just some random semi-coherent thoughts about hiphop music, paradigms, aeonics, etc.
Although Kool Herc was born in Jamaican, and to an extent so was the DJ/sound-system culture - which can be said to be the birthplace of hip-hop, I think most of the musical roots of hip-hop lie in the US (or Africa depending how back you want to take it). I was wondering about New Orleans, since many people there speak french does it have anything to do with Haiti?
From what I understand, the rhythms of jazz begin in New Orleans after the US civil war. (correct me if i'm wrong) Marching band drums (the kick-snare-high hat combination plus toms and cymbals which has become the standard) reutilized/detourned by the former slaves (who always had some sort of music but from what I have heard early blues has no drums, or am i mistaken?), and from there you get to rhythm and blues, swing, be-bop, rocknroll and Funk.
What does Funk mean? What is funky? Is it a feeling? Difficult to define but linked to the body, dance, sex; "if you fake it your nose will grow", to me its essence its religious but immanent, not transcendental; a truer trance than so-called "trance". "Gospel" music and the inspiration/possession involved there influenced James Brown's singing (if it can be called singing and not screaming, grunting, rapping and so on).
In opposition to that you get the very square, unsyncopated machinelike Kraftwerk & Yellow Magic Orchestra sound, which Bambaataa was into more than the other founders it seems - the drum machine and the digital sounds were embraced, to an extent because they symbolise the future, cybernetics, outer space, science fiction and so on. The space stuff goes back to Sun Ra (who was a hermetic magician in the most rigidly defined sense of the word no doubt; the arkestra were his cult living in a big house together and weren't allowed to have sex), his abstractness and transcendentalism however probably didnt fit in well with the physical needs of people, who needed a return to earth! - From there comes p-funk and the cosmic mothership connection mixed with dirt, bridging Space and Earth (Space being the far-out solos and so on, the mental; Earth being dance, sex, sweat, the physical form). (Note the nation of islam officially believes that Elijah Muhammed is not dead but that he is on a spaceship). Funkadelic's philosophy has a deepness I still havent grasped fully. From them to Bambaataa, the difference is probably machines as instruments - Like a Dub engineer, the DJ/producer works the boundaries between himself and a machine, from the Technics 1200s to the 808s, then MPCs and SL1200s and finally computers; well the way I see things now, although there is nothing wrong with some digital elements I feel that the computer mentality has stolen the Soul and to a large extent producers sound too similar to each other, too square and mechanical like a digital marching band. (just my opinion yeah dont take it personal).
Gypsy Lantern,
You mentioned interesting things i didn't know about and will try and read up on...the difference in syncretism between haiti and jamaica makes sense, but are there any polytheist elements in Jamaican folk religions? What kind of religious elements were involved at Pinnacle?
Do you know much about hand-drumming and dancing and their religious functions in sub-saharan africa? I am looking for recordings but dont really know where to begin. Also the pre-reggae jamaican stuff you mentioned, kumina and count ossie.
-bruno |
