Rap is original poetry recited in rhythm and rhyme over pre-recorded instrumental tracks. Rap music evolved in conjunction with the cultural movement called hip-hop. Rap emerged as a minimalist street sound against the backdrop of the heavily orchestrated and formulaic music coming from the local house parties to dance clubs in the early 1970s. Its earliest performers comprise MCs (derived from master of ceremonies but referring to the actual rapper) and DJs (who use and often manipulate pre-recorded tracks as a backdrop to the rap), break dancers and graffiti artists.
Country Western- Distinctly "Western" songs began to emerge in the mid-19th century, reflecting the Texas, Arizona and Oklahoma region's unique mix of peoples of Anglo, Celtic, Spanish, and Other European, African, Native, and Central American heritage. In addition, the great trail drives of the 1860s to the 1890s drew young men from all over the country and abroad to work as cowboys. They refashioned old folk and popular song forms to their own tastes, and added serious and comic lyrics about their lives and work, as well as special calls and hollers to herd cattle and communicate with each other over the vast expanses of the trail. Cowboy poetry also flourished. The westernmost terminals of the railroads became points where cowboy songs were sung, shared, and then taken to new parts of the West by the cowboys returning home. For example, the railhead at Abilene, Kansas brought cowboys together from many Southwestern territories.
Go-Go dancers were employed to entertain crowds at nightclubs or other venues where music is played. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s at the French bar Whisky a Gogo located in Juan-les-Pins. The French bar then licensed its name to the very popular West Hollywood rock club Whisky a Go Go, which opened in January 1964 and chose the name to reflect the already popular craze of go-go dancing. Many 1960s-era nightclub dancers wore short, fringed skirts and high boots which eventually came to be called go-go boots.
Calypso music has its roots in the arrival of enslaved Africans in Trinidad and Tobago in the 18th and early 19th centuries, who, not being allowed to speak to each other, communicated through song. Since Trinidad was, over time, ruled by the British, French and Spanish, the African and Native rhythms that form the roots of calypso music blended with European folk music to give us the heavily rhythmic and melodic sound that we now recognize. Calypso incorporates traditional folk instruments from various cultures, and includes guitar, banjo and assorted types of percussion. Calypso music typically involves social commentary, oftentimes laced with humorous satire on current events. Its popularity can be traced to the introduction of Carnival brought to Trinidad by the French. Because slaves could not participate in the Carnival celebrations, they formed their own parallel holiday called Canboulay where African percussion music was performed. After the abolition of slavery in 1834, Calypso competitions grew in popularity as part of Carnival.
French Cafe Music- The Tango is a dance that originated in Argentina and is defined by its rhythmic steps, elegant straight lines, and reliance on improvisation. It made its way into France via the Port of Marseille where Argentine sailors shared it with the locals. By 1912, the Tango had taken Paris by storm, and was performed in both upper and lower-class venues.
Born out of a social revolution and the end of the Romantic era of music, French Cabaret emerged around 1880 in the Montmartre District of Paris, France. The political upheaval that was taking place across Europe was reflected in all forms of art, and cabaret venues became the place to frequent and vent about social injustices and political grievances. Artists, composers, and writers including Satie, Debussy and Degas were given the rare opportunity to sit between the bourgeois (high society) and the working-class.