Author Archive: amd719

Selena Quintanilla -Perez

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SELENA
‘Queen of Tejano Music’

Related image Selena Quintanilla – Perez was born April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, Texas. She was considered the ‘Queen of Tejano music’, she was also sometimes referred to as the ‘Mexican Madonna’ for her sexy outfits and dance moves. She began performing as a child with her family band around the age of 10. The family band featured her brother, Abraham, on bass guitar and her sister Suzette on the drums. Her father, Abraham, managed the family band after giving up his musical career. The family band took the name ‘Los Dinos’ after the father’s former band he was a member of. She grew up speaking English, but her father taught her how to sing in Spanish so she could connect with the Latino community. She learned the lyrics phonetically at first and eventually had to learn how to speak Spanish.

Selena and the ‘Los Dinos’ got their break with Tejano music in 1987, at the age of 15, she won the Tejano Music Award for Female Entertainer of that year. In 1989 she signed with EMI Latin where she realized her self-tittle debut album that same year. She had to break through some long-standing traditional barriers within the world of Latin music. She faced a lot of obstacles that a lot of women face in the recording industry; she was a woman in a very male-dominated industry. Particularly in the type of sound, she was doing, Tejano, it was a very male genre that no one could understand seeing a woman in. She was modernizing Tejano and making it more accessible to a younger audience.

Image result for selena and husband

In 1992 she loped with the guitarist, Chris Perez, and got married behind her fathers back. Her new husband was soon welcomed into the family, despite her father initial wishes. As a family worked behind the signs to help to build Selena’s success. On March 31, 1995, Selena was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldivar, her friend and former manager of her fan club and boutique.

Awards/ Accomplishments

  • 1987- Selena won the Tejano Music Award for Best Female Vocalist running through 1987 to 1996. Winning 34 Tejano Music Awards
  • 1985- she became a spokesperson for Coca-Cola
  • Received 8 awards at Lo Nuestro Awards during her career
  • 1990- her album was the first Tejano record to receive gold record states (sold over 500,000 copies)
  • 1993- her album ‘live’ won the Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album
  • 1994- Amor Prohibido was released and went gold

By July 1995, ‘Dreaming Of You’ became the fastest selling album by a female artist in pop history. Selling 400,000 copies in its first week-175,000 copies on its first day.

Her unexpected death shock the world and the music industry. Everything about her and what she did was carried on and remembered. It was turned around to be a memory in which you could celebrate. Selena has knocked down barriers and opening the door for female singers. She became a role model for many young women.

Selena influenced many individuals and artist to this day. Through her music, she was able to bring together the Latino community and make Latino music popular in America. Throughout the years she never let her flame change her. She continued to be this wonderful down to earth, kind spirit girl. Her voice, her spirit, and charisma influenced and inspired so many people like the artist today. Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato are a few iconic Latino singers that were influenced by her.Image result for selena the movie

In 1997 a film was produced recreating Selena’s life, played by Jennifer Lopez. Since the film her career took off reaching unimaginable heights in the music and movie industry

She opened the gates for woman in Latino music, but continued in inspire all woman across the board.

 

Selena – La Carcacha

La Carcacha is wonderful song by Selena that demonstrates her vocal capability and wonderful latino sound of Tejano. Her music carries a wonderful melody and sound that captivates the audience. The sound of accordion is instrument dominant, but her vocals strength the songs. Her songs, like this one, have country music evident as it focuses on stories, which tells of love, and break heart. Much of her songs fill a person with such energy and emotion as she sings with the band in a perfect complimenting form. Selena’s capability of breaking into Tejano music and making top chart songs give evidence of why she should be in our textbooks. Her voice, and her songs made people recognize Tejano music, and made Latino music popular, allowing for more Latino artist to be inspired and become known today.

 

https://www.biography.com/people/selena-189149

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/latinmusicusa/legends/selena/

Shuffle Along

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‘Shuffle Along,’ a musical comedy composed by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle features an all-black cast. An all-black cast was a large achievement for black theatre at that time. However, African-Americans were not accepted nor allowed to perform on stage because “the stage held power,” but they wouldn’t be going up there to claim power. It started as a minstrel show practice where whites performed wearing burnt cork to darken them own selves, but later black performers were allowed to join the stage. For that though, they had also to paint their face with burnt cork to darken there own selves more. They hide behind this new mask; mocking themselves and giving up their self-identity. They wore these masks because of social stigma, also gave up their self-identity for their love to perform. They changed stage presences and were pulling audiences to performances.

‘Shuffle Along,’ did reinforce blackface by continuing to mock African-Americans. By masking themselves with burnt cork and preventing black performs/people to have their own identity, and not this portrayed imagine on stage. They challenged socials by having black performs, but they continued to push more by introducing “black sexuality.” Black sexuality was a huge taboo because they didn’t want black people to indulge in too much lovemaking. They saw black sexuality as dangerous. ‘Shuffle Along,’ didn’t stop there in challenging the 20th century. They challenged the typical rhythms in musical theatre by introducing ragtime. Ragtime is a mixture of European forms and African inspired syncopation. By introducing this, it meant they were introducing blackness, allowing the mask to slowly come off.

Over the years ‘Shuffle Along’ created many wonderful songs. Original a love song, “I’m just wild bout Harry,” written and composed by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle, remains to be an iconic song of theirs. Many people can say they have heard the song, and many like myself can say I’ve never heard it before.

Juba or patting Juba was African dancing/ plantation dancing that had certain familiar Celtic elements mixed into it. Juba performed by drumming your body, by slapping your chest, knees, and soles of their feet. By wearing hard sole shoes, it evolved into what is called tap. The second Juba was Juba, the first great American tap dancer. He was the young child who was known to be the best in the world. His real name is unknown and is only referred to as Juba. ‘Shuffle Along’ was nervous to bring him on because he was replacing Diamond, a white juba dancer that was performing in blackface. They thought because he was actually black, spectators wouldn’t accept it. Juba got the position with ‘Shuffle Along’ but had to paint his face with burnt cork, and wear the same black wig to look like Diamond. People loved Juba more than Diamond. He was the first black performer to perform before large crowds of whites in a context that transcended the informal.

Claims of the historical significance of ‘Shuffle Along’ became the first successful all-black Broadway musical. The original creators who put the show together didn’t last long. In less than two years of it being open on Broadway, they split up because they couldn’t agree on how the show’s profit should be split. Miller and Lyles (writers of the books) thought everything should be split down the middle; Sissle and Blake (songwriters) thought otherwise. Credit needed to go to call. Even without William and Walker, the production wouldn’t have been such a great success. It was the transition from ‘Bandanna Land,’ an all-white young crowd base, to ‘Shuffle Along,’ which opened it up to a black and white audience. This shift is what allowed ‘shuffle to advance as it did. People were buying tickets for all sorts of reasons. It was also thanks to the whole team for those whose careers began with the show or later productions, was enough to influence American theater and song. It was said by Landstong Hughes that ‘Shuffle Along’ was the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance because it introduced syncopation and jazz into the American musical.

‘Shuffle Along’ has made a huge impact on our Broadway today. The 2016 show has evolved from not doing ‘Shuffle Along,’ but rather telling the story of the making of ‘Shuffle Along.’ It shows a creative musical way of expressing how the production and creators came to be. The 2016 show expresses both sides, of the white and black perceptive during that time. The creative team brought back tap and jazz in a wonderful Broadway musical that brilliantly showed the story of the original ‘Shuffle Along.’

Upon reading this article, I was astonished by the information. I couldn’t believe that white people felt the need to paint their faces black, and then make African-Americans paint there own selves black to hide the blackness. They allowed mockery of there own selves on stage; because this was the only way they could be on stage. The challenges they faced were to be accepted and express themselves the way they wanted. Despite having to mask their identity and be made a joke, they were able to change the game by being a black performer on stage.

The textbook gives a rather unfair perspective in blackface in America because it speaks so vaguely about African-Americans during that time, and having to deal with it. It doesn’t go into detail of why they did it but only that promoters billed the minstrel show as an authentic portray of plantation life. Therefore, showed a very stereotyped view. It just goes to voice one reason about blackface and why it was a thing. The only context they have for why blackface was a thing for white and black performers was the inside perspective of William and other black performers; that they had to appear in blackface so that they looked the way, white people thought they should. It doesn’t talk explain the other difficulties African-Americans faced just to become a performer or what it was like performing with all the stigma surrounding them. It lists not an explanation of why blackface was so popular amongst the audience, and what it did for everyone. The textbook could have been fairer about its perspective on blackface in America.

resources

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/magazine/shuffle-along-and-the-painful-history-of-black-performance-in-america.html

Whitewashing Blackface Minstrelsy

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Whitewashing Blackface Minstrelsy in American College Textbooks, by Josphep Byrd reveals the dark side of history during blackface minstrelsy entertainment in America and analysis how the topic is described in main of our textbooks. The article discusses the lack of information that is provided in music history textbooks and challenges the ways that the history involving racism become distorted. This period of music and theatre was influencing society and culture, which draws the importance to know the whole depth of history. Byrd’s approach is necessary for challenging our system so that we are made aware of the racism that occurred and to prevent such racism from escalating again.

The article was quite eye-opening. It didn’t shy away at exposing the history that so many of our textbooks were choosing to leave out. The educational system fails at giving all the necessary information for a deeper understanding of history. It chooses to leave out valuable information that can help round an opinion, but this ignorance is what leads to more racism and a more hateful society. The misrepresented history of blackface minstrelsy and other points of history can’t continue to be hidden and forgotten. It is necessary to have a better understanding of our past for a better future.

The minstrel show main audience for blackface shows was lower-class males, which included the “lumpenproletariat.” The lumpenproletariats were low paid and unemployed first generation whites and Irish immigrants trying to survive during the time of an unskilled labour force, which included first-generation free blacks. This mix had eventually brought about the Draft Riots. This audience base allows us to see their primary target was the lower-class; not very well educated people. This crow base was able to be easily influenced by the rude, bias humor. This lower-class intended humor spread to other classes causing America to become subjected to racism.

In 1832, Thomas Dartmouth Rice claimed to observe African-American street performers. He copied the performer’s acts and brought it to stage. He created Jim Crow as his character that was his interpreting a caricature of a clumsy, dimwitted black slave. As a result of Rice, by the 1830’s ‘Jim Crow’ had become a pejorative expression. When the southern legislature passed laws of segregation directed against African-Americans at the end of the 19th century, these statutes became known as “Jim Crow laws.” These new laws meant a separation from whites and “people of colour” from public transportation, schools, and from businesses and facilities. “Jim Crow” was more than a series of rigid anti-black laws. African-Americans were regulated to the status of second-class citizens.

It is important to understand the reality of our history because we can’t be ignorant parts, and only acknowledge one side of history. In order to tackle racism, we need to have a better understanding of the past, and that includes knowing blackface minstrel entertainment and songs. Textbooks shouldn’t be leaving out information because it causes misconceptions. The distorted historical facts are misguiding students. The textbooks can’t skim over or shy away from showing the truth during that time because people need to be aware the racism that existed, that was influencing the evolution of music, and society. This material was avoided because it was raw and exposed the truth. However, information like this needs to be out there. This music shaped society and led to cultural appropriation. To better our futures we need to know the history and how everything has evolved from our past and helps to avoid anything like that to happen again.

 

resources

https://www-tandfonline-com.cyber.usask.ca/doi/pdf/10.1080/03007760802207882?needAccess=true