This name appeared in the United States in the 1920s and has a wide origin. At that time, the content of songs, in addition to expressing work and life, hated lonely and wandering life, yearned for a warm and peaceful home, and sang sweet love and the pain of lovelorn.

In singing, people used to sing in their own voice at first, mostly in the form of solo or chorus, with guitar, banjo, harmonica and violin.

The tunes of country music are generally smooth and beautiful, and the music structure is relatively simple. Most of them are ballads in two or three parts.

Clothing is also more casual, even if you participate in competitions and perform in important occasions in concert halls, you don't have to wear costumes. Jeans, casual clothes, leather straw hats and sneakers are all ok.

1925, a radio station was established in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. They started a column program called "Ancient Opera-Villagers' Voice". An 8 1 year-old folk singer named Jamie Thompson was invited to sing, and the program was warmly welcomed by the audience. Since then, people have collectively referred to this kind of music as "country music". Country music has become one of the favorite music forms of American working people. In America, "blue collar" refers to the lower class, so this kind of music is also called "blue collar music".

Radio Nashville has been a traditional brand-name program for decades since it started the program "Old Opera-Villagers' Voice". Nashville is also recognized as the "White House of American Country Music", and all country singers regard it as the "Holy Land of Country Music".

In the forties and fifties, country music came to big cities. Influenced by other bands, piano, other musical instruments and electroacoustic amplification were added. At that time, people called this music "Nashville". The Grammy Award organized by the National recording arts Institute is the highest award.

The two most important components of country music are string accompaniment (usually guitar or electric guitar, and often Hawaiian guitar and violin) and singer's voice. Country music abandons the "electronic" sound (effector) widely used in pop music. Most importantly, the singer's voice is the symbol of country music (folk songs), and the singers of country music are almost all southern American accents, at least rural accents.

However, as important as music itself is the content of music, and in this respect, country music is very different from pop music, rock music, rap music and other genres. There are generally eight themes after country music: first, love; Second, lovelorn; Third, cowboy humor; Fourth, have fun; 5. Rural lifestyle; Sixth, the pride of the region; Seven, the family; Eight, god and the country. The first two themes are by no means unique to country music, but the last six themes distinguish country music from other American pop music genres. In short, country people have their own sense of humor; Like cowboy crazy play; Live in a completely different way from city people; Be proud of your town, state and region; Attach great importance to family; Not ashamed to express religious feelings and patriotic feelings. These themes distinguish country music from music such as britney spears and Super Boy.

Country music often contains the most attractive content to white people in rural areas in the south and west of the United States. As a group, the audience of country music is often farmers and blue-collar workers, who are usually a little poorer than the American average and more conservative in political and social issues.

Classification of country music

Early country music (early country)

Country music in early commercial operation is in the same strain as the traditional folk songs brought by British immigrants in the southern United States in the 18 and 19 centuries. However, the early country music did not adhere to the tradition of oral narration, but often used the violin as an instrument to play melody instead of human voice. John Carson, a country musician, combined these two traditions and sang and played his song "78" at 1923, which is regarded as the first best-selling single of early country music.

The most famous group in this period is undoubtedly the Carter family-their importance to the development of country music cannot be overemphasized. They are advocates of southern folk traditions. They are considered as "the first family of country music", and their song "The Circle Will Not Be Broken" is the same model of country music as "Wild Flowers" and "Wild Wood Flowers", and it is also the first time to introduce Maybelle Carter's infectious guitar style to people. Stoneman in Galex, Virginia, was also a pioneer of early country music.

"Father of Country Music" James Rodgers. He raised the public's acceptance of country music to a new height and was one of the most influential singers in the history of pop music. His unique voice and lyrics have brought national fame to the poor. Therefore, he laid a new solid foundation for country music. The originality of his short recording career (1927-33) and his singing and writing style are not out of date even now.

Cowboy (cowboy)

Cowboy music comes from Americans' fascination with the Great West, which is also reflected in Hollywood movies. Country people have now become well-dressed and energetic cowboy boys and girls, singing romantic songs from the countryside. It shows the romantic scene of lonely grassland. In westerns, there is always a scene where free cowboys sing around a bonfire and chase a long-distance bus after a hard day's work. This clean dress has been adopted by many musicians, such as gene autry, roy rogers and the son of pioneers, which makes country music more and more popular.

West swing

During the Great Depression, a kind of music was born in dirty dance halls in Texas and Oklahoma. Western swing music grafted the feeling of country music on the complex jazz rhythm. Adopt a lineup that is different from traditional country music and closer to big bands (generally including trumpets). Bob Wells soon won the crown of this kind of music without dispute. With the improvisation of his band "Texas Playboy", he is a real innovator. On any night, he has the ability to play his companions and his best, which has had a far-reaching impact in the history of country music. Other western swing bands include Milton Brown (and his music Brownie), the founder of eclectic music, and Sparta Cooley. Today, bands like Sleep on Wheels continue this country music tradition.

Bluegrass music (bluegrass)

A kind of exquisite, pure and original music, which is easy to identify. Compromise music has two or three harmonies, with intense rhythm and unrestrained emotions. This kind of "lonely and high-pitched" voice came into being in the "String Band Movement" in the late 1920s, and became famous in the band "The Blue Gass Boys" originated from the founder Bill Monroe. Bluegrass music was popularized by Bonnie Clyde and Beverly Hillbilly in the late 1960s, and won a brand-new audience. Today, bluegrass music still maintains a high influence, such as the famous country musician Alison Krauss.

Bar music (Hongyu-Tonk)

A free-flowing, usually noisy music form that originated in bars in the south after the war. In the late 1940s, the theater of country music changed from a public social occasion to a bar, and performers were no longer worried about constantly preaching "family ethics" in their songs. Therefore, the lyrics often reflect the hard and cold reality of modern blue-collar workers.

Hank williams's songs fascinated women and made men imitate them, which made this inferior bar become the mainstream of country music in the early 1940s. He lived as he sang, but his excessive lifestyle eventually led to his early death at the age of 29.

Rock (country rock)

/kloc-Memphis in 0/953, the racial boundaries in music are also clearly divided. Most black people listen to R&B; B) At that time, country music was very popular with white people. In order to find a way to blend black and white music, producer Sam Phillips wants to find a white boy who can sing black songs for his record company Sun Records. So there was Elvis Presley-Elvis Presley.

He produced classic songs such as Bill Monroe's Blue Moon in Kentucky and Blue Moon in Kentucky, and trained pioneering artists such as Elvis Presley. Producer Sam Phillips created a mixed music form called "Rockabilly". Although this form of music was not popular in 1950s, many different musicians, such as johnny cash, Jerry Lee Lenice and carl perkins, started their musical careers by recording this kind of songs.

Voice of Nashville

The Voice of Nashville is mainly composed of piano, strings and background harmony, which is different from the traditional violin and banjo accompaniment, and this is also a well-known feature of the Voice of Nashville. In the late 1950s, with the gradual decline of country music, some producers, such as chet atkins and Owen Bradley, consciously expanded the taste of country music and made it closer to mainstream pop music.

In the early 1960s, almost all country artists, from Patsy Cline to the Browns (with the help of a large group of musicians in Nashville Studio), achieved this transformation, which made many such songs top the country and pop charts.

rockabilly

A form of music originated in California and later interacted with the hippie movement, bringing their feeling of "returning to nature" to country music. Because they are cursed by the value of taking drugs and storing hair in traditional country music, country rock artists try their best to develop the tastes of those traditional fans.

Pioneers in the late 1960s, such as gram parsons (and the Byrd Brothers, the Flying Burrito Brothers and later emmylou harris), added rock rhythm to traditional homesickness and heartbreaking country songs. Later, some bands, such as the Eagles, brought this mixed music form to the top of the pop charts. Today, people like Desert Roses (led by Byrd's collaborator Chris Hill Mann) continue this musical tradition.

Banning movement

The so-called "apostasy" is just a continuation of the country music tradition that emphasizes the root color. This is the betrayal of Nashville Voice. This is not a new type of music, but a return to tradition and a betrayal of the production system at that time.

The central figure of this storm is Willie Nelson. 1968, Nashville refused to update his more personalized music, which made him very depressed. Nelson left Nashville for Austin, Texas, where he started his annual concert and attracted other similar singers who didn't attract attention at that time, such as Wayne Jennings and kris kristofferson.

Their simple and deep-rooted attempt is to maintain its unique and even rude personal expression before country music caters to the public's taste. The "apostasy movement" not only catered to the out-and-out country music fans, but also got a response on the radio and on campus. The result 1976 is like Waylon &；; Willie's wish, "The Desperado" became the first album in the history of country music with a sales volume of one million, which opened the door to country music with fundamental characteristics.

New traditional country

A musical style, returning to an era when artistry and musicality are more important than image. Neo-traditionalism seeks inspiration from early country music, which is a well-known pioneer of new country music in the future. Ricky Scaggs, a rare genius, was inspired by Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley. He surpassed all artists at that time and brought country music back to its origin. Not only can the tradition be carried forward and created, but it is also very popular. Scaggs is not alone. Just like Randy Travis, he brought traditionalism to the forefront of country music with his beautiful melody and beautiful voice.

New Country Music (Xinxiang Village)

A form of country music, which is used to describe the root of the return in the mid-1980s. But with a little guitar and drums, this country music is closer to rock pop music. Garth brooks Brooks Company. A large number of artists such as Dunn, shania twain and leann rimes are listed in this catalogue. It does not use violin, acoustic guitar and other musical instruments, which is what distinguishes it from traditional country music.

Alternative country music

Contemporary derivatives of country rock music emphasize noisy electric guitar, which makes it closer to rock music than country music. The name of this rising movement "No Depression" comes from a song by the Carter family, who hold high the banner of freedom and self-sufficiency, and their records are also released by some independent small brands. Uncle Tupelo (now dead) and the Song Ying team were pioneers of this movement, and now their sons Volt, Wilco and Golden Smoke push it to a climax.

Back to music (retro)

With clear guitar sound and unique lyrics, retro can be traced back to the country music before the Voice of Nashville, initiated by musicians such as Junior Brown, BR5-49, Big Sandy, Fly Rite Boys and Wayne Hancock.

Singer/songwriter

This growing group comes from the original music background in the new traditional country music. Their meeting place is like Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. Every week, there is a "songwriter's night", and then they use their brains to write a song. Leaders include Lyle lovett, Steve Earle, and the death reckoning crew (including Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch and Mike Henderson).

Country music sideline

Jinkai Music (Kajin Music)

A lively and syncopated music popular among French-speaking Acadians in southwest Louisiana. This kind of music mainly uses violin and accordion, and the band also includes a drummer, but this kind of music is still considered to be closer to the original music. Jimmy C Newman, Don Kershaw and Eddie Raven are outstanding contemporary Kazin musicians.

Small band

65438+ was produced near the Grand Canyon at the end of 2009. Wisconsin combined the rhythm of Polka and Waltz with Mexicans. Flaco Jimeney and Texas Tornado are famous spokespersons of this kind of music.

Tehano people

Tejano ("Texas" in Spanish) is rooted in traditional Mexican music, with passionate lyrics and easy-to-dance rhythm. In Tejano's world, Emilio and Shirley laris are two admirable artists.

Zydeco

A heavy electro-acoustic music, from the combination of Cajun music and Creole culture in southern Louisiana. This kind of music is sung in French and influenced by the blues crescent and African music. Che Nier and Baxter Edko are the hottest bands in Zydeco music.

Country music was born in 1920.

James Rodgers is a mixture of many musical styles, the popular music style of Dalhart. This is the culture between these country music.

Their talents benefit from the atmosphere of the times: if a large number of broadcasting and recording products are abandoned, American-style music will be locked up and unable to spread, and country music will not be created in the 1920s.

Dalhart may have been forgotten by most people, but he is really the biggest star in country music.

He was born in Marion, eastern Texas, and tried the massacre. He came to new york in 19 10 and got a job singing at the funeral. Then he took part in the operetta. His recording career began when 1924 released "Song of Prisoners" and "The Remnants of Old 97" on B. His unique way of singing southern mountain songs won the public's love and made him the first singer in the history of country music to win millions of sales.

In order to seek greater success, record companies began to send talent scouts to the south. Ralph Peel of Victor Records discovered James Rodgers and the Carter family and recorded 1927 in Bristol and Virginia respectively. "These records are of unique importance in the history of country music." Senior country artist JohnnyCash said this. Rogers and Carter's family include A.P., his wife Sarah with pure timbre, and guitarist Maybelle (Sarah's cousin), who played a very important role in the formation of two different styles of music. Rogers combined blues, folk songs and Falk tunes to sing tramps and dockers. The Carter family, on the other hand, focuses on family, God, mother, family and faith. It is a comfortable and harmonious style.

Maybelle's Carter Lick became the most influential work in the history of country music.

1920s: the birth of country music

Rogers was very popular in his time. Even though tuberculosis made him weak, he still refused to slow down.

Crazy movie production speed. He said to his wife, "I want to die in my shoes." For most people,

Artists like the Carter family, singing is only an amateur. In the recording, Sarah said, "We will go home and grow cotton.

Flowers. "In order to save money, A.P. uniformly printed their names and a promise on their performance posters.

The words "the program is guaranteed to be wonderful", and then there are many horizontal lines below to fill in the date and place of the performance.

Dalhart's popularity is declining. In the 1940s, he was just a guest in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

He worked as a night attendant in the museum until his death in 1948.

On behalf of:

James Rodgers (8 September1897-26 May 1933)

Classic songs: "T for Texas" and "Blue Jodl" are now in prison. "

Vernon Dalhart (April 6, 1883-September18, 1948)

Classic songs: Song of the Prisoner, The Remnants of Old 97

Carter family Alvin plesent Carter (15 years1February, 189310/July 7,1960);

Sarah Carter (July 2 1, 1899- 1 August 81979);

Maybelle Carter (May 10,1909-1October 23rd, 1978)

Classic songs: "Will the Circle Be Broken" and "Wild Forest Flowers"

The road of country music

Today, country music has swept the world. Nashville-style singers enjoy a high reputation in Africa, bluegrass musicians are famous in Japan, and the traditional country musicians market is in Europe. This world craze should be said to be an extension of the American craze in the 1950s. Since then, music that only attracts local audiences has become popular all over the country. Country musicians and lovers used to listen to music only for country people, but now their music also has an audience in the city.

One explanation for the charm of country music lies in its roots. Country music was founded by rural residents in the mountainous areas of Apara, who were isolated from most industrialized and urbanized areas in the United States. Their music was developed on the basis of their ancestors' English and Scottish immigrant songs. Accompanied by homemade musical instruments, they often sing what touches them most: their poverty, their god, their crops, their families, and they seek comfort and openness from music.

The recording of the first country music song was 1922, "Sally Goodin" written by violinist Eck Roberston. From 65438 to 0925, a radio station in Nashville, Tennessee began to broadcast live performances of country violinists every week, which later developed into the famous "Grand Ole Opry" and made Nashville the capital of country music recording industry. Although the performance began to be broadcast nationwide at 194 1, the audience of country music is still the original south and southwest. In the late 1950s, rock music rose and traditional country music was at a low ebb. At this moment, chet atkins, an innovative guitarist and recording producer, appeared. What he has done shows that if music is modified more beautifully on the basis of public hearing, its original charm will win new audiences. He added background chorus to the recording, set up strings, and recorded some strings and vocal music in stages, creating a new audience.

Although this kind of music tends to be commercialized to adapt to survival, its core is always to express the basic life of rural people. Making a living, finding a partner, and even personal gains and losses, these common themes of human beings have worldwide appeal.

The problem with Nashville style is that it attracts a large audience for country music, but it adds a layer of ostentation and extravagance between real country music and the audience. Because the country music industry "produces" a large number of records and actors, just like a factory continuously produces finished products, and for many people, real country music was and will always be "local".

In the following article, John Moslan, a country music expert, analyzes the rise of "new traditionalists". These young country music artists write songs in different ways, but they have a common pursuit: to make their music closer to its rural roots, even if it doesn't sound so much like Nashville today, it is more like the so-called "good old days when current affairs were difficult."

Moslan used to be the editor of Rolling Stone magazine, but now he is a full-time editor of Country Music magazine, and he is the author of The Best Country Music.

The most powerful country music today is the "New Traditional Movement". That sounds contradictory. Why does music sound both "new" and "traditional"? This somewhat reflects the changes in American English vocabulary. )

The new traditional movement, like most coined words in the music industry, is a description of music by market words, not a concept or a special style. Here, it means that a new generation of rural artists are committed to returning to the basics of music and getting rid of the already formed Hollywood-style splendor and carving.

In the past year, neo-traditionalists began to dominate country music stations. Country music is not based on various clubs, record companies and radio stations like rock music, which brings prestige to artists and makes personal works popular. Country musicians have to make a living by broadcasting, and broadcasting on the radio is their only chance to become famous. Selling recorded records and giving special concerts must be broadcast on the radio, which has made songs, once a popular form of folk music in the United States, the largest kind of country music now, and singers have changed from generation to generation. With the rise of radio, neotraditionalists began to change the face of music, almost as fast as all the changes in the previous 10 years.

In fact, before 1975, the reform of country music had been carried out slowly but steadily. The earliest country music is the "angor Scots" country folk song brought from the other side of the Atlantic and Americanized, which is mainly confined to the southern countryside, especially the mountainous areas. When American society began to change from rural to urban, from agriculture to industry and technology, the change of country music came into being. In order to play natural sounding instruments, such as guitar, banjo and violin, country music began to use electroacoustic amplification instruments after World War II.

From 1950s to 1960s, country music followed its audience into the city. Traditional musical instruments still appear in music, but their status has plummeted and they are rarely sung with southern accents. Violin and horn were added to the band to make the music smooth, and vocal chorus replaced the "high-pitched, lonely" singing in previous music. This new form, known as Nashville style, is the creation of record producers. Many times, they have deprived those creative artists of their status, and the recording is launched in the name of the singer, but usually only his or her voice is added to the product at the end of the recording production process. This kind of music emphasizes that the sound is complex but not rustic, and emphasizes the effect of grasping the sense of the times and grasping the broad audience.

Facts have proved that this system is very effective and has not encountered real challenges for more than 20 years. At this stage, country music has really improved its acceptance and attracted more listeners of other pop music. Then came the "banning" movement in the mid-1970s. It is believed that in Austin, Texas, this new movement was initiated by a three-person team, namely Wayne Jennings, Willie Nelson and Tom Pearl Gretel. This kind of music, known as "rebellion", replaces the formulaic Nashville style in a way that is more suitable for the singer's personality, abandons the redundant gorgeous performances such as string configuration, and prefers the country music style before Nashville style. Kris Christophe, the earliest "rebel" school, used a soft and moving acoustic guitar to make this song return to the style of words and concepts such as "Sunday morning arrival" and "help me through the night". This style is very similar to the urban folk music movement in the early 1960 s. Willie Nelson and Willon Jennings wrote a more westernized song. For example, the electroacoustic and nostalgic flavor in Jennings' Rockabilly is like the combination of southern country music and rock music in the 1950s. Both of them record with their own bands, unlike the usual "special musicians" group, which is stylized in Nashville style. They are more international than previous country singers, with long hair and dirty clothes. For the first time since the appearance of rock country music 20 years ago, they attracted a large number of young people influenced by rock to return to country music. These "rebels" creatively broke through the stereotype, as if they had the charm of the deified "old west", and they also became the first artists who devoted themselves to records rather than personal tours.

1980, john Travolta, a youth idol, starred in a film called "Urban Cowboy", which brought the classic rural theme into the city. At one time, Americans living in big cities or towns began to parade in cities wearing cowboy boots and "ten gallon" hats. The omen of the huge music market is more obvious than before, because since the 1930s, pop culture has been pursuing the countryside for the first time, instead of the countryside being influenced by pop culture. In fact, the number of radio stations that only play country music has increased from 1.543 in 1980 to 21.654,38+0.4 in two years, and music has undoubtedly been pushed to a climax. This means that a large number of violins, horns and choirs will be relocated.

Over the years, some superficial country music artists, such as kenny rogers, dolly parton and Oak Ridge Boys, have introduced a little country flavor. However, since 1984, the momentum of urban cowboys has passed, and the record market occupied by country music has therefore decreased by one third compared with the peak period of 198 1. To make matters worse, the real rural voice disappeared from the radio station under the impact of popularity. In this situation, the "new tradition" school appeared.

Like the "rebellious" school 10 years ago, the neo-traditional school satisfied the faithful with its unadorned country music, unlike the music products launched on the production lines in new york or Los Angeles. They changed everything so that anything new can appear in country music. At this time, the craze for country music came back.

Looking back on the development of the new tradition, it is worth mentioning that emmylou harris, a girl born in a military family in Alabama, is twice as outsider as Nashville. Harris was a young singer in new york folk music circle in 1960s. Later, she played a leading role in the vibrant bluegrass music activities in Washington, and helped launch the country rock movement in Los Angeles in 1970s. Harris was not born in the environment of country music, but in the environment where she grew up, she was more interested in country music than pop and rock.

Julius stands out as a star in the country rock circle. Her slender trembling voice implies that society is full of attacks and injuries. In fact, her first album, Fragments of the Sky (1975), gained more than any country rocker: the trust of the country. As her fame grew, her music became more and more rustic, completely deviating from the usual road to success. In the end, she didn't become enough pop stars, but became enough followers of country music, combining the two styles.

1980, she released a bluegrass music record "Rose in the Snow". Bluegrass music is a unique form of early mountain music, which was founded and popularized by Bill Monroe. Other founders include Lester Flat, Earl Scruggs and the Stanley brothers. Originally limited to Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky mountains, it was mostly played by acoustic violin, guitar, mandolin, bass and banjo, accompanied by complex vocal harmony. Bluegrass music was originally a response to the increasing commercialization of country music and an effort to turn back the clock, but it never showed fanatical charm in the United States, even at the peak of its popularity. But in the early 1960s, it was adapted by urban folk singers and regarded by fans as the essence of southern white spiritual music, but its enthusiasm lasted for a long time. Harrison's record Rose in the Snow was produced by another veteran bluegrass musician, Ricky Scaggs. After Rose, he recorded and released Waiting for the Sunshine, which is a movie similar to Rose and based on bluegrass. Because Scaggs inherited bluegrass music with orthodox pop rock roots, he made Rose the most flexible and extensive record, which combined natural sound with electroacoustic, tradition and modernity, and was a simple and gorgeous unity.

Scaggs, who has become a musician himself, is not only persistent in country music, but also