For decades the music industry’s exclusionary practices and racist attitudes created barriers that few could cross whatever their capabilities or talents. Music is an art form, but it is also a business. The sheer scale of his talent appealed to audiences, black and white, bringing him unprecedented popularity and success. Ray Charles challenged expectations of how black artists should sound and the kinds of music they should perform. In an industry where musical categories have long been marketed by race, crossing over from one genre to another had both an artistic and a social impact. Ray Charles defied labels and categories, asserting his musical artistry and creativity to establish a singular musical voice. Ray is credited with inventing the genre by introducing gospel stylings into rhythm and blues, as he did in the 1954 classic “I Got a Woman.” His recordings “Drown in My Own Tears,” “Let the Good Times Roll,” “Georgia on My Mind,” and the country classics “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and “You Don’t Know Me” demonstrate Ray at his genre-blending finest.Īnd of course, there was soul. His musical heritage included a rich template of styles that were rooted in an eclectic mix of spirituals, gospel, blues, country, Tin Pan Alley, classical and jazz. Still, to Charles, music was simply music and genre boundaries were just invisible lines to be crossed and blurred. All were integral to his music-making process. The expressive and emotional dimension of the music grew from rhythmic contrasts and percussion, the body in motion, and the use of tonal patterns, speech, chant and song. I believe in mixed musical marriages, and there’s no way to copyrightĪ feeling or a rhythm or a style of singing.Īs a musician, Ray Charles embodied the cultural traditions and performance practices of African American music-emphasizing sights, sounds and movement. Struggling with poverty, discrimination, blindness, industry pressures and his own personal demons, Ray Charles-with his own sense of agency and his dignity intact-showed the world how individual freedom and recognition of one’s humanity could transform lives. To many, Brother Ray-a name he sometimes used when speaking of himself in the third person and which became the title of his 1978 autobiography-was a source of inspiration and a symbolic figure. Whether a political or cultural meaning was intended or not, through the music and its messenger, African Americans saw Charles through the lens of a collective struggle against racism and discrimination. Against the backdrop of a rising black consciousness in the 1950s and early 1960s, he defined himself not only through his individuality and artistic sensibilities, but also with social and political statements that spoke to the larger community. Throughout his life and career, Charles shaped his own identity as a man and as an artist and revolutionized popular music. Musical roots buried in the darkest soil. My music had roots, which I'd dug up from my own childhood, He defined a genre, a historical moment, even an era. And as a musician, Ray Charles came along at a time when a divided America needed him most. In this instance as in many others, the music of Ray Charles was a bridge. It is a spiritual moment that captures our collective heart and soul. His stirring rendition of “America the Beautiful,” is a performance for the ages. Sitting at his piano bench, swaying side to side with his right foot keeping the beat, Ray Charles plays and sings to the congregation. Ray Charles embodied the cultural traditions and performance practices of African American music-emphasizing sights, sounds and movement
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |