Jazz
Jazz is one of the greatest, most exciting musical developments of the 20th century. It began in the southern United States, where musicians blended elements from ragtime, blues, and spirituals with West African rhythms. Its earliest form, Dixieland, was played by small groups; by the 1930s, big bands were playing rearranging orchestrations called swing. Later developments marked a return to smaller groups of players, and experiments in combining jazz with classical and rock music. Jazz had its root in New Orleans, USA, during the 1900s. it was first executed by black musicians, but because of racism it became widely popular only when white musicians played and it got widely spared over many cities. The main feature of jazz is strong rhythm, improvised melodies, and syncopation. It can be played by single performers or by large bands or orchestras. Small groups of musicians are common. Jazz developed from a combination of many musical styles. An important element was the African traditions that slaves took to America and kept alive in their work songs, such as strong rhythm and melodies that singers could vary with each performance. Slaves who converted to Christianity mixed Christian songs with their own harmonies. Ragtime and the blues were also key elements. There are are many varieties of jazz, including boogie-woogie, swing, bebop (a fast style, with interesting harmonies), and cool, a more relaxed style. It has also influenced classical composers and rock and pop musicians, who use blues harmonies in their work. Jazz dance: Exuberant dance styles go hand-in-hand with the rhythms and lively melodies of much jazz music, especially swing or bebop. Jazz dance moves have prejudiced other modern dance forms.