Black Freedom Sounds: From the Blues to Hip Hop. (3-0) 3 Credit Hours

Catalog description

This course offers a survey of African American music-making, exploring how different forms of Black music have served to “testify” Black experiences and humanity while envisioning alternative Black futures. Beginning with West and Central African musical traditions as the foundation, the course traces the evolution of African American music from work songs and spirituals to the Blues, Jazz, 1960s Freedom songs, R&B, and Funk, up to contemporary Hip Hop. The course will also examine the intersectional complexities within these musical histories and explore how Black musical practices in the U.S. have been shaped through dialogue with other African-descendant communities, both locally and globally. Course Fee: LRH1 $20.54; STSH $30.81.