Jazz: A New Orleans Fusion

New Orleans was one of the biggest cultural crossroads in the entire world, comparable to the great cities of Timbuktu and Constantinople in its cultural diversity, mass of trade and ethnic commingling. Placed in the delta of the Mississippi River, it became a haven for traders from Spain, France and America. After the Louisiana Purchase, slaves began to pour into the markets as well, adding more ingredients to the great musical stew that would eventually ferment into jazz. The Catholic Spanish and French roots of the city favored music and dance as parts of religious expression, contributing to the Latin swing that made jazz so distinct from contemporary American music. These Latin cultures also gave New Orleans a different slave code – the Latin Code – which differed greatly from the much stricter code used by American colonies. The result was a more free-form approach to slavery, where African slaves have the possibility of freeing themselves, intermarrying and owning property, giving them more ability to retain their traditional African culture and music. The drums and dance of the Congo Square would have been banned in any part of America besides New Orleans. Finally, as a part of the United States, the American values of individuality and personal expression came to the forefront as well. Jazz emerged from all of these intermingling cultures as a mixture of Latin swing, African syncopation and vitality and American individuality. Other American cities lacked this great variety of cultural influences, or the tolerance to express non-English cultures.

Different styles of music resulted from this mixture of peoples, with jazz only coming later in the history of New Orleans. The blues, a musical style exemplified by artists such as Mamie Smith and the famous Leadbelly, was a personal expression of pain and conflict that resonated with many of the black citizens who felt alienated by the racism and poverty that afflicted them on a daily basis. While it had its basis in the call-and-response and beats of African music and the individuality of American expression, the music itself was a totally unique sound. Ragtime (short for “ragged time”) was another music style made famous in New Orleans that was favored more by the richer Creole population, identified by the syncopation of classic European piano lines, giving the traditionally stiff compositions more flair and interest. These two musical styles, colliding after segregation was reinforced by the one-drop laws passed across the South in the late 1800's, both contributed to the emergence of jazz. Jazz incorporates the emotion and call-and-response of blues and the syncopation and energy of ragtime, creating a new music defined by intense emotional expression, musical skill and raw sex appeal.

Of all these factors, I personally believe that the numerous cultural influences are one of the main contributing factors to the rise of jazz. Without the Latin-Catholic focus on music and dance, slave dance and music would not have been permitted; without the slave dance and music, syncopation and call-and-response styles would not have been major influences; without syncopation, there would be no ragtime, and without call-and-response, blues would be missing a vital component. This same line of thought can be applied to the American and African influences as well. At the roots of most of the other contributing factors to jazz are the cultural influences that defined New Orleans, creating a beautiful, raw, emotional and altogether unique sound that has captivated audiences of all cultures around the world.