Harlem Renaissance

& Music
A product of cultural synthesis and
artistic expressions

ENGLISH 6 HONORS
PRESENTERS: SOUMIK, ELYSE, THERESA, KAREN, TERESA, JASON ,& ANA
 Harlem Renaissance
• Occurred in early 1920s, known as the New Negro Movement. 
• Was influential to African­Americans and blacks all over the world.
• Some of the greatest writers known for Harlem Renaissance are 
– Jean Toomer
– Zora Neale Hurston
– Alain Locke
– Langston Hughes
– Claude McKay
• The movement contained ideas of modernism through literature, art, 
and music. 
• Some common themes found during this period are slavery, blacks 
identity, racism, and urban life.
• It gave to the rise of Civil Rights Movement in 1960s  

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 Blues—A secular music
• Blues was created by African Americans to express anger, humor, 
and challenges they faced in their lives.
• It was extremely popular during the Harlem Renaissance because 
of is exceptional performers
• Some of the greatest collaborators are:
– Ma Rainey (Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett Rainey)
– Clara Smith
– Bessie Smith
– Mamie Smith
• Found its way through the literature and motivated the black 
intelligentsia.
• The tone of blues is melancholic,  and mournful but can also be 
humorous and spiritual 

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 Blues—A secular music
• Some of the themes of blues are: seductions, affections, marital 
infidelity, misery and conflict between lovers.
• They mainly revealed the injustices blacks faced in America and 
often had resolutions towards them
• Blues was incorporated in films such as St. Louis Blues in 1929 and 
in the novel Vanity Fair in 1925. 
• Alain Locke discussed the heavy popularity blues gained, in the 
New Negro, known as black folk­music.
• Some of the popular records are:
– Memphis Blues
– Downhearted Blues
– Harlem Blues
– Fine and Mellow

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 Jazz—A creation of the
minority
• Invented by Jolly Roll Morton around 1902, when he was 12 years 
old.
• Jazz contained polyphonic rhythms, combined with blues, and some 
European tunes. Jazz was primarily created in cities of South, West, 
and Midwest, especially in New Orleans, Chicago, and San 
Francisco.
• Jazz impacted on the writings of Alain Locke’s The New Negro. It 
recognized the power of jazz as a cultural force.
• Jazz included music from different cultures, and thus attracted 
diverse population in America.
• It was inspirational in public ceremonies, such as weddings, 
funerals, and birthday parties, and other events. 

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 Jazz—A creation of the
minority
• Some famous jazz musicians:
– Louis Armstrong
– Chuck Magione
– Freddie Hubbard
– Charlie Parker  

• Types of Jazz:
– Bebop Jazz
– Cool Jazz
– Fusion Jazz
– Rock Jazz
– Hard Jazz

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 Jazz—A creation of the
minority
LOUIS ARMSTRONG CHUCK MAGIONE

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 Jazz—A creation of the
minority
FREDDIE HUBBARD CHARLIE PARKER

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Jazz—A creation of the
minority

COOL JAZZ
“So What”
Miles Davis

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Jazz—A creation of the
minority

FUSION JAZZ
“The Bitches Brew”
Miles Davis

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 Josephine Baker
JOSEPHINE AND HER 12 ADOPTED KIDS---THE "RAINBOW
JOSEPHINE BAKER AS A BABY
TRIBE"

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Josephine Baker

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Josephine Baker

Bye Bye Blackbird

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Louis Armstrong

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Louis Armstrong

Heebie Jeebie

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 Louis Armstrong

HAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

see trees of green, red roses tooI see them bloom for me and youAnd
I think to myself what a wonderful world.

see skies of blue and clouds of whiteThe bright blessed day, the dark
sacred nightAnd I think to myself what a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky. Are also on the faces
of people going byI see friends shaking hands saying how do you do.
They're really saying I love you.

hear babies cry, I watch them growThey'll learn much more than I'll
never knowAnd I think to myself what a wonderful worldYes I think to
myself what a wonderful world.
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Louis Armstrong

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Billy Holiday

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Billy Holiday

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Billy Holiday

Summertime

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Billy Holiday

All Of Me

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