By: Gus Morris
(Short disclaimer: My topic isn’t really an issue, so for research I looked back at how music has kept cultural diversity alive and where the most popular and prominent cultural music originated)
Issue: Cultural Diversity through Music
Past: Practically all of music present in America today can be traced back to immigrants. Spanish and Portuguese settlers helped curate Latin music, which truly emerged in the US in the late 1800’s but truly gained national recognition and popularity in the mid 1900’s[i]. Middle Eastern music arrived in the late 1800’s at the Philadelphia Centennial (1876) and World Fair in Chicago (1896)[ii]. During the transatlantic slave trade, African slaves brought with them cultural music from all walks of African life. The merging of these cultures and traditions, formed with present American folk music, resulted in the founding of jazz and blues, among other styles.[iii]
Present:Today cultural music still has a very real foothold and influence in American music. The emergence of R&B in the 1980’s and 90’s, heavily impacted the rap music scene that is so popular today. In fact, 2013 was the first time in 55 years that a black musician did not have a billboard number 1 hit.[iv] Middle Eastern music is less well known and popular in America today, but its sounds and overall culture have influenced a number of musical genres[v]. Latin music still holds heavy influence and popularity in America today. Latin musicians like Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, and Pitbull still regularly find themselves on the Billboard Top 100. Latin music got so popular in fact, that in 1997 the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences created the Latin Grammys[vi].
Future:
The future looks bright for most cultural music in America but not if musicians are looking to get rich. With the boom in pirating and legal streaming sights, listens and plays of songs are growing, but sales are plunging[vii]. The drop in sales will not have a massive impact on the influence or growth of cultural music though. With minority populations on the rise (By 2050, the Hispanic population will grow to 128 million and the black population to 59 million[viii]) so is spending by multicultural groups. 2014 saw multicultural buying power grow to $3.4 trillion[ix]. After selling his Beats Company to Apple in 2014, Dr. Dre became the first billionaire in the hip-hop[x], laying the foundation for more success in that industry.
Footnotes:
[i] Edmondson, Jacqueline. “Latin Music in America.” Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars and Stories That Shaped Our Culture. N.p.: ABC-CLIO, 2013. 639-41. Print.
[ii] Edmondson, Jacqueline. “Middle Eastern Music in America.” Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars and Stories That Shaped Our Culture. N.p.: ABC-CLIO, 2013. 709. Print.
[iii] Edmondson, Jacqueline. “African American Influences on American Music.” Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars and Stories That Shaped Our Culture. N.p.: ABC-CLIO, 2013. 17. Print.
[iv] Molanphy, Chris. “Number of Black Acts That Have Topped the Billboard Hot 100 This Year: 0.” Slate.com. The Slate Group, 18 Dec. 2013. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.
[v] Edmondson, Jacqueline. “Middle Eastern Music in America: Influences on American Popular Music.” Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars and Stories That Shaped Our Culture. N.p.: ABC-CLIO, 2013. N. pag. Print.
[vi] Valdez-Rodriguez, Alisa. “One Little Word, Yet It Means So Much.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 12 Sept. 2000. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.
[vii] Luckerson, Victor. “Spotify and YouTube Are Just Killing Digital Music Sales | TIME.com.” Business.time.com. Time, 03 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 Oct. 2015. <http://business.time.com/2014/01/03/spotify-and-youtube-are-just-killing-digital-music-sales/>.
[viii] Passel, Jefferey S., and D’vera Cohn. “U.S. Population Projections: 2005-2050.” Pew Research Centers Hispanic Trends Project RSS. Pew Research Center, 11 Feb. 2008. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. <http://www.pewhispanic.org/2008/02/11/us-population-projections-2005-2050/#fn-85-1>.
[ix] “Newswire .” The Making of a Multicultural Super Consumer. Nielsen, 18 Mar. 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. <http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2015/the-making-of-a-multicultural-super-consumer-.html>.
[x] Newman, Jason. “Dr. Dre Calls Himself ‘First Billionaire in Hip-Hop’ After Beats Deal.” Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 09 May 2014. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. <http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/dr-dre-calls-himself-first-billionaire-in-hip-hop-after-beats-deal-20140509>.