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 * Group 7 - Music through the 1990s and Today **

**Music influenced by ethnics groups **  Image credit link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/spacelion/263948300/ Hip Hop is one of the most influential music styles nowadays, it started in 1970. Hip Hop is more than a music style it is a movement supported by four pillars: rap, DJing, graffiti and breakdance. The music is composed by poetry and rhythm.Hip Hop was born in New York, inside Latin American and African communities that live in this city. These communities are composed by people that got into United States for different reasons.The African people were taken to the US during slavery time and after the abolition Africans continued living in the country, trying to preserve a unique culture that reminds them of their origins. Most of Latin Americans got to the country looking for jobs and better life condition, running from the poor life in their own countries. A large number of these people got in the United States by illegal means. These communities have a huge culture that we can see in dances, art, fashion, the way they behave and in the music, hip hop, one of the music styles that was born in these communities, expressed the life style those people have.

**R&B **

The same ethnic group which founded hip hop, provided through this, influence on R&B in the 90's. The subgenre called Hip Hop Soul and Neo Soul, characterized by mixing R&B with Hip Hop beats, was also a mix of soulful vocal style with hip hop beats and rap. Stood out as the biggest artists of the decade the singers Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson. Already in the 2000's, stands out that Aaliyah who was considered the Princess of R&B.


 * The popular genres of music **

 **1990s** Hip hop grew and was one of the most successful genre in the decade, with the continuation of the hip hop golden age. Aside from rap,contemporary R&B urban music in general remained extremely popular throughout the decade. The urban music in the 1990s often blended with styles such as soul, funk and jazz. Resulting in fusion genres such as new jack swing, neo-soul, and hip hop soul. Among pop, rock and hip hop, the last one was the most famous genre and was on the top of the charts all over the country.

**2000s **

In the 2000s there was no visible creation or appearance of many new styles with the exception of a few indie-related genres such as emo and electronic subgenres like Liquid funk and UK funky. In these years, teen pop was more visible than before. R&B, which was very successful in the early years of the 2000s, suffered a steep decline in popularity throughout the decade. This was in part due to the rise of hip hop and subgenres such as crunkand snap music, even though a fusion of these styles with R&B in crunk&B and snap&B were successful in the mid-to-late 2000s. Hip hop, specially southern hip hop, rock music was still popular, notably alternative rock, and especially genres such as post-grunge, post-Britpop, new metal, pop punk, emo, post-hardcore, metalcore and indie rock; the decade also saw the garage rock and post punk revival. Despite a slight slip in popularity in the early part of the decade, adult contemporary and country music were still able to find success throughout the 2000s. Electronic music was also highly popular throughout the decade; at the beginning of the 2000s, genres such as trance, chillout, house, indietronica and Eurodance (in Europe) were popular, yet, by the end of the decade, dance-oriented forms of electronic music, such as synthpop, electropop, nu-disco and electro house had become popular.

**2010s **

It’s the second wave of synthpop, electronic music, indie music, teen pop, dancepop, glitchpop and electropopgenres have been popular.

** The main styles ** Image credit link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/3983055366/ **Grunge **

The music in the1990’s is remarkable due to its innovation. One of the most important styles is Grunge. It started in Seattle in the late 1980’s, but spread all over the world in the early 1990’s. Its origins are in alternative rock, heavy metal, and punk. At first, it was known only in Seatlle, but Nirvana launched an album called “Nevermind’’ that was a success in the whole U.S and also abroad. That album gave space for groups like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden to grow too. Guitar, drums and bass were, for sure, the most important instruments for this kind of music. The use of voice, of course, was very important too. Heavy metal was also in the best moment. Californian groups like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns n’ Roses, and Faith No More were prominent. Differently of punk bands like Green Day and The Offspring, those bands used heavy lyrics and sounds, being the guitar, drums, bass and clavier the main instruments.But not only Grunge was successful in this decade. Groups of dance, mainstream, punk, and hardcore also had space.

**<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">HipHop **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> Hip Hop was another important rhythm, and it had its apex from the late 1980’s to the early 1990’s with groups like Public Enemies, Boogie Down, A Tribe Called Quest, LL Cool and Eric B. & Rakim. Many hip hop themes were based in Afrocentricity even though the sound was eclectic. A synthesizer was very important for making hip hop. In the 2000’s, American hip hop is trendy between teenagers with singers like Mariah Carey, although rock and “post-grunge” was also popular. Alternative Rock was another style in the 1990’s and 2000’s. One of the most notable group was The Cranberries (which starts singing pop later on). Sonic Youth, Loop, Judas Priest, Megadeth and Slayer were outstanding too. In the 2000’s, Linkin Park was outstanding, even though the moment seemed to be for hip hop. Since the end of the Cold War, a process of internationalization of American Culture started, allowing a greater expansion of all these rhythms. Internet was also important, even though producers were worried about illegal copying in the new digital era. Visibly, the 1990’s and 2000’s music has much to do with today’s songs. The Youth were influenced and involved by new groups, changing the entire path for modern music. **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Composers, songwriters and artists - 90s and today ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"> Image credit link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiexano/6871128160/  <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"> Great artists and composers of American music emerged in the 90s and today. Many of them are acquiring an increasingly greater public and gaining success in the United States and internationally. We note that the romance was very present in previous decades, but the agitated song took account manifesting itself in various styles in music as rock, pop, rap and in the electronic music. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"> The music evolves through the years. Just listen to songs of ten years ago to notice any difference. Nevertheless, the feeling that songs causes in them remains the same. So the lyrics are important because they are impactful on people's lives. Often they convey what the listener feels. Thus, it is necessary to know some artists who both scored these last decades.In the 90s, there were several musical composers who managed to convey, through their lyrics composed, feelings of joy, sadness, love and even with some awareness to social problems. When Bill Bottrell joined with Michael Jackson, they wrote the song "Black or White", for example, not imagined the success that this partnership would result. Besides the great positive impact that music has caused socially at the time, although these days it is common to see people listening to it. Besides the great positive impact that music has caused socially at the time, It is still heard by many people today.Another junction composers that yielded a hit that became very famous was the of Frankie Storm, Mikkel Eriksen and Tor Hermansen. Names that are not so well known, but thanks to these three, many people can dance to "Don’t stop the music" of singer Rihanna. With a joyous and exciting lyrics, this song managed to attract listeners from around the world, Rihanna attracted more fans and more space in the music industry. This composition can be considered an anthem for those who love to listen to electronic music. Many singers were also great composers such as Mariah Carey and Amy Lee of Evanescence. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"> **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.5;">Influence of 90’s music on today’s music ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 1.5; text-align: center;"> Image credit link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/149539980/ <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;">The 90s were marked by the emergence of large grunge bands whose intention was not to become a commercial style as was happening with the hard rock bands and hardrock, this genre of alternative rock came from hardrock punk, heavy metal and indie rock a genre sarcastic and thirsty for freedom and disbeliever in labels expressed through letters addressing social alienation and clothing stripped.Big names stood out in this decade as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Nirvana and continue to influence future generations will be your time to rock era had its decline in the second half of the 90s, however these bands served as influences for bands like Audioslave band which appeared in 2001 consisting of members of bands like Soundgarden and Rage agaist the Machin which influenced the lifestyle of a generation.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Instruments that influenced the music ** Image credit link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/84829326/ <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In 90’s, the greatest names of music with albums already consecrated like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston were still on top. As Whitney, singers like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion emerged on romantic style, with predominance off guitars and keyboards on music. The 90’s decade was also marked by a growth of Hip Hop and Pop music, influencing the others styles. People begun to use specifics stereos to distort guitar’s sound (which was already being used by some older bands too), but the major innovation was the beats added on presentations made ​​by appliances mixing, popularizing DJs. Link Park and Coldplay are a good example of 90’s band that used technological stereos on their performances

**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> The culture, social, political and economic in U.S. during this period **

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The changes at the economy and the politic had influenced at the world music. The decade is seen as a time of great prosperity in the United States under the Presidency of Bill Clinton. The U.S economy experiences its longest period of peace time economic expansion during the decade beginning in 1991. Personal incomes doubled from the recession in 1990, and there was higher productivity overall. After the 1996 Welfare Reform Act there was a reduction of poverty. As the result, a rising of the middle-class was possible. With a better condition of life, a great part of the population had the opportunity to have things that would change their lives, like cars and fashion clothes. This change, however, maybe was the responsible to start a new style of living at the streets of the USA, changing, also, the music, promoting a style of the passed decade: The Gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. With some rude worlds, the songs usually had a critic to the police, exalting the style of middle class tens. But this style of music wasn’t acceptable for everyone. For the adults, in general, it was said that rap may destroy all the youth of the America and a feeling of fear about the future started to them. But this increasing at the economic promoted, also, the development of another ways of making music. With the reduction in the cost of equipment in the early 1990s the explosive growth of computers and the growing music technology, it became possible for a wider number of musicians to produce electronic music. Even though initially most of the electronic music was dance music, the genre developed in the 1990s as musicians started producing music which was not necessarily designed for the dance-floor but rather for home listening (later on referred to as "Electronic"). More technologies was used at the concerts and the new albums, for example, Dangerous of Michael Jackson and the tour of the album, one of the greats tours ever, and Madonna, with her album Ray of Light which experimented with electronic sounds.