Afro amrican music

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Course Date Transcription Analysis of Song “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday Black music history has enriched and varied cultural roots. Coupled with several genres ranging from spiritual to funky, hip-hop, jazz, and R&B, black music history has transformed its broader scope from conventional to modern music. Since music has its beginning for some reason, black music traces its history back to the early 20th century, which began to get more expansive in scope per societal needs and changes (Toynbee 135). The traces of painful slavery, despair, and hopelessness can be easily detected from the initial musical history of the Black. Music emerged as a powerful tool to inspire the black community during the early civil rights and freedom movements. Considering factors like race, class, and culture, one notable song from Afro-American Music history is Strange Fruit, performed by Billie Holiday in 1939. This paper will analyze race, class, gender, sexuality, and class in the Strange Fruit song by Billie Holiday. Strange Fruit is one of the most celebrated songs of the 20th century when black music started to emerge in the music industry. The prime purpose of the song's launch was to confront the terrible reality of racism in America. This song was originally written and presented as a poem by Abel Meeropol, who tried to present a horrific reflection of racial violence conducted in America, especially in the Southern region (O’Meally 730). The lyrics of the song are filled with haunting emotions that the blacks were feeling due to extensive racial injustices by the Americans. The overall composition and lyric representation of the song shed light on the horrible picture of the Black bodies hanging from the trees and trembling on the streets in the name of racism. Moreover, the visual imagination of the lyrics drags the listeners to recall the sad moments of the persecution of the blacks, which ultimately manifests the song's meaning, i.e., Strange Fruit. As discussed during the class activities and coursework, the music reflects social concerns, and the song Strange Fruit represents racial injustice with the blacks (Baraka 13). The song's lyrics depict a confrontation by the blacks during the civil rights movement to incite courage among the Black community to raise their voices against racial violence. The song's musical melody evokes the listeners' inner emotions to inspire and feel the pain of the violence that the blacks were facing during the 20th century. Since the blacks were being harassed and were not provided with any basic needs, they were not considered part of the American Society (Baraka 51). During the middle and later years of the 20th century, several freedom movements were initiated, and music was taken as a powerful source of igniting the flames of equality among the Black. Keeping in view the efficacy of lyrics and the legacy of sentiments one knocks while listening to this song certainly enunciates the historical enrichment. The vibrant lyrics of Strange Fruits bring the listeners to the painful past of the Black struggles, which has turned this song into an imminent popular song of the time. The painful lyrics of the song also pour light on undue gender biases during the 20th-century Black community (Southern 325). The listeners were certainly shocked after listening and feeling the pain the blacks faced due to gender disparity (George 22). Women faced stiff resistance due to their colour, race, and gender during the early struggles of the blacks. Strange Fruit is a practical example of the representation of social issues and art enrichment. It also illustrates how music can be the source of inner satisfaction and entertainment and represent social issues—the 20th century witnessed undue injustice to Black women due to their gender, colour, sexuality, and class. Especially the women with lower-class backgrounds were harassed and tried, coupled with several acts of brutality, including rape and molestation (Baraka 65). The song Strange Fruit was presented in a woman's voice to confront the...