tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post455849304303012108..comments2024-03-29T05:26:28.491-04:00Comments on pancocojams: An Open Letter To Those Who Want To Change The Name Jazz To BAMAzizi Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-25614710798297193152012-01-17T01:29:56.773-05:002012-01-17T01:29:56.773-05:00Corey Mwanba,
As to "thanks for making me th...Corey Mwanba,<br /><br />As to "thanks for making me think". Ditto.<br /><br />As to your comments re the origin of the word "jazz", I'll leave that for the linguists to fight over, but I like the Irish meaning. I didn't know that one. I appreciate that.<br /><br />Sorry about this comment sign in system. It doesn't get much use and I'm not certain about how to use it myself. I don't use the OpenID feature and end up having to type my name and website ever time I comment because I want to show the cocojams hyperlink. <br /><br />Thanks again for your comments!azizihttp://www.cocojams.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-82092271845014276152012-01-17T01:20:01.391-05:002012-01-17T01:20:01.391-05:00I used the quotation to highlight Dr King Jr's...I used the quotation to highlight Dr King Jr's urging to transform the connotations of the word [with context to the speech at the time] - apologies if that was not clear.<br /><br />Your second point I can certainly agree with in a sense - if "jazz" is to be replaced by the term "Black American Music", what of all the rest of the music created or strongly influenced by Black Americans? Luckily, the AACM dealt with this through the term "Great Black Music - From Ancient to Future" which covers exactly as it says. It's highly inclusive - globally and stylistically so. Part of me wonders why those that feel the term jazz is offensive are not gravitating to using a term which has been in existence for 30-40 years.<br /><br />Part of me also wonders whether the inequalities faced by us [I am a musician] are really best fought by a change in name. <br /><br />Another part of me wonders what Black musicians in the U.K. will be playing now [I'm English. And Black]. I certainly don't see myself as playing Black American Music even though I like a lot of older Black American music - but "jazz" embodies a whole concept of progress/innovation/community aligned with personal expression that no other word does, even though I haven't personally called myself a jazz musician for a few years now. For me, it's just the best fit that language has for what I do, other than saying "I make music". Or "rice".<br /><br />There was an essay/thesis written in 2006-7[?] about the Irish roots of the word jazz. The Irish word teàs means "warmth" but is pronounced "jazz". For me, playing a music of warmth is a good fit. I'm aware of the French verb jaser, which means to chat, babble or tweet like a bird; and that also seems to sit well with me - I'm trying to communicate. I am also aware of the brothel origins of the word. And it may be that because I am removed from the country, I don't feel it as much; but I don't mind that origin either: everything has to come from somewhere. But it doesn't have to stay there. Transformation is key. <br /><br />I also think that these decisions are internal, personal things. Does a change in faith require a public conference?<br /><br />There's a whole bunch of thoughts I have about this topic in connection with Jelly Roll Morton; but this response was much longer than I had intended. Thanks for making me think.<br /><br />[couldn't get OpenID to work so different sign-in handle]Corey Mwambahttp://webid.coreymwamba.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-37236084711275479692012-01-16T07:10:08.821-05:002012-01-16T07:10:08.821-05:00coreymwamba, thanks for your comment.
As a friend...coreymwamba, thanks for your comment.<br /><br />As a friendly ammendment to what Dr. King Jr. wrote, I agree that the word "black" is <i>usually</i> given negative connotations and the word "white" is <i>usually</i> given positive connotations in the USA and in other Western societies. But that's not the reason why I very much doubt that the term "Black American music" will ever replace the term "Jazz".<br /><br />To clarify, I'm not opposed to any individual or group trying to convince the general public to change a referent that they are dissatisfied with-in this case a group of musicians advocating changing the referent for the music now known as "jazz". I just think that 1. referents that familiar referents that people like are difficult to change and<br /><br />2. The term "Black American music" is too broad and too confusing a term for the music now known as Jazz.<br /><br />As to whether I'm right or wrong about this, time wil tell.azizihttp://www.cocojams.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-70215579644210878392012-01-16T00:48:16.041-05:002012-01-16T00:48:16.041-05:00Well said.
I think it's actually imperialisti...Well said.<br /><br />I think it's actually imperialistic on a cultural level to state that you're changing the name of what is a global music (jazz hasn't been American for quite a while now), just to suit one's own definition of what a word means.<br /><br />As Martin Luther King said, "Somebody told a lie one day... They made everything black ugly and evil. Look in your dictionary and see the synonyms of the word 'black.' It’s always something degrading and low and sinister. Look at the word 'white' — it’s always something pure. I wanna get the language so right [...]"<br /><br />Martin Luther King was speaking about transforming the language in relation to to Black American people. Getting the language "right" is not throwing away the etymology or the history of the word, but transforming it and making it relevant: it meant THAT, but if we're talking about THIS situation, it now means THIS. <br /><br />I would have thought that if as musicians we wanted to liberate ourselves from former trappings we would each say "I make music", or "my music is my music, which takes in [XYZ]" but instead, all I see is one forced ideology being replaced by another.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-26178426847345836062012-01-12T08:43:21.123-05:002012-01-12T08:43:21.123-05:00Here's a link to a panel discussion by musicia...Here's a link to a panel discussion by musicians about the change in the name Jazz to the BAM:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJf8in6yMEE&feature=related" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJf8in6yMEE&feature=related</a><br />BAM More Gary Bartz and Nick <br /><br />**<br /><br />And here's a link to a web article about this subject which says some of what I said better than I said it: <a href="http://nextbop.com/blog/bam" rel="nofollow">http://nextbop.com/blog/bam</a>azizihttp://www.cocojams.comnoreply@blogger.com