18 - African American music of the twentieth century

Summary

Introduction

Recognition of the role of blacks in American arts and particularly in twentieth-century music, raises fundamental questions concerning their contribution to the formal, white, and largely Euro-American based traditions. The works of the violinist and composer Clarence Cameron White, the performances of the piano prodigy Blind Tom Bethune, and the compositions of William Grant Still are essentially within the western concert tradition, written or performed by African American musicians. To argue otherwise is to imply that their music merits separate consideration purely on the grounds of color. This raises issues of authenticity in black music traditions, and the recognition or disregard of them, including matters of racial identity related to music production and performance. In this chapter what are variously considered as the “folk,” “vernacular,” or “popular” traditions are discussed, being those created and performed by blacks for themselves and, initially, for their own communities.