Can Black Africans Lay Claim to Jazz Music?
Jazz is deeply rooted in African music styles. Does that imply, however, that Africans are the original jazz owners?
Jazz music combines profound African rhythm, melody, and unorthodox European orchestration. But at what point do I, as an African in Africa, can say, "My forefathers invented jazz?" Not Black Americans as we call it today, but Africans of Sub-Saharan Africa who were true to their music stylistic elements against all odds.
My personal Jazz experience
In my early teens, I discovered jazz and was immediately taken to its music. Let’s say I haven’t looked back since. I’ve written a few jazz tunes and other jazz-related things.
When I first heard jazz, I could sense the influence of African music on the bars. From the call-and-response between Miles Davis' two-note motifs and the bassline in "So What" to the complex rhythmic movements in John Coltrane’s "Giant Steps," Africanisms can be found in one of the most prominent musical sources of today’s American music scene.
A little note on Jazz origin
Jazz originated with work songs sung by African slaves who worked day and night for their European masters. Although the work songs are spontaneous and frequently performed in a call-and-response format, they can be classified as blues.
Jazz is derived from the spirituals, blues, ragtime, European harmony, and profound African musical influences. It is a music genre born from the bondage and struggle of West African slaves transported across the Atlantic.
Although born through bondage and anguish, Jazz is not "bondage." The African slaves appropriated their master’s musical elements. They combined these with their own musical style (improvisations, call-and-response, intricate African rhythms) to create a culture from which almost all American music today comes.
Jazz true definition
Jazz defies easy categorization. Some consider it entirely improvised, while others regard it as too intricate music. Many musicians have attempted to present distinct interpretations of jazz.
Joachim-Ernst Berendt, the German music journalist and producer, argues that Jazz should be defined in a broader scope. He defined jazz as a “form of art music which originated in the United States through the confrontation of the Negro with European music,” and he also argues that Jazz differs from European music in that jazz has a “special relationship to time defined as ‘swing.’”
Miles Davis said, “Jazz is the big brother of Revolution. Revolution follows it around.”
After years of fine-tuning the culture, jazz gave rise to several genres, including rock and roll, jump blues, traditional pop, reggae, rhythm and blues, ska, funk, hip hop, house, neo-soul, and lounge.
Over time, these derivative forms have evolved into the powerhouse of the American music scene, producing billions of dollars per year.
The role of the sub-Saharan African in shaping American music world
But, as a Nigerian, can I say, "My ancestors gave America a music culture?" Or will I be put to death for arguing that "without the West Africans, the American music scene would have been so bland and boring" and "America would have been stuck with the orthodoxical and methodological style of Western classical music?"
In my opinion, Africans, specifically the sub-Saharan inhabitants of West Africa, must be acknowledged in the origins and development of the American music business as it exists today.
Because the African fathers who were taken as slaves never forgot their music in its entirety and went on to create spirituals, blues, and jazz, which gave birth to Rock, Rock 'n' Roll, Hip-hop, neo-soul, R&B, and other genres, I believe I can confidently say that my ancestors directly shaped the American music scene. America would not have been known for its vast musical quality and dominance without them.
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