In the early 20th century New Orleans
served as a cosmopolitan trading center of North America. Staged at
the Mississippi River drainage basin, New Orleans exchanged goods
with South America, New York, and Europe, which in turn cultivated the exchange
of culture with African, French, American, Mexican, Mixed,
Choctaw and Natchez Indians, Greeks, Serbs, and other peoples (Gioia, 22).
This fiscally induced cultural diversity catalyzed increased social
integration and cultural tolerance in New Orleans, which allowed multiple
cultures to simultaneously thrive, blend, and influence New
Orleans culture. The overwhelming cultural heterogeneity led to a
blurring of cultures, goods, ideas, and musical genres. Gioia notes, “This
blurring of musical genres was, as we shall see, central to the creation of
Jazz music."(p.104)
Although New Orleans was very culturally diverse,
the vastness of the Trans-Atlantic West African slave
trade led to a West African cultural majority. During the slave trade
these “unwilling immigrants” (Gioia, p. 26) clung on to the most resilient
elements of their culture, the aliveness of West
African music and folktale. This aliveness was innately incorporated
into their agricultural work through improvisational instrumental craftsmanship
and work songs (Stewart, 01/08). Gioia speaks on rhythm being
incorporated in African day-to-day life, "Here we perhaps come to
realize the hidden truth in the double meaning of the word instrument,
which signifies both a mechanism for altering the natural world and a device
for creating sound.” (p. 36) The West Africans' need to alter
the natural world did not end with the abolishment of
slavery however. According to Jones the Africans underwent a
“psychological realignment, an attempt to reassess the worth of the black man
within the society as a whole” (p. 96). Blacks found their place in New
Orleans society by embodying their cultural
aliveness through music. This aliveness, as demonstrated by the
dances of Congo Square and New Orleans second line traditions, formed the
foundation of jazz in New Orleans.
In New Orleans the presence of the Latin-Catholic culture, which was
sympathetic to discrimination, and Spanish law, which had lenient slave
laws, eased tensions between social classes and encouraged increased
cultural expression. Gioia mentions, “indeed, it is hard to imagine
the dances of Congo Square taking place in the more Anglicized colonies of the
Americas.”(p.23). In 1884 the classically trained Mexican national
military band was sent to New Orleans to play at the World’s Industrial and
Cotton Centennial Expedition. When the expedition closed many of the band
members stayed in New Orleans for various reasons (Johnson, p. 229).
Black musicians did not face discrimination when finding classical
training with Mexican instrumentalists. Mexican musicians were welcomed
into an alive and welcoming culture
in New Orleans and black musicians acquired classical training. Symbiotic
relationships like this among borderlands across the country led to great
depth, creativity, and improvisation within jazz music. Johnson
writes, “Eddie Durham remembers that his father created his fiddle from a
cigar box, using a willow branch and hair from a horse’s tail as the bow. He
amplified his instrument with rattlesnake rattles, making the fiddle itself
like two pieces, which gave it a percussive sound”(p.229) to illustrate the
immeasurable creativity and improvisational skills imprinted on children
raised in borderlands. The immigration of Mexican musicians to New Orleans
allowed many more black musicians to become classically trained, which
appealed to the European (white) ear and allowed blacks to find their place in
society as musicians. The classical training and social recognition emboldened
by the Mexican instrumentalists “left unquestionable imprints upon jazz and
blues in New Orleans” (Johnson, 229).
New Orleans jazz was distinct in that it maintained immeasurable cultural influence. African culture at least provided aliveness and rhythmic intricacies and Mexican culture at least contributed classical training and woodwind instruments (Johnson, 229); but to say that is the extent of cultural influence exhibited on jazz by New Orleans would be a severe understatement. Jazz emerged in New Orleans due to an unprecedented accumulation of cultural diversity, embodiment, and acceptance.
commented on Leah Bleich's blog
New Orleans jazz was distinct in that it maintained immeasurable cultural influence. African culture at least provided aliveness and rhythmic intricacies and Mexican culture at least contributed classical training and woodwind instruments (Johnson, 229); but to say that is the extent of cultural influence exhibited on jazz by New Orleans would be a severe understatement. Jazz emerged in New Orleans due to an unprecedented accumulation of cultural diversity, embodiment, and acceptance.
commented on Leah Bleich's blog
