs are so fond of? What if you had a mailing list with you telling them you could send them more info? Could you bring in twenty, thirty, fifty extra people to see you play, even though they've never heard of you before? Maybe. What if you add a theme to it? Dress to impress your selected audience. Or a theme that would inspire people of all ages. Think you could bring out a helluva lot of load of people out to see you. Do you think the club owner would consider booking you ag ain? On a better night? Opening for one of the top local acts or maybe even a national act?

I'll tell you what. If you show that you're willing to put in that much effort, then hell yes! They'll book you. If you can pack a place, particularly on a bad night, then you are an asset to the club that they don't want to lose. They'll book you and treat you right. Plus, you will entertain countless people and gain some new fans, sell some CDs, and get people talking about you.

It just takes a little effort to learn from the Venice Lesson and that of Rondo' Veneziano. Organize your friends and bandmates, ask them, convince them, even bribe them if you have to (just weigh the costs), to help you hand out tickets and get some notice. Your musical career will proceed only as fast you are willing to work.

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000's of Musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians' Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE how-to music marketing assistance.

No time to visit the site? Subscribe to the BardsCrier.com distributed weekly for Free. Just email subscribe@bardscrier.com

Author:: Marc Gunn
Keywords:: Tips,Musicians,Improve,music Tips,Tips Musicians,promote music,marketing music,list building
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How To Fix A Guitar

The following four adjustments can be made to all kinds of guitars to fix them. These adjustments will fix all guitars and make them playable. The adjustments are the amount of relief in the neck using an adjustable truss rod, the string height at the saddle, the string height at the nut and the intonation.

These adjustments should be made at least once on every guitar. Most manufacturers do not take time to properly do these adjustments. A manufacturer only does these adjustments for the average player, but not for the individual player.

How do you adjust the amount of the neck bow? It is supposed to be simple. Every adjustable truss rod shares the same principles of operation. Every truss rod has a threaded nut tightened on a threaded metal rod. The tension in the rod changes the curvature of the neck in which the the rod is embedded. To adjust the rod, you need to tighten or loosen the nut on the rod. When tighten the nut, the tension increases the tension in the rod as well the amount which the rod counteracts the pull of the strings. This should reduce the bow in the neck.

As far as adjusting the saddle height, you can do this either before or after adjusting the string height at the nut. You should stArt by measuring the distance from the top of the twelfth fret to the bottom of the sixth string. You should do this when the guitar's strings are at full strength. You should measure laying a 6-inch ruler, on edge, adjacent to and parallel to the string.

The ruler is supported at one end of the twelfth fret and along its length by adjacent frets, eleven, ten, nine, etc. You can use other methods to measure from the top of the twelfth to the bottom of the string.

Another thing that you might have to fix is the string height. You can stArt by using elementary geometry. You will find that the change in the string height at the twelfth fret needs to be about twice the of change at the saddle. If a string height at the twelfth fret is 4/32 and the desired measurement is 3/32, the change in height will have to be lowered by 1/32 at the twelfth fret is about 2/32.

After taking measurements, you should calculate the amount that each string needs to be lowered at the saddle. You should make adjustments the saddle must project at least 1/16 from the top of the bridge. This should make sure that the strings exert a sufficient downward force on the saddle to stop the strings from vibrating side-to-side on the top surface of the saddle. If you cannot maintain this 1/16 projection, it will be necessary to reset or shave the bridge. This should be done by a profe ssional repairer or a skilled amateur. The last adjustment that you should make is to the string height at the nut.

The required tools are a short straight edge (ruler), a standard set of feeler gages, a set of calibrated nut files, an X-acto saw and a tear-drop needle file. You should stArt by measuring the height of the first fret. You measure the first fret by placing a straight edge on the top of the first two frets so it straddles on the first and second frets. The slide feeler gages should be place between the fingerboard and the straight edge until the gages fill in the space between the fingerboard and the straight edge. When it doesn't fit the required measurement for a string height at the nut, you should adjust it.

Gen Mason is a guitar player from Florida. Discover free how to improve you r guitar skills at Jamorama

Author:: Gen Mason
Keywords:: how to fix a guitar
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Download Music Online: How to Legally Get Your Tunes

Recently the ability to download music online has reached fervor pitch in the media and with consumers. With recent controversy over whether or not music downloads are legal, it's important to understand what you are and are not allowed to do.

Music downloads can be a great way to build your audio library. With technology such as the IPod, as well as cell phones that store and play mp3s, the demand for legal ways to download music have grown in leaps and bounds.

The legal download of unlimited music for use on your computer, Ipod, or related technology can be fast, easy and fun. There are a wide range of affordable options available for today's online music customer. Here are just a few popular choices:

ITunes (apple.com/itunes): Powered by Apple, ITunes 6 bills itself as The best digital jukebox and #1 music download store according to the front page of its website. Designed to work in conjunction with the Ipod, ITunes offers a variety of choices to suit all consumer needs.

Kazaa (kazaa.com): Kazaa is a free peer to peer music downloading service. Kazaa claims to have virus protection installed, but caution should be taken when downloading from file sharing and distribution services such as this one. Risks aside, Kazaa is a leader in the free music downloads world.

Limewire (limewire.com): Another program that is very similar to Kazaa is Limewire. Touted as the fastest P2P file sharing program on the planet, Limewire offers consumers with proxy support, sleek easy-to-use interfacing, an integrated chat feature and much more.

Yahoo! Music (music.yahoo.com): Yahoo! Music offers an unlimited subscription service that allows you to save and play unlimited songs. For only 79 cents each, you can burn songs to cds. Yahoo! Music is an economical, safe choice from a leader in the industry.

Rhapsody (rhapsody.com): This music site offers legal access to millions of songs. Featuring a free two-week trial, Rhapsody costs only $9.99 a month after that. Offering additional features such as advertisement free radio and cool music sharing options, Rhapsody is an affordable option for music downloads.

Napster (napster.com): The original music sharing service that was the center of widespread controversy, Napster has retooled their service so you can download music legally and easily. Napster offers some good free services but in the long run, you will need to pay a small subscription fee to take advantage of all Napster has to offer.

The sites listed above are just a few of the choices available to consumers in the world of music downloads. Before downloading music, always read all the policies and information on the site you are using and make sure you're clear that what you are doing is safe and legal.

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John Lester is CEO and owner of the acclaimed Internet consumer watchd og
site www.worldwidereviews.com.

Join the thousands who visit our site everyday to download music
without ever paying a download fee.
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Author:: John Lester
Keywords:: download music, music downloads, download mp3s, download music online
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How To Play Piano Using Chord Symbols

Chord symbols (for example, Fm7, Cmaj7 or G6) are a type of notation used frequently in Jazz and other areas of modern music to notate chord progressions and changes. This type of notation differs from that of classical music in that chord symbols don't show the function of a chord the way the Roman numeral notation does. Chord symbols, for modern music with lots of changes, are much easier to read. They function as a sort of shorthand for change-heavy music and are written with four chord parts in mind: the root, the quality, the extension, and the alterations.

The first part in chord symbols, the root, tells the musician which note is the root of the chord. In an E6 chord, for instance, the E serves as the root. Chord symbols also allow for inverted Chords, or Chords with a root other than the bass no te. These chord symbols express that by showing the bass note with a diagonal slash under the original symbol.

Quality, the second part in chord symbols, denotes whether the chord is major, minor, diminished, or augmented. In a Cmaj7, the maj tells us that the C chord is major. The abbreviations for this area in chord symbols are maj, min, dim, and aug, respectively.

The extension in chord symbols, written after the quality, shows the musician if the chord differs from a triad (a third chord), such as an eleventh or seventh. This part of chord symbols is not always shown; if there is no indication of an extension, the musician is to assume that the chord is a triad.

The last part in chord symbols, the alteration, is usually but not always expressed. Think of this part as the notes section in chord symbols; it gives the musician any specific (and sometimes irregular) instructions for playing the chord and is always written in parentheses after the extension (or the quality, if no extension exists). For instance, (no fifth) would tell the musician that the chord is to be played with the fifth tone left out. Sus short for suspension, would mean to play the 4th scale note instead of the 3rd. A minus sign would mean to lower (flat) a chord tone, such as C-9 which would mean to flat the 9th of the chord. Conversely, a plus sign would mean to raise (sharp) a particular chord tone.

Reading music using chord symbols allows a person to use written music as a map, rather than a note-for-note approach. By just reading the melody note and the chord symbols, musicians can improvise to their hearts content and create their own sounds on the keyboard.

The best of all worlds, however, is to be able to read music as it is written in a sheet music score, but also be able to read the chord symbols. Then the musician is free to choose which is best the written part, or an improvised part. The sky is the limit for musicians who can do both.

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music courses for adults including How To Add Runs & Fills To Your Piano Playing He is also the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions with over 60,400 current subscribers

Author:: Duane Shinn
Keywords:: piano playing, Chords, chord symbols, sheet music, Jazz, how to play piano
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Karaoke Music Is A Great Way To Have Some Fun!

These days it isn't very difficult to find a karaoke bar. They've definitely grown in popularity in the past few years. Karaoke Music is a great way to have some fun!

Karaoke is a form of a Japanese word and means empty orchestra, which is rather appropriate don't you think? Karaoke has been around for more than 20 years now. It all stArted back in 1984 in Japan and it spread like wildfire around the globe.

Karaoke works by taking the music of a singer and the stripping out the vocals leaving just the music. Then the lyrics are displayed on a screen and a person sings the words using a microphone.

Karaoke has become popular in bars, restaurants, and in the home. It's a great source of Entertainment for anyone who loves music and likes to sing.

In the early days karaoke music was delivered by cassette but the times they are a changing and technology now means new means of delivery which include VCD's, CD's, DVD's and KTV boxes. It's never been easier to set up your own personal karaoke station to entertain your friends.

It's popularity continues to grow in North America and you know that we aren't about to settle for anything other than the best so stereo equipment combined with lighting effects and a real fun atmosphere became the norm in bars and restaurants that offered karaoke events.

And the music choices are endless. Hip hop, dance, rock and roll, pop, jazz, soul, and even hymns are all available. So no matter what type of music you love here's your chance to give it a try.

If you've never been to a karaoke pArty you don't know what your missing. Fun with a capital F! Some people are naturals, they grab the mike and the songs just naturally role out. Others have great voices and no practice, others think they can sing but ah hum. And then there are the timid who wouldn't perform to save their soul. A couple of drinks and suddenly they are boldly singing where no man has gone before. It's great!

Karaoke is catching on from the very young to the very old. And for the shy and timid who want to be a star behind closed doors, well it's never been easier. There are also those who want to improve their singing skills. Young kids love to sing their heArts out. Friends love to get to gether and have some fun.

You need to choose the right karaoke machines to fit your needs and your budget. There are many websites that provide equipment from the very simplest to the most expensive.

A basic karaoke machine has audio input and output. Higher end machines have electronic pitch control to help the singer and music match keys. You can also purchase software that will transform your computer into a karaoke box.

There are also many sights that offer karaoke music to download complete with lyrics. Some of these sites have some great forums too so be sure to check it out!

The next time someone asks you if you want to give karaoke music a try don't run away. Don't worry about being the laughing stock of the evening. Remember everyone's the same - no pros here. What a great way to relax after a busy day at work. And heck who knows you might be the next Elvis or Dolly PArton.

Nan worked in a karaoke bar for 9 years before stArting his own audio electronics store. His store specializes in karaoke machines and accessories and a much larger variety of items than almost all large depArtment stores. At http://www.karaokeadvisor.com , he shares his experience with you by listing out the top karaoke essentials with buying advice on various products.

Author:: Nan Edemann
Keywords:: Karaoke Music
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