Research paper of African-American Music Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Of African-American Music - Research Paper Example The Harlem had significant influences over music and dance and introduced the genres of blues, jazz, hip – hop and rap music in America. Two of the types of music are blues and rap which are totally opposite to each other. They have different features and characteristics but are originated from the same race of people; the African Americans. Both the blues and the rap are important types of African American music. The blues was introduced in the hard times of slavery of the Africans in the 19th century, and therefore has a variety of musical expressions and individual styles. This form of music was originated by the spirituals, work songs and rhyming narratives. The blues form is present everywhere in jazz, rock and roll which is characterized through the possession of chords. The blues musical notes are usually for the purpose of throwing expressions and thus they are played on a flattened pitch which is important for the sound. The other characteristics of the blues music genre are the lyrics, bass lines and the instruments. The form can be subdivided in genres like country blues to the urban blues. These became more and more popular in the 20th century when these forms of music became popular in the American culture. Out of all these, Delta, Chicago Blues and jump are the most sung forms. The term blues often refers to sadness or depression. And so it can be analyzed that the form of music represented the period of sadness of the African Americans during the time of slavery and oppression. The lyrics of blues music are most popular for reflecting sorrow and loneliness, although, they do sometimes represent humorous reactions to the common troubles of life (Hamilton, 12). Ever since the blues music has been formed, the singers were known to use expressive lyrics to make some loose narrations. The singer often used a low voice where he tended to convey his

Relationships between individuals were profoundly altered by the Term Paper

Relationships between individuals were profoundly altered by the experience of terror and genocide. Using Lydia Chukovskaya's - Term Paper Example Inhumane living conditions made people doubt about the future of humanity. For instance, those who managed to survive in Auschwitz admitted that people there were not humans. They were creatures who longed to survive. Some may say that distorted relationships between individuals in concentration camps should be regarded as the most horrible example of taking humanness away from humans. However, the relationships between individuals during the Great Purge in Soviet Union are the case of unprecedented eradication of basic human traits: compassion, empathy and readiness to help. Altered interpersonal relationships in Auschwitz This statement can be easily proved when comparing the two cases. In the first place, it is possible to consider the peculiarities of relationships between individuals who had to live through the horrors of concentration camps. Notably, many inmates understood that the majority of people would die in the camps and â€Å"[o]nly a minority of ingenuous and deluded souls continued to hope† (Levi 14). At the same time one of the basic biological rules can hardly be evaded. Therefore, though people in Auschwitz knew that prisoners were dying there, everyone tried to survive. From the very first seconds inmates witnessed things that could not be understood or accepted by moral or at least reasonable people. Wretched prisoners were beaten, humiliated, tortured and eventually killed. Starving and frightened to death people saw terrible scenes which could make anyone crazy, so their ideas about the world or rather perception of the world were distorted. The new world, nightmare-like reality which absorbed millions of innocent people deadened the best feeling and best human traits. Young, strong, intelligent people were turned into â€Å"squalid human specimens† who lost their strength to resist (Levi 92). Of course, many inmates tried to help each other when no one was watching as the helper could become one more victim. However, there were prisoners who could easily set up their comrades for a scrap of bread or for being left alone (without tortures). Primo Levi who survived in one of those horrible camps claimed that it was impossible to call those who lived their humans (Levi 10). Interpersonal relationships in Soviet Union during the Great Purge This was the life in prison. Prisoners had to survive and sometimes did â€Å"indecent† things. On the other hand, Soviet people who lived in late 1930s were free people (at least the leaders of the country proclaimed principles of freedom in their speeches). Nonetheless, they were not safe and they lived in constant fear. There was quite enough food and people had their homes. However, every minute something horrible could happen. For instance, Lydia Chukovskaya depicted a story of a woman (herself) who lost her son because of some uncertain accusations. The young man was a Komsomol activist, who admired the Party, but someone testified against him and he simpl y vanished. All Soviet people knew of the vanishing and were afraid to do something wrong. As far as wrongful acts are concerned it could be anything: a wrong (too bold) word, relationships with suspicious people, or even a misprint. For example, a skilled and professional typist, Natasha, was fired because she typed Ret Army, instead of Red Army (Chukovskaya 63). The meeting, where the case of Natasha was discussed, is really illustrative and it can justify that