Christian music has come a long way from the church-sanctioned melancholy chants of centuries gone by. It has rich history going back several hundred years. In fact, the earliest music manuscripts were of church origin.
When the separation of church and state began, secular music emerged in full force. Some people mistakenly believe that so-called “Christian” music died with this new era. In truth, the church’s loosened grip on music actually led to more diversified styles in Christian music.
Musician Larry Norman was considered a pioneer of Christian rock music. In fact, many still refer to him as “the father of Christian rock.” (Later in his life, the aging musician was tagged with the new tongue-in-cheek title: “Grandfather of Christian rock.”) Norman’s music may have been the anti-Gregorian chant, a fact that made him a criticized figure among his fellow Christians.
Still, Norman managed to gain an astounding following that hasn’t waned despite his recent death of heart failure. His musical talent is undeniable. Those stolid church leaders who would condemn his style needed only to listen to Norman’s songs. His faith in God was unquestionable.
Norman’s artistry flung open the door to Christian rock, as well as other popular music styles. Hip hop, dance, punk, metal, blues and pop-style music has been put to sacred words and ideas since.
Some on the outside of the Christian music scene criticize it all as un-original, carbon copies of secular music. However, a true study of Christian music and its history reveals that Christian musicians have been trend setters. Christian musician Phil Keaggy is regarded as possibly the world’s best guitarist. Even the legendary Jimi Hendrix was known to acknowledge Keaggy as a more worthy musician than himself.
Other artists have managed to make successful from crossovers from Christian to secular music. This seems to demonstrate that their talent transcends religion. Artists like Amy Grant generated fans in both the religious and the secular music industry. Gospel singer Kirk Franklin is another artist who made an impression in both the Christian and the secular market. His first album in 1993 went platinum. It stayed on the gospel chart for an astounding two years. What is perhaps more astounding is the fact that it charted on the R&B charts.
Today Franklin is a respected artist in many genres and circles. The band DC Talk broke new ground in the Christian music world in the 1980s and 90s. It began as a hip hop group, later evolving into a more pop-style group with rap influences. DC Talk managed to win respect in both worlds.
Today’s Christian music scene still burgeons with successful artists making names for themselves of their own rights. Michael W. Smith is a renowned singer, songwriter and three-time Grammy award winner. He has reinvented his career over the decades and is a noteworthy praise and worship leader and recording artist today. Bands like POD, Switchfoot, Relient K, Sixpence None the Richer and Lifehouse have proved that Christian artists can hold their own on the secular stage. Christian music and secular labels alike will undoubtedly continue to turn out high quality recordings from talented artists for many years.
One genre that appeals to most everyone is pop music owing to its light and catchy qualities. Pop music is so aptly called because it is a categorization that is largely based on the popularity of a song. There is no clear and distinct parameters to classify a song as pop music. For the most part, its popularity should translate to records sold and radio air times.
Pop music is a combination of various styles influenced by the evolving music forms. The development of pop music is one that is progressive, rolling over from generation to generation to snowball into its current form. As this is so, pop music has taken so many forms through each decade to reflect the musical preference of a particular generation.
Rich Vocals
During the 50s, popular tunes were those that were vocally rich with a string accompaniment and a vocal chorus back up. Country music and American folk music were great hits along with variations of standard formats. Great American songbook classics, crooners and big band singers adopted other musical techniques to give their music a modern twist. The listening public lapped these enhancements up and caused songs like Mack the Knife and Singing the Blues to top the charts. In contrast to these classics, rock and roll likewise rocked the American music industry with fast and infectious beats of Rock Around the Clock, Heartbreak Hotel, and Tutti Fruitti. These tunes not only rocked the airwaves, they also rocked the dance floors.
All in the Band
The next decade brought in what is called as the novelty song characterized by humorous lyric combined with melodies that are simple yet catchy (i.e. Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, California Girls, and Good Vibrations). Worthy of note is the fact that the vocal harmonies and lyrics of these songs revolved around Californias surf, girls and cars. Thus the label Surf pop. Other popular music during the sixties were youth-oriented band music in up-tempo beat, I Want to Hold Your Hand,Cant Buy Me Love, Downtown, and To Sir With Love.” African American music likewise joined the popular music scene with its doo-wop style that gives prominence to melodic sounds and vocal harmonies. Rhythm and blues as well as Motown soul music were also chart-toppers during this period.
Cacophony of Sounds
From the 1970s to the present, pop music is as diverse as they come. A slowdown in musical tempo was seen in the early seventies when folk-based artists took center stage. Popular during these times were songs written by the singers themselves. Tempos picked up again towards in the second half of the decade when disco-dancing became a favorite pastime among the youth. Dance tunes Play That Funky Music, Staying Alive, and YMCA dominated the airwaves and the disco scene.
The 1980s and 1990s music scene was composed of music soundtracks, international hits, rock and roll, and pop icon duets. Another music development in this decade is the advent of charity records where artists put their talents together to raise funds for a cause. Particularly characteristic of the last two decades are the prevalence of songs by female artists like Mariah Carrey, Celine Dion, and pop icon Madonna. The new millennium kept with soulful ballads, hip hop pieces and dance tracks. Movie soundtracks remained chart-toppers.
Pop music is a genre that will always be around. People will always listen to music and music labels and radio stations will continue to track what songs people are listening to. For as long as people are playing and listening to music, there will always be a chart-topper.
Do you have an idea about the Latin Hits that have created an ever lasting impression on the mind of the listeners? If you do not have these singles in your collection go get them today. You can find Latin American audience who are crazy about hip hops and peppy numbers. Another group of people like soft love songs. Check out the songs given below to get an idea about the singles that are getting popularity in the Music Charts.
She Bangs:
“She Bangs”is one of the most popular sound track from Ricky Martin’s album Sound Loaded. The album was released on 14th November 2000.”She Bangs” is doing great in the music chart of Latin America. This is a romantic song that comes under the Salsa musical genre. The song also has a Spanish version. While the original song stood #12 on the Billboard Hot100 music chart the Spanish version got the Latin Grammy Award in 2001 for being the Best Short Form Music Video.
Shake Your Bon Bon:
Released in the same year as She Bangs, Shake Your Bon Bon has topped some of the very popular charts of Latin Music. The song is sung by Ricky Martin for the self–titled album. It reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.The video of this single also got much recognition.It was nominated for Best Male Video in the year of 2000 in the MTV Video Music Awards. The craze for this single is going to boost the popularity of the album.
Latin Lover:
The next that comes in the list is the song named “Latin Lover”from the self-titled album. Having a great impression on music critics this rock album was released in 1982. This popular song was sung by the famous Gianna Nannini. Some of the musicians who contributed to the composition of this song were Annie Lennox, Hans Baar, Rudy Spinello, Conny Black, Annette Humpe and so on.
My Baby You:
One of the most famous songs that have maintained their position in the box office for long is “My Baby You”. This song is a part of Marc Anthony’s first self named English album. The song was written as well as produced by both Marc Anthony and Walter Afanasieff. It was the first of its kind without a Spanish version. Marc Anthony dedicated this song to Arianna, his daughter.This Latin pop number ranked 70 in Billboard Hot 100 charts.
Maria Maria:
What is next? The next song was a huge success in the music chart. This song was released in 1999.Sung by Santana,Maria-Maria gained a remarkable position on Billboard Hot 100. It reached the number one position and remained there for ten week.It also received the Grammy Award in 2000 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
These Music Charts have been greatest hits of all time to come in Latin America and across the world.While some of the songs are made to be danceable some others celebrate eternal human emotion.
Beach Music? Many define it by its geography and the kinds of songs it includes while describing ‘friendship’ and ‘good times’ as the glue which binds it.
If you’re like me you’ve thrilled to square dancing in bright costumes, two-stepping in country bars, bumping and hustling in discos, and line dancing in modern clubs. They’re all filled with friendship and good times; making those insufficient illustrations of what makes Beach Music what it is.
1. Beach Music in the East and the West are similar, but not the same. Both coastal communities celebrate individuality and self-expression. At the center of West Coast beach culture is the surfer community encouraging private quests marked by athletic achievement while the East Coast dance culture inspires a new form of social success.
2. East Coast Beach Music nurtures new ideals of social equality, romance, and improvisational self-expression. Fifteen years before Rock and Roll, white teenagers in the Southeast embraced Black music as their own. At the same time they developed a new dance to express themselves. From that mixture the Shag evolved.
3. Many found the secret rites of Shag and Beach Music at the Beach. Like the “soul surfers” of the West Coast, the “soul dancers” set new standards for the ‘good life.’ At the beach, personal and hometown histories stayed home while they assumed nicknames and developed new personalities.
4. Rhythm and Blues and Jazz were foundations for the Shag. In addition to early black music, soul dancers often flipped over national pop hits to see if the ‘B’ side had the right beat and mood for carefree shuffles in coastal and inland pavilions.
5. Society sometimes misread them as mere ‘rebels.’ Like their West coast alter-egos they weren’t rebelling as much as forming new communities and social hierarchies of greater equality with rights of self-expression.
6. Balmy days and nights, sensual Shag moves, and their own ‘coat of arms’ embraced giddy summer romances. The Shaggers’ dress code included Bass Weejuns, no socks, cashmere sweaters, and madras shirts. Like knights of old, girl-partners were revered. When they danced, *she* was the most gorgeous woman in the world.
7. East Coast soul dancers enshrined the Art of Play as equal to Hard Work. As such they considered social life equivalent to work life. While they worked summer jobs to support themselves, they worked just as hard at “not working” on the dance floor.
8. It looked like a sexual revolution. It really wasn’t focused on sex. Self-confidence and cool were guiding principles and the ’safe date’ was integral to Beach Music. They put dancing before drinking–unlike some who need a ‘boost’ to drop their inhibitions.
9. Classic Beach songs include national hits and treasures unknown outside the Southeast. Fifties Beach songs celebrated the good times in several ways. Although “Drinkin’ Wine Spo Dee O Dee” mentioned wine, it more loudly proclaimed the ‘good times’! Fifties hits included “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” “Sixty Minute Man,” and “Sh-Boom.” The 60s added hundreds more like “Under the Boardwalk,” “My Girl,” “What Does it Take To Win Your Love,” and “Brown Eyed Girl.”
10. The ‘Shag’ had other names including the ‘Bop’ ‘Freestylin” and ‘Fas’ Dancin’. The music wasn’t named for 25 years! In the beginning most teenagers found it at the Beach. Eventually there were 500+ inland dance clubs, Pavilions, restaurants, swimming pools, and fishing lakes with dance floors.
Beach Music and Shag history show a culture celebrating individual uniqueness in the rituals of music and romance experienced by those who were dancing to their own destinies. The Beach Music community was like a ‘beta’ version of MySpace, a ‘flat’ world where everyone was equal, each member was in charge of their own self-expression and the accumulation of friends with whom they had common interests. The internet has simply made the field of dance partners much much larger.
“Fessa” John Hook is a 39 year broadcaster captains the Endless Summer Network of Beach and Shag music on the net.
His three books on Beach music and Shag are: “Shaggin’ in the Carolinas,” and the “Beach Music Guide 1945-2006, Vols 1 & 2″ and another, “Dancing On the Edge – How Music Freed the South,” coming in the fall of 2009.
“‘Shagging In the Carolinas,’ according to Hook, a Beach Music and Shag enthusiast, is a love letter that took 26 years to write.” –Sun Times newspaper
“Hook writes about how Shagging defied social conventions as carefree white teenagers were inspired by the possibilities inherent in improvisational black dance and music.” –Lexington Dispatch
“Hook knows what he’s talking about when it comes to Beach Music. As a broadcaster in the late 1980s, he was responsible for the first full-time Beach Music radio station in history….he chronicles the evolution of the dance….before the Lindy Hop, before the Jitterbug, came the Shag, a dance born and bred in the Carolinas.” –Our State magazine
Ever wondered how to get unlimited music MP3 downloads? Music lovers probably have asked the same question many times. There are of course dozens of websites that talk about them but not everyone has the luxury to find out and look through the tons of information. The aim of this article is to show you how to find unlimited MP3 downloads and yet do so affordably in the simplest way possible. You will also discover more hot tips about MP3 music downloads.
Unlimited music MP3 downloads can be found at online music stores like iTunes for iPod, and other stores like HMV, Walmart and more. These are music giants and have some of the largest offerings in the world. Though they do not exactly have unlimited music MP3s, their collection often go in the range of millions of songs, music videos, sound tracks, music etc. Normally, it would cost you about 99 cents or below to download per music or song.
Nowadays, some music stores have taken the level of competition a bit further by offering monthly or even yearly memberships. Several offer a limited number of music MP3 downloads while others let you download unlimited number of music MP3 files. This move has totally revolutionized the way music downloads are previously handled. Needless to say, when you can access millions of music MP3 downloads for a small one-time fee, you would be downloading music online whenever you are free. You also need not think twice whether you should download this song or that since you can download both and all.
Everyday, it is estimated that tens of millions of music MP3 downloads take place around the world from these music download sites. Now that we know that there are places to download music MP3s for a lifetime fee, it is best that we also learn how to find a great site to download. There are a few important questions you need to ask before you decide.
1. How many different music genres does the music MP3 download site have?
If I were you, I would subscribe for a music MP3 download site with as many music genres as possible. Your taste for music may change with time. Today, you might like J-pop, tomorrow, it could be hip hop or even classical instrument pieces.
2. How much does it cost to get unlimited music MP3 downloads?
There are music sites that offer lifetime memberships for a one-time price. With this choice, there is no need to go with monthly plans. But even for one-time fee, never go for anything above $50. In fact, the rates nowadays are so reasonable that you can easily grab one that costs you below $40.
3. What are the usage rights for the songs you download?
Not all sites are the same for unlimited music MP3 downloads. Several membership sites allow you to download and burn the music onto CD to be played on other devices while there are others which restrict you to downloading onto your digital player only. Save the trouble by joining sites that give you no-restriction rights.
Once these three questions are properly answered, you would have found the ideal site for unlimited music MP3 downloads. To quicken the whole process, visit my music blog and see for yourself which are the best places for unlimited music MP3 downloads.
Just a straight up improvisation using a Dulcimer sound (Epic Dulcimer) in Reason 3.0 with the Korg padKontrol. No quantize. No edits. No robot fingers. Just plain playing Improvised by: Mattias Häggström Gerdt, better known as Another Soundscape
Most independent artists and music enthusiast wants to get exposure a head start of what the music world is all about. While there are still some events, updates, issues and review, existing in the music industry, there is no doubt that any independent artist interested in music can be heard and known as long as they know how to play well in the industry. Some express music creativity for fame, while others do it as a hobby. Whatever their intentions are, independent artists do their craft as a general expression of themselves. They will be heard if they know the world on how their craft works and how they can survive.
There are many avenues for one’s music creativity. Most of which are provided not only for work but also for entertainment such as theaters, movies, or as independent performance. There are certain groups who accommodate one’s creative expression and when good, it creates popularity. Most independent artists search for these opportunities wherever they can find. Independent artist can do well in the competitive world of artistry when they are equipped with knowledge on how to go about with selling their expressions and capturing the interests of the public.
In the music world, independent artists can look into several resources where they can get knowledge on how music industry works. These resources provide knowledge to independent artists on the stand of other workers in the music industries who provides possibility on how to make an independent artists’ craft succeed. One of these resources can be seen in Music Biz site online. Music Biz provides articles related to the music industry. The articles are opinions and analyses that come from the players in the music industry such as artists, producers, recorders, music marketers, music distributors, music enthusiasts and other contributors from the music world. Independent artists and other interested music lovers can capture the thoughts of these music insiders by the way they express their opinions in the articles.
Articles contributed to Music Biz are scrutinized and edited well to meet the standard of how the articles should be presented. Articles are required to be specific in terms of music events and situations that support the comment or opinions. Generality does not provide the needed knowledge of the readers in the music world. Since articles are more of opinion or comment rather news, Music Biz requires that contributors should be reasonable and logical in their observation, experience or own point of view of a certain subject concerning the music industry. Writers are also encouraged to write new perspectives, issues, and events in their articles to add to the spool of articles already in the site. Lastly, Music Biz encourages contributors in the music world to be identified so they can be known and establish their credibility among readers. However, if the writer wishes to be anonymous, especially when discussing critical issues or events, Music Biz will also respect that.
Music lovers, independent artists and other music players can learn from the articles in Music Biz. It will help them set their pace and understand what music enthusiasts think about what is going on in the music world.
Improvised by: Mattias Häggström Gerdt, better known as Another Soundscape