abstract |
The Harlem Renaissance is usually thought of as a literary movement. However,
it was much more than that, the Harlem Renaissance was a movement among the arts,
music, and literature. The intellectual elite of Harlem saw the Harlem renaissance as new
era for the African-American: one where African Americans could rise up from poverty
to the middle class, and, shake off the stereotype of the primitive savage. The "New
Negro Movement" was started by Alain Locke an W.E.B. Du Bois. Locke would lay the
foundation for the movement with his book The New Negro. Du Bois on the other hand,
would focus on educating African Americans about their African heritage. While integral
to the movement, jazz music would be overlooked by Locke and other leaders of the
movement. The New Negro only devotes a single entry to jazz in historian J.A. Roger’s
"Jazz At Home."
Musicians Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington and William Grant Still would
become an integral part of the "New Negro Movement." Duke Ellington would make
great strides as one of the most popular jazz musicians. William Grant Still would excel
as a musician and a composer. These two musicians would pave the way for many young
musicians.
As leaders of the "New Negro Movement," each musician had their own goals.
Duke Ellington blended the spirituals with jazz and blues to make them more popular.
Ellington was not one to sign petitions, instead he let his music do the talking. William
Grant Still aimed to destroy the notion that certain spaces were reserved only for white
musicians. He would perform symphonies at some of the most famous stages in America
like Carnegie Hall. Still broke barriers as the first African American to compose a
symphony. William Grant Still is often referred to as the Dean of African American
Composers because of his contributions to symphonic or concert music. Duke Ellington
on the other hand would become one of the most famous jazz musicians of all time. The
impact of their music on the "New Negro Movement," cannot be underestimated.
|