Jazz: An American Saga

          My topic is jazz music and how it affected American culture. I want to talk about how African Americans influenced jazz music dramatically, but they still were seen as second class citizens. I want to talk specifically about Ella Fitzgerald, a jazz legend. She was the best of the best as far as jazz singers go, but she still didn't have the same rights as her other fellow white singers. She was still forced to sit in the "black" section after her performances. She also got paid less than white singers. Famous singers like Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald didn't let segregation stop them from what they loved doing, which was influencing the world with their music. Jazz music soon became an international craze, where African American jazz muscians were able to influence the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement, ending segregation once and for all. People like Ella Fitzgerald could finally make an impact in American society and leave the world being a legend.

          What started from tribal music from African slaves, turned into gospel and ragtime before launching into Dixieland, swing, bebop, and of course free jazz. It's amazing how African culture influenced the transformation of jazz from ceremonial dances in Africa to big brass trumpets in the 1940's, still very cultural, diverse, and influential. Hopefully my paper will be influential to the reader.

As African Americans were pushed into slavery, they had one outlet, which was singing. Just like artists and muscians today, they are influenced by hardships, and sometimes the only outlet is music. That is what made Jazz music so addictive and popular. It expressed joy or sadness, when words weren't allowed to be spoken. Ella Fitzgerald had a voice, and she could sing what she wanted when in real life, she had no say in anything. Jazz music gave people the oppourtunity to change culutre, and change the rules, and change how people thought. That is the main idea that I want to include in my paper.