The Harlem Renaissance was an African American cultural movement that began in Harlem, New York after World War I and ended during the late 1930s. The Harlem Renaissance marked the first time that mainstream publishers and critics took African American literature seriously and that African American literature and arts attracted significant attention from the nation at large. It was a blossoming of African American culture, particularly in the creative arts, and the most influential movement in African American literary history. Embracing literary, musical, theatrical, and visual arts, participants sought to re-conceptualize “the Negro” apart from the white stereotypes that had influenced black peoples’ relationship to both their heritage and to each other. Never dominated by a particular school of thought but rather characterized by intense debate, the movement laid the groundwork for all later African American music and had an enormous impact on subsequent black music and literature worldwide. While the renaissance was not confined to the Harlem district of New York City, Harlem attracted a remarkable concentration of intellect and talent and served as the symbolic capital of this cultural awakening. The Harlem Renaissance marked the first time that mainstream publishers and critics, primarily White Americans, took African American creative arts seriously and that it attracted significant attention from the nation at large.
“His relaxed phrasing was a major change from the staccato style of the early 20’s and helped to set the stage for the Swing Era” (“Life & Legacy”). And as such a prominent artist, and in particular, jazz artist, Armstrong did not only change the perception of jazz and swing, but the views on African Americans and their culture. Armstrong and the Harlem Renaissance reflected black history and culture, and it became popular, even in white communities and clubs. Jazz as a whole genre helped further society’s views through the universal language of music, where any ethnicity could partake in it. And the revolution of jazz was lead by the stylings of Louis Armstrong. The duration of the jazz and swing era, lasting decades past the 1920s, symbolized the civil rights movement directly through the lyrics, sounds, and artists
The Harlem Renaissance was a time of racism, injustice, and importance. Somewhere in between the 1920s and 1930s an African American movement occurred in Harlem, New York City. The Harlem Renaissance exalted the unique culture of African-Americans and redefined African-American expression. It was the result of Blacks migrating in the North, mostly Chicago and New York. There were many significant figures, both male and female, that had taken part in the Harlem Renaissance. Ida B. Wells and Langston Hughes exemplify the like and work of this movement.
The Harlem Renaissance is the name given to a period at the end of World War I through the mid-30s, in which a group of talented African-Americans managed to produce outstanding work through a cultural, social, and artistic explosion. Also known as the New Negro Movement. It is one of the greatest periods of cultural and intellectual development of a population historically repressed. The Harlem Renaissance was the rebirth of art in the African-American community mostly centering in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s. Jazz, literature, and painting emphasized significantly between the artistic creations of the main components of this impressive movement. It was in this time of great
Harlem Renaissance was not only about politics but was also a way through which the artists expressed their views. These artists included: Marian Anderson, James Welden Johnson, Romare Bearden, jazz artists such as Louis Armstrong and writers such as Nora Zeale Hurston. On the other hand, it offered an opportunity where the black actors performed among the white audience. Harlem Renaissance came to an end at a time when the Great Depression had started. This was because the Afric...
One of the very monumental jazz artists during the jazz age was Louis Armstrong. Armstrong was a trumpet player, bandleader, soloists and singer. Louis was born on August fourth 1901 in a bad neighborhood of New Orleans called “The Battlefield”. His parents were not the best . Armstrong's father was a factory worker but left when he was young. His mother was around but she often turned to prostitution in order to help support him; therefore his grandmother was his primary guardian. Armstrong's first job was given to him by a Jewish family by the last name of Karnofskys working delivering coal and collecting junk The Karnofskys often fed him meals and always encouraged him to sing. Armstrong was a bit rough around the edges and he had an incident on new year’s eve in 1912 he fired h...
The Harlem Renaissance refers to a prolific period of unique works of African-American expression from about the end of World War I to the beginning of the Great Depression. Although it is most commonly associated with the literary works produced during those years, the Harlem Renaissance was much more than a literary movement; similarly, it was not simply a reaction against and criticism of racism. The Harlem Renaissance inspired, cultivated, and, most importantly, legitimated the very idea of an African-American cultural consciousness. Concerned with a wide range of issues and possessing different interpretations and solutions of these issues affecting the Black population, the writers, artists, performers and musicians of the Harlem Renaissance had one important commonality: "they dealt with Black life from a Black perspective." This included the use of Black folklore in fiction, the use of African-inspired iconography in visual arts, and the introduction of jazz to the North.[i] In order to fully understand the lasting legacies of the Harlem Renaissance, it is important to examine the key events that led to its beginnings as well as the diversity of influences that flourished during its time.
The first true virtuoso soloist of jazz was Louis Armstrong. He was a dazzling improviser, technically, emotionally, and intellectually. He changed the format of jazz by bringing the soloist to the forefront, and in his recording groups, the "Hot Five" and the "Hot Seven" (Porter 2), demonstrated that jazz improvisation could go far beyond simply ornamenting the melody. He became the first well known male jazz singer, and also set standards for all later jazz singers, by creating scat singing: singing meaningless syllables instead of words, not unlike instrumental improvisation.
The Harlem Renaissance was the name given to the cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem, New York in the 1920s. The renaissance was more than just a literary movement, it involved racial pride. This was a time for cultural explosion, after African Americans had dealt with years of slavery and the fight or abolition. The encounters with music art and literature of the Harlem Renaissance impacted American society by bringing light to artists, such as writers, musicians and painters that challenged the white society’s ideas about African Americans.
By this time, he had switched from cornet to trumpet, and The Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings of 1925-28 were how he emerged as the first great jazz solo artist and also by that time, the New Orleans ensemble style was not able to contain the creativity that he gave off such as his brilliant technique, his sophisticated and audacious sense of harmony, his always expressive attack, timbre, and inflections, his gift to create vital melodies, its dramatic, often complex sense of individual design, and his enormous energy and musical genius made these recordings great innovations in jazz (“Louis Armstrong”). His fame began rising and by 1929, he was playing with Carrol Dickerson’s Orchestra while also leading his own band in the same place, Hot Chocolates, with the name of Louis Armstrong and his Stompers (Louis ‘Satchmo’). Here, he sang “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” which became his first popular hit song and his trumpet playing hit a peak around 1933 which after that his music became less complicated giving it a mature feel compared to his playing in previous years and actually re-recorded some of his songs and ended up with great results (“Louis
The 20th century was a big time period for America. It was especially big for the African-American community. Of this 100-year period, the 1920s was one of the biggest decades for African-Americans, as it was the decade where the Harlem Renaissance took place. Through the Harlem Renaissance, Black artists honed their talents in areas such as music, literature, visual arts, and dance. One of the greatest artists of “the Roaring 1920s” was Louis Armstrong, who was originally a musician from New Orleans, where jazz first began. Not only did Black people migrate from down south, musical styles such as jazz did as well, and Armstrong ultimately helped it become a nationwide trend.
...e once sealed with his music. Armstrong amplitude the reality of world through his trumpet and his singing. Armstrong considered the movement as an individual expression, many showing it by art, literature, and writing. But he considered the best way of getting peoples attention, which was the popular art at that time, jazz.
Musicians during the Harlem Renaissance created a style and movement that simply took Americans by storm. Musicians such as Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong have inspired others all over the country. The Renaissance itself was not only an observation of life for African Americans, but it also showed Americans that they have a place in society. All of the musicians, writers, and artists shared a common purpose. This purpose was to create art that reflected the Afro American community. Through this era, African Americans provided themselves with their cultural roots and a promise for a better future. Music in this era was the beginning. It was the beginning of new life for musicians and African Americans.
Louis has being the most prominent trumpet player in history. His trumpet playing techniques significantly impacted all other instrument players who came after him and emulated his techniques in all other instruments. His style and innovative perspective of jazz changed all the forthcoming jazz singers who had a lot to learn from him, including Bix who learnt a lot from Louis Armstrong. Two of his most famous hit sounds were “What a Wonderful World” as well as “Hello Dolly” among others. The emotions attached to his music is what attracted most people and led to the spread of his music. The charm present in the music was also adored and enjoyed by
Louis Armstrong, or “Satchmo”, was among the most influential American jazz artists, and was titled by many the “Master of Modernism”. This jazz trumpeter from New Orleans, Louisiana was known for high quality music, as well as the complexity of the social environments in which his music was performed. His experiences reveal much about how African-American music functioned and evolved during the first half of the twentieth century. As a result of his profound stage performances and the complexity of the social context, Armstrong became the ultimate representative of African-American musical history. Although he was widely popular among black critics, the twentieth century American society was reluctant to express any form of gratification to performers who crossed over the racial divide. The lure of African-American jazz and its dangerous potential to seduce white was perceived as a threat to the purity of the white race. Unlike plantation songs that flourished with the presentation of “soft racism” and romanticized the argument for African-American inferiority, Armstrong performed his songs and roles with a depiction of explicit barbarism. The factor that made him such powerful presence was that he foregrounded black authenticity in such a compelling way, using savage depictions to represent the intensity of African legacy within his modern art. Primitivism was the key ingredient in white reception of his music, and his popularity among both white and black populations was accredited to his authentic black expression.