Evolution of Music

Popular British radio and tv presenter Paul Gambaccini’s statements “…rock and jazz are dead…” Are the final sentiments of someone unable to adapt to an advanced technological era in music. Through natural selection, nature exterminates weaklings, ensuring only the strongest gene pool survives. The same applies to human society, where weak cultures are assimilated into dominant cultures, allowing progression of our species as a whole. Like evolution genetically tailors animals to adapt to their specific environments, artists should also keep up with technological advancements in music, as well as rapidly evolving sub-genres.

Remember your roots…

Follow the roots of rock and one discovers that rock is a sub-genre that splinte

red from jazz around the 50’s. What began as something for societal misfits exploded into arguably the greatest music force in history. Rock was and still is more of a lifestyle that openly rebels to…Well, everything, including old-fashioned traditions. Trace the roots of punk (no not the wood) and you will understand exactly what I mean. My point is, if rock remained the way Paul’s generation enjoyed it, wouldn’t that go against its basics of being anti-conformist?

Hybrid theory

Before the 1900’s, jazz was sneered upon as music for lower class African-American slaves. Later, ‘Americanized’ generations assimilated European technology with their ancestor’s nostalgic folk songs. Pianos, trumpets and guitars were incorporated resulting in the jazz boom of the Roaring 20’s. The jazz Paul claims to be real is actually a hybridization of older jazz and synthetic sounds of that period, hence the term jazz fusion. Ironically, his resentment to modern jazz mirrors the sneers his generation received from older ragtime connoisseurs who couldn’t operate electronic equipment.

Electronic music

Laptronica has given music a facelift. It entails making music using a laptop, instead of relying on recording studios. Music’s fusion with electronically generated sounds has enabled artists to deliver flawless musical performances.

Some of this technology includes; auto-tune, device allowing

singers to sing perfect pitches while disguising off-pitch notes,

Roland TR-808: machine that produces artificial drum sounds and the electric guitar, which is already a standard jazz/rock instrument. The latest in electronic music technology is the Tenori-On, which is an 808, auto-tuner, guitar etc all in one touch screen tablet similar to Apple’s I-Pad. Typically, the only people opposed to this digital revolution are the outdated has beens.

The Tenori-On is a 21st century musical instrument

Jazz is alive!

Unknown jazz artist Esperanza Spalding unexpectedly snatched the best new artist award from favourite Justin Bieber at this years Grammy’s. Another surprise came when U2 performed with legend Hugh Masekela during their Soweto concert last week, and their success ensures the best jazz genetics survive extinction. Nature is always changing and so is human society, art if it’s true, reflects this change, therefore resisting it would be hypocritical if you regard yourself as an art lover. To a certain extent, ‘The Great Gambo’ is right, but the bigger picture is that the death of the old has laid seeds for a new generation to blossom, thus continuing the infinite cycle of the evolution of music.