Fusions: Rock and the World

Fusion As rock dominates popular music in U.S. and Europe, other types of music have to Reject influence Incorporate rock into national or established styles = fusion

Rock Fusions - Types Fusion popular mostly in country of native music Ex. Yoruban Highlife Popularity outside of native country Become part of rock mainstream

Jazz-Rock Fusion Jazz influence on solos, individual songs Bands or artists whose sound is heavily influenced by jazz Ex: Chicago, Blood, Sweat and Tears Jazz artists incorporate rock beats, ensembles into modern jazz

Miles Davis Jazz trumpeter Innovator of many different jazz styles Bebop Cool jazz Free jazz Album Bitches’ Brew primary testament of jazz-rock fusion Ex: Pharoah’s Dance

World music fusions “World music” popular in U.S. from early 20th c. Afro - Cuban dances: mambo, rhumba Brazilian: samba Sixteen-beat style beat Complicated rhythmic interplay between parts

Latin-Rock fusion Little influence beyond Latin rhythms, percussion More directly influences jazz, blues, R&B Influence on rock delayed until 1960s

Carlos Santana (1947- ) Mexican-born guitarist Forms Santana Blues Band in San Francisco in 1966 Fused blues and Afro-Cuban rhythms Heavy Latin flavor

Santana - Style characteristics Rhythmic layering Two conga drummers + auxiliary Latin percussion + rock drummer Drums frequently create cross-rhythms, polyrhythms Little to no emphasis on backbeat Organ/electric keyboards integral part of sound Lyrics sometimes in Spanish

Santana - Oye Como Va Cover of mambo by Tito Puente Opening organ riff – Latin rhythms As is bass riff – but don’t coincide Guitar riff laid over that Distortion, pedal effects Riff drops out under vocals Forms basis for solos, bridges

Reggae Most popular world music/rock fusion imported from Jamaica in early 70s Huge influence on rock, popular music

Roots of Reggae Jamaican musicians in late ‘50s-’60s start to play American R&B Some bands fuse R&B and jump blues with mento Jamaican folk music Resulting fusion = ska

Ska 4 beat style beat, like swing Accent on afterbeats = in between beats (1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and) Creates overall sense of delay Little emphasis on the bass

Derrick Morgan - Lover Boy Most ska includes horns Influenced by Mexican Mariachi Often R&B influenced sax solos Another example – Prince Buster – “Madness”

Rock Steady Emerges c. 1965 Ska influenced by Stax soul Gospel influence, call-and-response vocals Heavier bass lines Slower, more flexible rhythmically Example – Derrick Morgan, “Tougher than Tough”

Jamaican rock fusion in UK First: UK hit My Boy Lollipop - Millie Small (1963) produced by Chris Johnson, founder of Island Records More exposure on radio than in Jamaica Ska and rock steady disseminated via “sound systems”

Toasting and Dubbing Sound system DJs lay down rhythmic patter over intro to ska and rock steady records = toasting DJs start to manipulate record to extend, alter intro dubbing Eventually dubs (heavily produced remixes of singles or new instrumentals) recorded in studio

Reggae From Toots and the Maytals “Do the Reggay” Slow, loping tempo Greater rhythmic complexity than rock steady Supported by syncopated bass riffs normally avoid first beat of bar

Popularity of Reggae Reggae rhythms arrived in U.S., U.K. by 1970 Johnny Nash, I Can See Clearly Now Paul Simon, Mother and Child Reunion First Jamaican reggae star Jimmy Cliff Several modest hits in U.K. Stars in 1972 film The Harder They Come Cult hit in the U.S.

Bob Marley (1945-81) Lead singer of the Wailers First album, Catch a Fire, first real reggae album. Second – Burnin’ – hit in U.S. Exposure from Clapton’s cover of “I Shot The Sheriff”

Bob Marley - Characteristics Lyrics political/social commentary Rastafarianism Social justice Keyboards crucial part of ensemble Jamaican percussion plays prominent role Moderate to slow tempos

Bob Marley and the Wailers - Get Up, Stand Up Very socially conscious lyrics Several layers of rhythmic activity Bass riff (different in verse, refrain) Ska beat in cymbal, guiro Keyboard Drums (rock beat) Thick, dense texture Primary interest rhythmic

Reggae - Influence Reggae-inspired hits common in late 70s-early 80s: Paul Simon, Blondie, Stevie Wonder, Police Crucial component of late ‘70s-early ‘80s post-punk new wave