Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun dated Popular
African-American music such asjazz andblues .
Etymologies
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Examples
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skipvia commented on the word race music
The name used throughout the South to describe music (soul, beebop, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, etc.) produced by African-American musicians. When I was growing up, I used to listen to "race radio"--those stations that played race music from Stax, Motown, Chess, and others. There were also "race theaters"--small venues that booked African-American acts. (I was usually the only white face in those theaters, but I got to see some incredible performances.)
February 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word race music
I've heard it described as "black music," which is probably worse, but this term is new to me.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word race music
It was used mostly derogatorily. My parents were livid when they found out I was listening to race radio. (They would have been more upset if they had ever found out I was in Durham watching James Brown and Percy Sledge...)
February 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word race music
Races are a funny thing. Supposedly we all came from one race and evolved into the races we know today based on climate and so forth as we migrated around the world... and now we're homogenizing again. The same for "race music" -- as cultures intermingle, stylistic elements fuse together; most of the music I listen to is a combination of eastern European melody, African rhythm, American lyrics, and Asian energy. Of course, I have eclectic tastes. But I suspect that fusion will become more common and popular in the future. In the 21st century, no art or culture or race is isolated from any other.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word race music
Deep, uselessness. We don't usually think of race and, say, hair color in the same way, but essentially having blonde hair is no different than being ethnically Chinese--they're both just results of genetic adaptations. We're still all the same species...
February 16, 2008
minerva commented on the word race music
See also race film, which was a genre from the silent era to the 1940s. I remember seeing a documentary about these movies on AMC or Turner Classic Movies.
February 16, 2008
reesetee commented on the word race music
Let's hope you're right, uselessness. Sounds like a great world to live in. :-)
February 17, 2008