Is it just me or would a Jay-Z concert be way more likely to have a racially mixed audience than a Slayer concert? Not the best examples in the world, I know, but you get my point. Is it something about black music that makes it more accessible? Or is it just that black people are less open-minded about different music styles? Or is white music just plain bad? Or is it something else?

catharsis said:

Adisa said:

Oh, so you're one of those people that roll their eyes as soon as the word "race" pops up.

Cloudbuster said:

why must u associate music with race?... as i look at the calendar its 2005.

TheRealFiness said:

Damn! I need a new calender.

TheRealFiness said:

It doesn't matter what year it is. There always has been, and still is, a certain correlation between race and taste in music. Or at least a three step race-culture-music correlation. To deny that would be ridiculous.

I'm just interested in exploring this. No racism in that. It shouldn't even have to be controversial.

Isn't Tom Araya black.

lilgish said:

No, he's latino (originally from Chile) but that's beside the point anyway. I'm talking about their music and which audience it attracts. Heavy metal definitely has white roots and the audience is almost always white. Why don't more black people enjoy heavy metal? It just seems strange to me since a lot of white people enjoy jazz, blues, hip-hop etc. Is black music simply more accesible somehow?

i think black music has a more mixed audience but i can't tell you why. it just seems to spread. maybe 'cause there are so many variations of black music.

heybaby said:

Thank you! The first proper reply on this thread.

I think you might be right about the many different variants being a factor. Also, I think that many of the black music styles rely on a beat that is easy to dance to (and who doesn't like to dance?), for example funk, rap, hip-hop and soul. Yet another reason might be the soulfulness of for example jazz and blues. Every time I hear older jazz from the forties and fifties I can't help but be blown away. It just connects with me on a deep level and I think people from all over the world feel the same way. Maybe it's because those music genres have a very real emotional history as opposed to, say, pop music?

catharsis said:

I was joking. um I posted something on this a few ago weeks ago...I'll try to find it.

All music derives from ethnic backgrounds with an exception for classical , and anything beyound the romanze period

Country, Rock, Blues, Funk, Electronica

was all derived from ethnic backgrounds...

i don't know what you mean by black or white music,

Cause these days Music is so diverse, you have some black country singers


Rock was never white,
and those who label it white need to be smacked upside the head and need to listen to some chuck berry and jimi hendrix,

RnB isn't just black anymore, ever since Teena Marie,

rnb is black music and so is blues, hip hop and jazz etc,etc. it was originally started by blacks. just because a person of another race plays that type of music it doesn't change where it's derived from.

Hav u seen that episode of CHAPELLE SHOW where John Mayer played his rock guitar and made all the white people throw stuff and act like grunge and stuff, played rock acoustic and made them take their clothes off....played the same thing in a black barbershop and they were like "turn that shit off!". ?Love broke out the drums and the black people was partyin'..but the Latinos wasnt feelin that. So then they brought out the Electric Piano and bongos and the Latinos were dancin all over the barbershop while the black guys retreated back 2 cutting hair.

Whomenver said there is no "black" or "white" music is scared 2 sound 'racist' but it's not. How U gonna say Salsa and Merengue is not Latino music? How U gonna say R&B / Funk is not Black music? How u gonna say Country is not White music?

paisleypark4 said:

Exactly.

paisleypark4 said:

Country was a Fusion of blues and folk or what they call "Old Timey"

The first country singers where african america, for intance
RAY CHARLES!

But like rock, White artist took over the genre


its nothing to be racist about,

the origins of music where black, or had black influences

its better to say Music is multicultural, or else your just being racist

Saying KC and the sunshine where just white boys playing black music
C'mon now

why can't it just be music?

Saying it is determined by race, is setting up boarders
the very same boarders men like Prince, Ray Charles and Chuck Berry tried to knock down
[Edited 2/27/05 22:24pm]

Luv4oneanotha said:

it is just music. why can't it be black music? nobody it's determined by race thats what you said its called black music 'cause thats where it's derived from.
generally rnb, hip hop and the such is black music. even white artists whose genre is rnb or soul will say the same thing. its not an opinion its a fact.

babyhey said:

That would mean everything is black music!

so that means their are no boarders,
Even hip hop is not entirely black anymore cause where using middle eastern beats now,

so?

MULTICULTURAL is the word to use

each enthic group has given their part

Since the united states is a country with many ethnicities, the music is multi cultural

this isn't a country where one race resides like puerto rico, or dominican repulblic who have trademark music like salsa and merengue,

IT is not black music, im sorry, and i refuse it to be called that
cause im a musician and i specialize in jazz and RnB, sure the founders where black but its not black music,
because everyone adds their own flavors,

Luv4oneanotha said:

when people think if black music they think of rnb-you know that and i know that. it is what it is. why can't something made by a people be claimed by that very same people? whats wrong with that? you can refuse if you want but it is what it is. music belongs to everyone be it rnb or whatever but it was made by black artists and it is such. when someone adds their own flavors its just their own mix. its still comes from where it comes from. african music comes from africans. if an artist plays music in that form he is playing african music, his race doesn't change what type of music it is.

Such political correctness
What's wrong with calling music "black" ?
Surely it's not meant derogatory !

Dewrede said:

thats all i'm sayin'

Luv4oneanotha said:

THE ORIGINS OF MUSIC WERE BLACK??? You can't serious believe this, can you? The origins of for example jazz, blues and rap were black, yes, but music in general??? You really have no idea what you are talking about.

House, salsa, classical, heavy metal, punk, synth - the list of music that originates from non-black people is endless. The ones I mentioned are just a few examples and most of them are from the 20th century. The older non-black music forms are countless. Go to Europe or Asia sometime and get a well needed lesson in music history.

Besides, I don't know a single person besides you who would label Ray Charles's music as COUNTRY? You're kidding, right?

catharsis said:

Why don't you turn off your computer and go and find out for yourself? Leave your hot little room with the stained walls and greasy windows and live a little.

very interesting discussion.

catharsis said:

Thanks Voices!

catharsis said:

Before you try to step up do your homework
If you don't know Ray Charles sand country, you need a lesson in music
Ray Charles lead the mordern sounds of country and western music, in his day
With songs like "I can't stop loving you", "Born to lose" and "You don't know me"
before he started out, he played piano with up and coming country groups

You need to check yourself
house actually originated from black people too man, you really need to do some homework,

Heavy Metal, Punk, Synth are sub-genres thus they do not countr for what im saying

You need to learn how to read in between the lines,
I clearly said that music like salsa that involves different cultures are different

But since the UNITED STATES was founded on different ethnic groups,

Its Multicultural,

im not talking about other countries

You need to grow up, man
Seriously
[Edited 2/28/05 11:29am]

Adisa said:

I personally don't understand why some people get offended when things like this are mentioned? I don't really like putting labels on music like "black music" or "white music". Music is just music, period. I'm a black female and i listen to many different styles, rock, metal, pop, funk and electro and even a lil r&b and hip hop. I really wish I knew the answer as to why more black people don't listen to other sounds, a part from hip hop and r&b but they are truly missing out. I guess a lot of people are just not exposed to it. When I was coming up as a little kid in the 80's I was introduced to pop and r&b frst, and then I made it my business to get out there and explore other styles of music later on, in my teens. I do think it's getting a little better though. People like Pharell and mos def have said that they listen to other styles of music, so they're showing kids today that it's ok to dig rock, or funk or whatever. Another point i'd like to make is that because some black people are narrow minded about music "alternative artists" such as kelis and joi get very little recognition and remain undergrund artists.

i think i may have answered the question afterall. i think it's a lack of interest as well as exposure.