by LINA GU
Jazz, an American art form born from the struggles and triumphs of African Americans, has an intricate history deeply rooted in cultural and societal transformation. Its journey is marked by resilience, innovation and a continuous battle against stereotypes and prejudice.
Jazz’s foundation can be found in blues music and the hymns of enslaved African Americans. It blossomed in the vibrant melting pot of New Orleans in the 20th Century, where African, Latin and European music styles mixed to give birth to what we know today as jazz.
In its early days, jazz was stigmatized as “immoral music” due to its association with Black and African American musicians who often performed in New Orleans’ red-light district. Nonetheless, this racist connotation did not deter jazz’s rise and spread. With the help of famous and immensely talented jazz figures such as Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, Bessie Smith, Mamie Smith, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, jazz emerged as one of the most innovative forms of African-American cultural expression, gaining such popularity that the Roaring Twenties is often coined as the “Jazz Age.”
During this time period, jazz was an essential cultural aspect for many Black Americans, growing to immense popularity. Still, jazz has always struggled to be understood respectfully, and has frequently fallen victim to “whitewashing.” The whitewashing of jazz refers to the appropriation of the music genre by white people, without linking any form of appreciation to the music.
One notable example of the whitewashing of jazz happened during the early days of the genre. The first official jazz recording was made by an all-white band from New Orleans, The Original Dixieland Jazz Band. The group sold more than 1 million copies of a heavily watered down interpretation of jazz to a broader American audience. Even with the heights that jazz had once reached, it has experienced a slow decline in popularity in recent years due to the competing genres of more mainstream and trendy music.
“It was kind of what happened to Chadwick, more things are available for us to do, so we lose some of the history all along the way,” said Richard Babcock, a Chadwick music teacher with a degree in jazz theory.
Perhaps jazz has changed so much because it is constantly responding to its ever-changing social surroundings. It is continuously fighting and rejecting the white gaze of audiences and media outlets.
“Jazz is dead” has been a popular phrase in music circles. But many music experts believe that Icelandic-Chinese jazz singer Laufey could be the “savior of jazz.”
Laufey focuses on writing jazz music with modern elements, and her newest album, Bewitched, released in September, has been recognized as the biggest debut for a jazz album in Spotify history.
Although the rise and recognition of jazz has been gaining positive attention, jazz still endures whitewashing today, but in a much different way.
The resurgence of jazz through artists such as Laufey can misguide and misrepresent the rich history of jazz. It’s insensitive to have a non-Black person touted as the savior of jazz … a historically meaningful form of art for many Black Americans.
One of jazz’s enduring battles is its struggle against the white gaze. Media outlets and stories that frame individuals such as Laufey as saviors perpetuate this issue.
Such narratives create a misleading image of jazz as a genre, and exclude its historical ties to Black-American traditions. Jazz should not be presented as an exclusive club; it is crucial to respect its roots and give credit where it’s due.
Jazz is a genre with a rich and dynamic history that transcends cultural and racial boundaries. While it welcomes artists from all backgrounds, it is crucial to respect its origins and the African-American community’s vital contributions.
Jazz deserves to be celebrated for its true history and the cultural significance it holds for marginalized populations, as well as for the broader American musical tradition.
The Mainsheet 