Sociology of Music free essay sample

Buffalo Soldier and 8th Light Music is a worldwide language. Different genres come from different parts of the world, crossing over time zones and seas to reach out to another group of people to shed light on things happening where it originated from. You can listen to songs to learn about other cultures and things that are going on in the world from the perspective of those who wrote the song.Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marled which touches on the Influence of blacks and how they shaped a land which was not their mom and Astronomy (8th Light) by Black Star which Is a song trying to figure out Just what a Black Star or the collective strength of the black community can do, do just that. The song Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marled was from Marbles final recording session in the year 1980. The song genre is Reggae which was first developed in Jamaica and has origins tied to many other genres such as RB,Jazz, and Calypso. We will write a custom essay sample on Sociology of Music or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The song was released In after Marbles passing In the year 1983.The lyrics describe a buffalo soldier which Is defined as An African-American cavalry soldier In the earth of America which is the Midwest. The song says that this soldier (along with many others) was stolen from Africa which lets us know that Buffalo Soldiers were the product of the pattern of contact: involuntary immigration or slavery. The song goes on to say that the soldier was fighting on arrival, fighting for survival, this describes the soldier going through a survival of the fittest type of situation which Spencer defined as Social Darwinism.The soldiers were slaves taken from Africa brought over o America to do what Cleveland Caucasian Americans did not want to be Involved In. The whole reasoning behind there being buffalo soldiers in the heart of America was that the African-American soldiers were sent out to rid the uncharted territory of the United States of the Native Americans who resided there. Contacts. Com stated that, Marled gives a small history lesson as a protest song about the black mans role in building the country that continues to oppress him. The song Astronomy (8th Light) Is by the collaboration group Black Star which insisted of Moms Defy and Tall Swell. This song Is from their album Moms Defy Tall Swell Are Black Staff released in 1998. The genres associated with this album were Alternative hip hop and Conscious hip hop. Alternative hip hop or rap groups refuse to conform to any of traditional stereotypes of rap. Instead, they blur genres such as funk, Jazz, soul, reggae and others. Conscious hip hop also referred to as socially conscious hip-hop is a sub-genre of hip hop that focuses on social Issues. The song starts off with Moms Defy saying Against the canvas of the night, Appears a curious elastic phenomena, called Black Star, but what is it? Then Taliban Swell says Black people unite and lets all get down. We got to have what? We got to have that love. During the song Moms Defy and Tall Swell are describing all the things that Black Star could be like, Is it the cat with the shades, the black car? or Black, my family thick, like theyre striped molasses. Star, on the rise, In the eye of the masses. The Black Star Itself Is a reification created by Moms Defy and Tall Swell.I feel that the Black Star for all minorities. The song touches on racial stratification when Moms Defy says, Blacker than my granddaddy armchair, he never really got no time to chill there, Cause this life is warfare. Moms Defy is talking about the Civil Rights movement when he describes this life as warfare. Later in the song they say, Be unlucky for you like a black cat, A panther, Revolution is the answer, which is alluding to the Black Panther Party who pushed the Black Power movement through the mid ass to the early ass.Black Star (the group) is using multiculturalism to lend a voice to that which had been hardhearted as other or the minority. Music is a great way to learn about society. Some songs like ones put out today can help you learn about society but they will not challenge your mind and make you truly think about what the writer is trying to say through his or her lyrics. Songs such as the two I selected are great examples of songs that make you think. Buffalo Soldier and Astronomy (8th Light), force you to think about the lyrics, what is being described or what story is being told by the artist.