Comparing Whitney Houston And Gloria Estefan

912 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact Of Music In The Society

The United States and Latin American countries are through separate languages, cultures, and borders, however, music is a source that creates a bond by merging two countries together in order to allow the two countries to become inseparable. Whitney Houston and Gloria Estefan are two artists that cater to mass audiences in each country, and each artist reached pinnacle success in the late 1980s by releasing two major, top-charting hits: I Wanna Dance With Somebody and Betcha Say That. These two hits redefined music by promoting diversity, influence, and power within their individual nations. Whitney Houston and Gloria Estefan, though they are completely different artists, share striking similarities when comparing their top hits from 1987, …show more content…

Whitney Houston’s career truly took off in the mid-1980s after releasing her second album, Whitney, which includes her smash hit I Wanna Dance With Somebody. I Wanna Dance With Somebody is such an upbeat tune that includes a heavily edited and enhanced pop melodic line, synthesizers, and the notorious percussion and keyboard tease that begins the tune. Whitney Houston definitely brings this to life through her outstanding vocals that fully showcases her range, elastic vibrato, and precise musical abilities. Houston is most known for her voice that, in my opinion, is still considered extremely iconic and powerful. Houston’s chart-topping single also showcased the type of music that the United States enjoyed and cherished in the late 1980s. This song brings to the surface the anticipation, joy, and free-spirit that the 1980s culture presented to its people, and this hit ties in the importance of music, love, and dancing that stem from the core of Whitney’s pop-hit lyrics. The style of music portrayed in the 1980s consisted of many drum machines, synth-based styles of music, and electronic programming that twisted and manipulated the music into its reputable popular techno/rock characteristics. These characteristics are also seen in Gloria Estefan’s hit, Betcha Say That. Betcha Say That and I Wanna Dance With Somebody explicitly shows how popular energetic anthems were to the musical audience being catered back

Show More
Related

  • Blackboard Jungle

    847 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ey choose to represent themselves. S ikivu Hutchinson writes that 20 Feet From Stardom is an example of how “women of color back-up singers are still treated like expendable objects, eye candy and soulful exotics while fighting tooth and nail for recognition and a shot at center stage.” None of the women in 20 Feet had exceptional solo careers because within the historical context they would never be respected as solo artist unless they asserted themselves in a sexual way that would be on the same level of Elvis. This would be harder for an African-American woman because they are already sexualized as back-up singers. There would be then a need for overt sexualization as displayed by Tina Turner. Although Tina Turner is an extraordinary performer her success is banked on that overt sexualization where’s the women of 20 Feet hoped to rely on their vocal talents.

    Read More

  • Janet Jackson's Career Analysis

    574 Words  | 2 Pages

    It’s no question that Janet Jackson is one of the most iconic and influential artist of all time. She has sold over 100 million albums; her tours have had some the highest selling debuts of all time, not to mention the chart topping hits she has created over the past 30 years. Janet’s presence alone is iconic. She has left an unforgettable impression on the music industry as a whole. Her music has affected fans and music lovers all around the world. Her influence is simply not a question it is a salutation to a musical icon that has embedded her legacy into musical history.

    Read More

  • How Did Queen Latifah Influence Hip Hop Culture

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hip hop impacted Queen Latifah when she made history when she won a Grammy for her groundbreaking hit, “U.N.I.T.Y.,” in 1995. The song spoke out against domestic violence and the objectification of Black female sexuality. “U.N.I.T.Y.” began a conversation in the African American community over violence and assault against women. It also established that Black women rappers had a powerful voice in a field dominated by men. During the last decade hip hop has been partially absorbed into mainstream pop music, leading to the inclusion of hip hop elements (such as rapping, break beats, scratching and sampling) within more 'mainstream' pop, and aiding the success of female artists.

    Read More

  • Comparison Between Elvis And Elvis

    1030 Words  | 3 Pages

    Upon further analysis of both videos, I agree with Riley’s observation. The Beatles were more influenced by Buddy Holly rather than Elvis, based on a comparison of the Beatles overall product (i.e. song, video, and dance motions) and the videos presented of each in the prompt. The two singers differ in appearance, physicality, musicality, source of music, and in how each served as inspiration to the Beatles.

    Read More

  • Civil Rights, Equality and the Music of Nina Simone

    2383 Words  | 5 Pages

    Nina Simone used music to challenge, provoke, incite, and inform the masses during the period that we know as the Civil Rights Era. In the songs” Four Women”, “Young Gifted and Black”, and Mississippi God Damn”, Nina Simone musically maps a personal "intersectionality" as it relates to being a black American female artist. Kimberly Crenshaw defines "intersectionality" as an inability for black women to separate race, class and gender. Nina Simone’s music directly addresses this paradigm. While she is celebrated as a prolific artist her political and social activism is understated despite her front- line presence in the movement. According to Ruth Feldstein “Nina Simone recast black activism in the 1960’s.” Feldstein goes on to say that “Simone was known to have supported the struggle for black freedom in the United States much earlier, and in a more outspoken manner around the world than had many other African American entertainers.”

    Read More

  • Aretha Franklin's Success At A Young Age

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aretha Franklin is a well known pop, R&B, and gospel singer. She has been nicknamed “The Queen of Soul” and is an internationally known artist and a symbol of pride in the African American community. Her popularity soared in 1967 when she released an album containing songs “I Never Loved a Man”, “Respect”, and “Baby I Love You.” Throughout her career she has achieved fifteen Grammy Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Legend Awards, and many Grammy Hall of Fame Awards. In 1987 she became the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Time magazine chose her as one of the most influential artists and entertainers of the 20th century. She sang at Dr. Martin Luther King’s funeral and at former President Bill Clinton’s inaugural party. Although she has all these accomplishments and awards there are other reasons that have driven Franklin to fame and landed her on the front cover of Time magazine on June 28, 1968. The reasons I believe allowed Aretha Franklin to become so successful are the following: Her family’s involvement with religion, the inspiring people that surrounded her, and the pain she suffered.

    Read More

  • That Motown Sound

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    Motown paved the way for future artists to explore themselves. It helped created the grounds of a great music and cultural integration in the 1970’s to now and hopefully forever. Hip Hop’s arrival was credit to Motown triumphs in the musical world. Through the mixing of percussion and the rhythm of the drumbeats of funk and disco, hip hop revealed the opposition to social inequality and discrimination

    Read More

  • History Of Salsa

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    The history and development of salsa “cannot be separated from the history of migration”, meaning that the music developed and changed as it traveled the globe (Román-Velasquez: 211). Due to its global influences and popularity, salsa represents many cultures: “Initially associated with the Spanish Caribbean populations of Cuba and Puerto Rico, salsa was soon claimed as the voice of the New York City barrio and as representative of the experiences of the Latino community in the United States” (Román-Velasquez: 211). The term salsa describes more than just the music, but also “ a 'manner of making music' which is a flexible blend of many genres and which is continually reblended and given slightly different 'flavours' in different locations” (Román-Velasquez: 211). As salsa globalized, so did salsa dancing, adding another performance factor to the genre. Salsa clubs and fans in

    Read More

  • Essay On Women In Popular Music

    479 Words  | 1 Pages

    Women in popular music have created a tremendous history in the wake of feminism. They have made their presence visible by identifying themselves as feminists. Being a woman was hard during that stage. Women were not allowed to do many things due to gender inequality such as the right to vote and to own a property. Therefore, from that moment onwards, women decided to stand up and make some changes. During the early stage of feminism, women developed their skills in popular music to create awareness. They associate popular music with feminism. Although there were racial issues between the black and white during that time, both sides continued to establish in different ways, through different genres of music. Black women focused on ‘black genres’ such as blues, jazz, and gospel, whereas white women performed in musical theatres. Female artists such as Lilian Hardin, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Nina Simone were among the notable exceptions of female instrumentalists during feminism. In this essay, I will assess feminism focusing on the second-wave.

    Read More

  • Biography of Whitney Houston

    1363 Words  | 3 Pages

    Whitney Houston is considered as one of the greatest singers of our generation. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, she holds the record of being the most rewarded female artist of all time. I chose her as my topic, because she represents resiliency and tenacity, despite her troubled experiences with drugs and her personal life. Whitney Houston comes from a family with an amazing, musical pedigree; her mother, Cissy Houston, was a successful back-up singer for Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley. Dionne Warwick is her first cousin and Aretha Franklin is her godmother. In 1983, Houston was signed to Arista Records and music executive, Clive Davis, became her mentor and helped launch her successful career. Whitney Houston was known as the innocent, girl-next-door, who promoted positivity and love within her professional career. Houston's good-girl image was shattered, when she married R&B bad boy, Bobby Brown in 1992. Towards the late 90's, it was rumored that she was using drugs and she looked very thin. In 2006, Houston divorced Bobby Brown and entered into rehab, to end her addiction to cocaine and other drugs. The world was happy to see her healthy and singing again; everyone thought she had made a full recovery and was ready for her to appear back into the spotlight. Tragically, on February 11, 2012, Whitney Houston was found dead in her Beverly Hills hotel, she was 48 years old. Her mother, Cissy Houston, has written a book about her daughter's life, entitled: Remembering Whitney, which depicts the rise and fall of the tragic singer's life.

    Read More

  • Miami Sound Machine-Cong A Diverse Latin American Popular Music

    2074 Words  | 5 Pages

    1. A diverse Latin American tradition has reasserted itself many times throughout the history of American popular music. Select two songs to research, profile and comment on that embody this Latin American sound. Gloria Estefan, Miami Sound Machine - Conga is the first hit single released by the American band Miami Sound Machine led by Gloria Estefan on their second English-language album. The single was first released in 1985.

    Read More

  • A culture of my own

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    Growing up, there was never a day that I did not wake up to the sound of loud salsa music blaring. Or to the loud voices of my mother or grandmother talking. To anyone else this “talking” would surely be mistaken for an argument or fight. Cuba is where salsa music and the conga drum originated, so we tend to be very proud of this. One of the greatest salsa singer/writers was the late Celia Cruz.

    Read More

  • Rhythm and Blues- R&B

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rhythm and blues, also known as R&B, is something that I really enjoy. I am a singer and along with country music, R&B is my favorite thing to sing. With rhythm and blues, there is a song for every emotion, so most of the time the songs can be very relatable. The songs have a variety of subjects like sex, work, and even drinking. In this paper I will briefly discuss how rhythm and blues started, how it evolved into today’s music and why I like it so much.

    Read More

  • Research Paper On Mariah Carey

    1612 Words  | 4 Pages

    On the 11th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Mariah Carey was given the chance to induct Gladys Knight and the Pips who were a soul and R&B family group into this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She gave a heartwarming speech on how Ms. Knight was a huge impact. Some words she said were, “ thank you so much for being a constant influence on me.” Mariah Carey was also inspired by different genres of music like Jazz, Gospel, R&B, Soul, Pop, Dance, soft rock, hip hop, and country. To add on, Mariah Carey was blessed with the opportunity to perform with the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin. They performed on live television singing Aretha Franklin’s hit song, “Chain of Fools.” Aretha and her met at the Grammy’s and became good friends. Mariah Carey is often referred to as our generation Aretha Franklin and is often compared to Whitney Houston and Celine

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Hip-Hop

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    Overtime, Hip-Hop artists began to diversify their sounds and rhythms by different influences regarding ethnic backgrounds or creating certain moods for their audiences. Based on the article, “ The Significance of the Relationship Between AFRO-AMERICAN MUSIC AND WEST AFRICAN MUSIC,” the author, Olly Wilson elucidates how African slaves used drumming as a way to call out to one another, for camp singing, and for negro spirituals as well (Wilson, 1974). During the Antebellum Period, African slaves would create beats from drums in which Hip-Hop today uses drums to project beats but at much different paces than in the past. Throughout its history, this genre of music has focused on beats instead of the melody, which is a commonality among African tribal music and today’s contemporary Hip-Hop. Depending on the timeframe and area the beat comes from, shows the impact of how those rhythms will sound. For instance, old school beats have different sound patterns than modern beats. Geographically, countries hear and spread music to each other and different ethnicities pick up their unique beats and rhythmic sounds; creating interrelationships of mixed musical cultures and specializations. In the article, “B-Beats Bombarding Bronx: Mobile DJ Starts Something 41with Oldie R&B Disk” by the author, Robert Ford expresses how the Hip-Hop pioneer, DJ Kool herc rose to fame by introducing assorted rhythm breaks (Ford, 2004). Also, as generations passed, Hip-Hop took a turn away from jazz and snappy blues to contemporary rap and R&B which is considered as “ghetto” or “gangsta music.” White critics have this false misconception of Hip-Hop and rap music and believe that they depict the harsh realities of ghetto life, poverty, and vulgarity. When in reality, it is a big phenomenon and apart of African culture because it conveys how they try to rise above the disorders of pauperism and the

    Read More

More about Comparing Whitney Houston And Gloria Estefan

Open Document