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The first thing you need to understand is that there are many aspects to jazz. It’s quite difficult to put a definition on this musical genre. Many decades ago, it emerged as a popular form of music, drawing inspiration from ragtime and blues.
Then it had to go through years of improvisation and polishing for new forms to develop out of it. You’ll come across many interesting facts about jazz when you begin studying about it. Here, we’ve tried to include some of them:
1. The invention of jazz
Before jazz music became a thing in America, blues was popular in many places of the country, especially Louisiana. This genre used the trumpet sound generously. During the late 19th century, the more fast-paced dance tunes of the Black population gained popularity.
Musicians began mixing up both these sounds by using brass instruments. As a result, jazz as a musical genre emerged. The inventor of jazz is believed to be Charles ‘Buddy’ Bolden. He was an African-American band leader and was called by Donald Marquis as the ‘first man of jazz’.
2. Uniqueness of jazz
Jazz expressed the culture of the African-American community living in the United States. These expressions came out not only through words but also through the tunes. It was a genre that was born in the United States and created by the African-Americans. It was more of a medium to express their struggles as slaves. Jazz also gave them an outlet to express the hardships they had to face for gaining social status.
Through jazz, the Black population of America managed to retain their music as well as African roots. Despite being subject to racism, the Black population lived in the same society as White people. This was one of the unique things about this genre of music.
3. Inspiration behind jazz
There was a time when the White people painted their faces black and took to the stage in New Orleans. They then sang and danced to the new music that was gradually becoming popular. Soon, jazz became a mix of classical music and the folk songs from the African slave culture.
Today, this musical genre combines elements from other genres, such as rock, funk, and pop. They say that jazz wasn’t written initially, but passed on to generations of music lovers. They then used what was inherited by them for creating something new.
4. Places where jazz music is still popular
The United States of America is undoubtedly the country that has the maximum number of jazz listeners. There are some clubs where you can find the greatest number of jazz music fans. When someone listens to this genre of music, France is what comes to the mind. The people of France have always been influenced by jazz to a great extent. There was a Jazz Age in France in the early 20th century.
This influence still exists in the country. France has the best jazz clubs in Europe. Another place where jazz is extremely popular is South Africa. Of course, it doesn’t have the same number of fans as in France or America. Nevertheless, the capital city of Cape Town is famous for hosting the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. It is one of the most renowned jazz festivals in the world.
