What's New With Quiana?

In the material we dwelled into before going to Western and South African music, the country of Ghana stuck heavily with me for reasons I'll dive into soon. To study the country of Ghana, some information that is important is to know that Ghana is one of the leading countries of Africa. According to Britannica, this is mainly because of its natural wealth and by it being the fist African country south of the Sahara to achieve independence from colonial rule.  With that being said, any African Americans are going back to the homeland of Ghana to actually lay roots. In a video we watched in some before material called Black Americans Explore African Roots in Ghana from NBC News, African Americas are introducing themselves to Ghana. With any culture functioning as its own, there are certain stereotypes that follow Africa as a whole and that is being poor. Young people like Deija Gordon, who was referenced in the video, go to see for themselves at a young age what they can accompl...

 The Music of the Andes section inspired me to see which country help emerge South America to be so influential. According to BBC News, Brazil is said to be the most influential country to South America. To give more credit, Brazil's country profile includes the exploitation of the Amazon forest and its' diverse population, including indigenous Americans and descendants of African slaves/European settlers. These settlers brought along many ideas, innovations, beliefs, and African enslaved people who influenced the local cultures. The dominant language is Portuguese and not Spanish.  The Music: According to An Overview of the Music of Brazil article, Brazilian music is an Afro-European fusion. This was due to the Portuguese invading Brazil in 1500 and importing slaves for labor. A very big form of music includes Samba. It is worldwide recognized as a symbol of Brazil and Carnival. It is a form of music where dance is accompanied by small melodic phrases. Rio de Janeiro is one o...

 My personal history in Christian denominations does not go further than African Methodist Episcopal and Baptist. Ever since I was born, I had been baptized in an AME church. My spiritual home is Trinity AME in Newberry, South Carolina. Richard Allen founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1794. This denomination of Christian faith stood as the first independent Black foundation. Richard Allen believed that African Americans need to stay organized to challenge racial injustice. He believed that black leaders, in particular, had a duty to speak truth to power.  Ministry in African Methodism holds the preacher to a high standard. The Preacher stands as a unique personality developed by the Negro on American soil. In every denomination of faith, the preachers gives the word of God unto the people, much like Jesus unto the disciples. I mentioned earlier about having some Baptist beliefs in my life. My father was raised in a Baptist Church but soon relocated after marryin...

 A new idea brought to my attention in class was Syncretism. I basically came to the conclusion that it is an idea of taking something old and mixing it with something new. A prime comparison would be music by Kirk Franklin. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs. His songs are usually written to beats all generations can dance to, as well as sing along. An example in class that was similar to some of Kirk Franklin's music was by Superman. Superman's "Prayer Loop Song"   includes various stylings from not only Native American culture, but rap to pop. He adds some flare that can relate to the old ways of the Native Americans, like using the drum and flute, and some aspects that would attract my generation. Both relate to each other through syncretism.  Another thing that fascinates me is the communal aspect of Native American music. Native Americans are a credit to their culture because they use these communal aspects such as Powwows to preserve...