African American Vernacular Traditions: Integrated Into Modern Culture African American vernacular traditions have been around for many centuries and still cease to exist in their culture. The vernacular traditions of the African Americans started when slaves were existent in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. It is believed that the slaves spoke a mix of Creole and partial English, in which they had to create in order to communicate between them discreetly. The vernacular traditions originated from the way the slaves lived their lives and their creativity. The relationship between the slaves and their masters, were very weak because the master’s believed that the slaves were inferior to them. It is believed that African American …show more content…

This was their testimony to the hardships they were put through by their owners and proof that they were slaves. The songs made the slaves believe
Fong 2 also gave them the security of freedom because they did what they wanted and sang the songs that they wanted to sing. This was a way the slaves could protest and feel like they were more than just slaves. The different secular songs and rhythms really influenced the African American tradition, in that they are still practiced today. The African Americans had a really good imagination for music. The structural devices and vocal techniques that they used in their music excel from an average composer. The work songs and spirituals that they performed led to a new kind of music, known as the blues. The blues were not affiliated with the heavenly grace, but instead provided a good rhythm of words and instruments for the audience to enjoy. The lyrics of the songs complained mostly about complaints and troubles that the people encountered. A common characteristic of the blues were that there is always improvising and different sorts of sounds that were played to supplement the song. These blues really have affected the different styles of hip hop and jazz today, creating a foundation for the two. Jazz is a type of music that originated from a series of elements: ragtime, marching band music, opera, and other European classic music. In the early 20th century, jazz started becoming popular in the