‘I know why the caged bird sings’ – Maya Angelou
It is time to listen closely, it is time to hear the depths of the music you consume. Providing more than the vibes or the beat. Music acts as a cultural language that explains the black experience, something that was not stolen, so look no further to find the truth of black history than the music. Made up by multiple genres from Hip Hop to Jazz and Blues back to the contemporary sounds of R&B, Neo-soul and even traces of Rock n Roll. In all these forms, the message of the is the same. Whether it’s lack of cohesion, police brutality or classism, black music seeks to free those who listen and is a beautiful place to escape to.
The metaphor Maya Angelou quotes for her autobiographical title ‘ I know why the caged bird still sings’ is poignant in understanding what music means for the black community. The caged bird yearns to experience the wind in its wings like the free bird, the caged bird wishes to live according to its nature. Instead of ‘caged bird’ insert ‘black people’ yearn for freedom, wish to live as a human, in hope that others recognise that humanity. The only way the caged bird exercises its freedom is through singing, reminding the outside that it is still a bird with a far reaching voice. In multiple ways black people have had their wings clipped, dehumanised and starved from the opportunities like the caged bird, both the justice and education system have intentionally caged us. The same way the caged bird couldn’t fly is the same way George Floyd couldn’t breathe . Black music transforms the ongoing history of a dehumanised people and humanises them, turning pain into joy. This sound of humanity has reached the entire world. One thing to remember is that black music is not a monolith it’s a combination of thousands of sounds linked by a shared history and aim.
Look no further to understand black people than the music, it is where our history lays. Musicality was already ingrained in the culture before slavery, in spite of the attempt to destroy the African identity and ancestral practices, the music lived on in all its entirety. Free to evolve and caged by nothing. It is freedom manifested.
No consolation prize for the dehumanized
For America to rise it’s a matter of Black Lives
And we gonna free them, so we can free us
America’s moment to come to Jesus
Common
The mass media in relation to black music and black truths:
It is important to highlight the portrayal of black music in the mass media, this media historically caters to a white audience sometimes censoring or only promoting black music that is palatable. In essence the revolutionary cries of black artists are policed in the mass media for fear of destabilising racism. Take Hip hop for example , during the 90s many rappers and producers used Hip hop to heal and awaken the black community by stating stark social truths to the masses, this aspect heavily contributed to the Golden age of Hip Hop. The music had a message and the acronym of hip hop is defining in understanding the agenda of this genre ‘Higher Infinite Power – Healing our people’. However, once the mass media caught onto the truths expressed in the music, meaningful Hip Hop lost its shining place in the public eye. We see how this genre has been watered down in the mainstream with rappers mainly focusing on violence, sex and money in their lyrics. Although true Hip Hop still lives, it is very much underground or has fight to be heard on mainstream platforms. Either way it’s necessary to watch our consumption of mass media as the truth is not published when it comes to black voices, despite this black voices can still be heard loud and clear underground or out in the open.
Hip Hop allows the listener to reflect, digest and process the painful truths of society and it’s empowering.
Consumusic
But as much as black music seeks to educate like in Hip Hop, it is there to transform that pain into joy. On Consumusic’s instagram I asked the polls about the way music helps people in their day to day and the recurring answer was that music is a form of escapism, something that takes your mind off the struggle of the day. So much of black music speaks to black joy, genres like jazz, funk and afrobeats are few of the many that create that feel good vibe. We can examine the life of Ella Fitzgerald a classical jazz singer known as the ‘Queen of Jazz’, watching her documentary it occured to me that like many, music was her escape. Something to love and be loved by, it was her cure. She impacted so many despite a tough upbringing in Harlem during evident racial times.
It isn’t where you came from; it’s where you came from
Ella Fitzgerald
What does this quote mean? If change is the future, then change starts with an empowered people ready to rise limitlessly above white supremacy. Ella was a past testament to change as she characterized the jazz and scat industry for decades to come. There is hope to make change against racism not just for black people but for the whole of society.
Here’s a few tunes keeping me sane in a time like this. Black Lives Matter!
Celebrate the music, celebrate the joy, remember the history – therein lies grief but also hope for change.
For More resources:
Listen: ODE TO BLK TRUTHS – for realness, reflection and knowledge
Listen: ENJOY THE ESCAPE – for feel good vibes
Listen: That UK sound – Features Jungle music history showing Caribbean influence in the UK
Donate: BLACK LIVES MATTER
Read: BLACK REVOLUTIONARY TEXTS
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