is jazz the only genre that is truly american, please read on before answering?

Question

because jazz came from ragtime which is a genre formed by african americans during the civil war times, same as the blues it was made from jazz by the same people who originally sang jazz so technically that would be american too, correct?

and ummm no it was jazz it was sung in saloons and other places of entertainment right after the civil war then as slower songs were added to the shows the became known as blues songs we jsut studied this in black history so yeah

Answer 1

I never thought about it until now. I would have to agree with you. As Americans, our history of music comes from all over the planet. I truly believe that the sound of Jazz and Blues were perfected in the south. It has evolved even more through the times.
Whether others agree or not, that is some of the best music you will ever hear!!!!

Answer 2

Jazz has been called America's classical music, and for good reason. Along with the blues, its forefather, it is one of the first truly indigenous musics to develop in America, yet its unpredictable, risky ventures into improvisation gave it critical cache with scholars that the blues lacked. At the outset, jazz was dance music, performed by swinging big bands. Soon, the dance elements faded into the background and improvisation became the key element of the music. As the genre evolved, the music split into a number of different styles, from the speedy, hard-hitting rhythms of be-bop and the laid-back, mellow harmonies of cool jazz to the jittery, atonal forays of free jazz and the earthy grooves of soul jazz. What tied it all together was a foundation in the blues, a reliance on group interplay and unpredictable improvisation. Throughout the years, and in all the different styles, those are the qualities that defined jazz.
Allmusic.com

Note that it says blues was jazz's forefather.

Blues is about tradition and personal expression. At its core, the blues has remained the same since its inception. Most blues feature simple, usually three-chord, progressions and have simple structures that are open to endless improvisations, both lyrical and musical. The blues grew out of African spirituals and worksongs. In the late 1800s, southern African-Americans passed the songs down orally, and they collided with American folk and country from the Appalachians. New hybrids appeared by each region, but all of the recorded blues from the early 1900s are distinguished by simple, rural acoustic guitars and pianos. After World War II, the blues began to fragment, with some musicians holding on to acoustic traditions and others taking it to jazzier territory. However, most bluesmen followed Muddy Waters' lead and played the blues on electric instruments. From that point on, the blues continued to develop in new directions — particularly on electric instruments — or it has been preserved as an acoustic tradition.
Allmusic.com

Answer 3

well, there's ragtime, which is similar territory.
There's country (you know that didn't come from Australia)

black face and minstrel shows, those were theatre acts that were racist depictions of black life in slavery to mid-30's and on from that, but because of the subject matter, it was uniquely American. And the truth is, like it or not, it has affected a lot of American art, and theatre and music around the world, and Hollywood. (There is one famous movie that pretty much started Hollywood, and it was in black and white but I can't remember the name. It has the same background as the minstrel shows and everything, and is highly controversial.)

rock... rock and roll... that started in the United States. Not Britain, not China, but the United States. By Black people. Initial Rock shared a lot of traits of a bluesy sound between white and black artists and audiences alike, but toward the 60's and especially the 70's, they began to split (back) apart.

all your Louisiana music, R & R, which is related to blues, blue grass which is a cross between blues and country, this music is American.

Rap is American.

So let me tell you, we have music. If you sit down and think about it, you could probably add to this list. I know of some more genres right now that could be added. Sit down and think about it.

Answer 4

blue grass and folk music are also considered truly american forms of music. although folk music is strongly rooted in european minstrel songs. blue grass was started in border states and appalaichan states. it's still very prominent today.
jazz is a truly american invented musical genre. it's influenced by blues which comes from slave spirituals which comes from african spirituals. jazz also uses blues notes which were an effort to recreate the sound of african instruments on american/europena instruments.

Answer 5

blues came from the spirituals, field chants etc. of the negroes in the fields while picking cotton and whatnot during the times of slavery....jazz came afterwards, mainly from new orleans...jazz was also reffered to as ragtime....there's all kinda info on the net on it....and yes the sources are reliable....in my opinion there is no modern music that originated in america....on the premise that all music, aside from bluegrass which has celtic roots, originated from the blues which originated from the spirituals brought over from africa by slaves. blues>jazz>country>rock> blues>jazz>pop>disco>hip hop
and i could go on forever....listen to early examples of the music....you can actually here the similarities and differences...and you can hear that most of it is loosley blues based....each one has something new added to it of course....

Answer 6

Before Jazz was BLUES!

Answer 7

How about Blue Grass??

Answer 8

what about rock n roll? doo wap? hip hop? really I don't know but I thought those were all american inventions. African American, really.

Answer 9

I believe rap is truly American as well.