“ROCK” … AS A MUSICAL GENRE: THE PERCEPTIONS & MISCONCEPTIONS

Music, the grandest –and the oldest art in existence, characterized by producing pleasant percussive and tonic sounds either with instruments or voices or both, definitely is the greatest and the most phenomenal art-form known to man. Music is actually both physical and spiritual, as it appeals to the supernatural and to the human person. Music communicates, expresses, eulogizes, soothes emotions, and in most cases entertains, thereby attracting bodily responses referred to as “dance”. Some music make you meditatively quiet, some make you dance, while some just make you reel about, as you heartily gesticulate, ‘possessed’ by the ‘feelings’ of that very song or piece.

Apparently, considering the various purposes of music as mentioned above –besides “entertainment, pleasure and dance”, it naturally implies that music comes in different STYLES OF PRESENTATION, referred to as GENRE.  Another fact worth noting is that these genres are somewhat tied to the diverse cultures of society. In other words, each culture –or people have a distinctive musical genre quite traditional to them. However, they say culture is shared. Therefore, our interaction with the myriads of cultures of our world exposes us to the various genres inherent. Nevertheless, musical genres are characterized by the peculiarities in the rhythm, vocal attitude –and of course, the accompanying instruments. Thus a musical genre can be identified by the instruments used, as well as the singing (vocal) attitude. The major musical genres range thus:

“Country”…a type of gentle, expressive and eulogizing, melodic ‘lullaby’ music; uses acoustic and/or Hawaiian guitars; the vocal attitude often sounding emotive. It was developed in North America by the countryside ranchers known as the ‘cowboys’ –hence the name “Country Music”. Don Williams, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Skeeter Davies are icons here.

 “Salsa”…the rhythmic, hybrid form of entertaining folk music developed by freed slaves of the Central American islands (The Caribbean) of African descent; ‘Hybrid’ because it fuses African percussion and vocals with the imperial Spanish musical tradition and language. Laba Sosse, Los Lobos and Miguel Quintana are icons of Salsa.

 “Classical Music”…Said to be the grandest and the most elitist form of music; traditional to Europe --Eastern Europe to be precise; commencing around the classical age (15th Century AD till date). Classical music involves virtuoso instrumentation as an orchestra, and four-part groomed and polished voices arranged as a choir, using scored scripts. Instruments involve the strings (violin, viola, cello and double bass), as well as the woodwinds (flute, piccolo, clarinet, oboe, trumpets, trombone, French horn, tuba, etc). The Organ, the grand piano and the harpsichord are the major keyboards, while the cymbals, the tambourine, the triangle and the Timpani comprise the percussion. When only instruments perform, it’s called the ‘symphonies’.

When the full choir performs, it’s called the ‘Chorals’. Orthodox Church hymnals –or the theme song for the UEFA Champion league are examples of classical music. G.F Handel, W.A Mozart, L.V. Beethoven, J.S Bach, and many more, all are notable ‘masters’ here.

“Jazz”…the type of expressive ‘band music’ developed in North America by Blacks; often in instrumentals, usually involving Trumpet (in the early years) and the much preferred smooth alto Saxophone (in the later years). Jazz is characterized by its distinctive chords, apart from the traditional triad chords in conventional  music; and its progression is seemingly dynamic as it tends to quickly vamp ‘up and down and sideways’, with the cymbals tapped to produce a cheerful percussion. However, in the late 60s and early seventies, the slower “classical Jazz” came into the scene, involving the European classical music orchestra but with saxophone, and notably, the invoking, often ‘semi-toned’ and ‘pitch-bent’ vocal attitude (definitely traced to the Zulu and Xhosa people of Africa).  Nat king Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Washington and Louis Armstrong are popular names in this aspect.

However, in our contemporary age, more genres have evolved: R&B, BLUES and POP (UK and North America); HIP-POP (USA-Blacks); REGGAE (Jamaica) HIGHLIFE (West-Africa); SOUKUS (Central Africa) ROCK’N ROLL (UK and North America) which eventually birthed the most controversial of all genres: ROCK! No doubts there had been mixed perceptions and conceptions about this uniquely cheerful, robust –yet intricate genre: ROCK. Why?

ROCK! : THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL CONTEMPORARY MUSICAL GENRE

The first questions perhaps are: what characterizes ROCK music, how is it identified? Who ‘began’ ROCK music and when? To who is ROCK peculiar –and why has it generated more controversy as regards its general acceptance by the larger society?

 Perhaps we start straight with the last question. However, we might have to separate “CONCEPTS” from the raw “ART-FORM” itself. Earlier, we noted that the diverse musical genres are akin to the cultures that evolved them. And we cannot talk culture without talking religion. Therefore a given culture naturally uses their traditional music in every public square festival of theirs, as well as in their religious worship. Now one cannot assert that a given religion owns the musical genre within its sphere, no. Why?

Firstly, the same music is used by the same people for their other fanfare social activities. Secondly, the same deity is approached elsewhere with another genre of music akin to that particular culture! This apparently posits that the musical genres are art-creations of the human species, employed in every engagement of theirs! For example, the Indians use the HINDI CLASSIC FOLK music to approach their marine deities. (We know how the native Indian music sounds). Here in Africa –in our villages, we see the marine deity worshipers use the native pot, metal gong, clappers and wooden flute (oja) to invoke their deities. (Now this fact does not make these native African instruments ‘eerie’ or fetish.

The native musical instruments are simply traditional to Africa. In fact we still enjoy their use even in Christian worship today.) The musical genres are indeed art-creations of the human species, employed in their diverse engagements!

ROCK as an art-form is a musical art-creation of humans – North Americans. And it has come to be North America’s traditional music –particularly the whites. ROCK can as well be traced to the Australasia down south –and to the UK proper up north, recalling that Britain is ancestral to both North America and Australia in particular. However, Britons do more of the mellow folk-Rock known as “Rock’N Roll”. The Smokies, The Beatles, Middle of the Road, all are notable British bands in this regard.              

 However, full scale ROCK holds sway as theme songs in every activity that is traditional to North America: the WWF wrestling arena being a typical example, as one rock piece or the other introduces the Wrestlers. Nearly all contemporary white musicians from North America today do ROCK, though the “ROCKing” varies in degrees, much as we have variations in ROCK, generally classified as the SOFT & HARD ROCKS.

 Incidentally –and most naturally, ROCK –extreme HARD ROCK is the music you find in rites of those involved in the much talked about Church of Satan worship in North America. Remember, ROCK is North America’s traditional music. This development, however, seems to be the sad bridge, the misconception and the generalized notion that has hitherto sacrificed the ROCK genre away to Satanism! This is why this article began with establishing the background to music at large, and how the cultures (peoples) determine the genres.

Similarly, considering the “raw art-form” versus the “concept” juxtaposition, ROCK is equally employed in gospel songs coming from North America, and recently from other parts of the world –including our Nigeria. “Gospel” is a ‘concept’, not a ‘genre’. Thus we hear gospel hits coming in Reggae form, in Salsa form, as Hip-pop, as Blues (often in worship) and most definitely, as SOFT or HARD ROCK! Songs by popular Grammy award winner Michael W. Smith; the band “We La-vish”; Darlene Czech, and a whole others come as ROCK. Iyke Onka seemingly introduced ‘GOSPEL-ROCK’ in Nigeria with the track “Another Miracle”. Today we see many Nigerian gospel musicians notably Frank Edward meddling with the ROCK genre.

 However, the Nigerian secular music sphere is still largely –and rigidly ruled by recycled ‘party beats’: the Etigis, the Azontos, the Skelewus, and what have you, all of which are even seemingly sending the first love of the contemporary Nigerian secular sphere (Reggae / hip-pop) back to the Americas! Much as some fine, self-motivated bands in the Nigerian urban are performing ROCK, they are scarcely known. This cannot be the sheer black man mentality thing, no, because every other musical genre has found a home in Nigeria. ROCK remains one genre that is still largely exotic to many. Is this tied to beliefs and notions; or is it about the intricate, high proficiency demands of performing ROCK? The later part of the question takes us to IDENTIFYING what makes Rock “ROCK!”

 ROCK MUSIC… WHAT CHARACTERIZES IT

Earlier, we established that each genre has its peculiar attributes as regards the musical instruments used, and the vocal attitude employed. ROCK is no exception. Mostly in the elaborate Metallic or HARD ROCK, we find the use of electric guitars, the power rock or overdrive guitars, and the ever cheerful twelve-string guitars that sound like the handy acoustic guitars but in a higher, more cheerful form and pitch.

There are also the instrument synthesizers to bring up that ‘elaborate’ feeling. It is not about having the guitars, but about the high proficiency demands of their play. We are talking live performance, not studio works that often use stored templates already synthesized and virtually stored by certain virtuosos.

The lullaby-sound-like electric guitars, the ones with pitch-bending gears attached (said to be developed by the MIT scholar, the lanky Tom Scholz (leader of the legendary band, BOSTON) happen to be one distinctive feature in ROCK MUSIC. Many tend to ‘faint’ at the ‘cry’ of the pitch-bending electric guitars. It could be heard ‘dialoging’ with Celine Deon in her song “Think twice”. It equally came at the beginning of KIM KARNES’ song “Along with the Radio”. The ‘vibrating’ overdrive-guitars usually come in as interludes. The twelve-string is usually a continuous part of every ROCK piece progression.

Then comes the distinctive vocal attitude. This is where ROCK stars are separated from other musicians. Some vocals come smooth, like the Fleetwood Mac, or that of the late iconic, high-pitched Bradley Delp of the popular Band, BOSTON.  Some other ROCK vocals come raspy and snarly. KIMberly Karnes and Brian Johnson of the Australian band AC-DC are notable examples. However, ROCK is generally characterized by such broad, coarse, ‘growling’ yet exciting vocal attitude. This is where legends like Bruce Springsteen (consider his song “Trapped”, and his duet lines with Stevie Wonder in the popular all star-cast song “we are the world”) hold sway. Brian Adams is a recent example. Today we hear of Robert Plant and Chris Cornnel as notable ROCK vocalists.

Something else distinctively exciting about ROCK vocals is the quick ‘top-to-down scale’ tradition of the musical notes of usually the last word in a line or in a verse. A typical example of this singing style could be heard in the star performance ‘I surrender’, by Billtop Music …particularly in the lines, “Lord have your way…”.

 The ROCK drum kits are full-core, with toned tom-drums and a lively snare-drum; of course with the hi-hats and the bass-drums. Definitely there is a bass guitar and a rock-organ (Keyboard). Rock is usually in the 4/4 time signature, usually starting soft with the twelve-string guitars and background rock-organs and hi-hat tapping from the drummer, and of course, some softened, free timed, speech like voicing (termed parlando in music). Smokies’ “Living next door to Alice” is an example of this approach. In most hardcore ROCK, it soon progresses to a full blown ensemble; takes the overdrive interlude (while still loud) and suddenly drops like short burst of thunderstorm, with the twelve-string ‘resuming’ the act like rain droplets after a sudden heavy down-pour. It soon takes a crescendo and blows loud again and may either fade in that mode or on a sudden drop, with the twelve-string and softened or growled voice ending it all.

ROCK hardly uses the horns (woodwind), though in some recent slow-rock pieces, one gets to hear soprano sax (often synthesized to fit into the ‘rugged’ tonal texture of rock). This could be likely heard in Phil Collins’ “I wish it could rain now”. In fact it formed the rondo signature in Kim Karnes’ “Along with the Radio”.

When it comes to the stage attitude of ROCK performance, it is no different from seeing a pure breed musician on stage. How he/she responds to the haunting ‘invocations’ of the ensuing music, or how he/she eventually flows with the full scale music in progress … all are ‘reflex-actions’, somewhat. The difference is that most Rock performers do carry guitars (ROCK is guitar centered; the vocalists share the 4 to 5 different guitars amongst themselves, depending on who plays which). However, there is always the main lead vocalist. The ‘reflex’, responsive expressions of virtuoso guitarists in the thick of live performances are better seen, not told!              

Nevertheless, something else does connote most ROCK stage performances: a combination of the smoke and burn-fire thing – together with the dense, robust and heavy progression (as in HARD, METAL ROCK) together with the stage displays (and sometimes outlooks of its performers –depending on their religious background), all had but heightened the skeptical views many hitherto have about ROCK. But the MUSICAL FORM must be separated from the CONCEPTUAL USE! Besides such repulsive religious undertones (depending on who is performing) ROCK, nevertheless, as a contemporary musical genre remains a cheerful, attractive, yet intricate and demanding musical art-form of taste for the musically proficient. It continues to haunt all that appreciate it. Like every other genre, it can find a USEFUL home in Nigeria.

CONCLUSION

ROCK music is a uniquely cheerful, robust –yet intricate contemporary-music genre; a form of popular music with a prominent vocal melody accompanied by cheerful twelve-string acoustic guitars, electric guitars, bass guitar and a lively, full-scale drum-kit. However, keyboard instruments such as organ, piano and synthesizers are also employed in ROCK.

ROCK music usually has a strong back beat, and often revolves around the guitar, either solid electric, hollow electric, or acoustic.

 Traced to have rooted in the days of Bob Dylan in the 50s and 60s (though as ROCK AND ROLL), and the band LED ZEPPELIN in the 70s, many styles of rock music have continued to evolve, mostly in line with digital technology and inventions; much as many notable bands and individual performers continue to thrill the musical world.  Though indirectly mentioned on several occasions in the course of this paper, one would take time to mention the names –individuals and bands that have made waves in ROCK, as a musical genre. In no particular order, we have:

BOSTON (USA) band

THE BEATLES (UK) band

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (USA) solo

LED ZEPPELIN (USA) band

SIMON AND GARFUNKEL (folk rock) (USA) band

MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK (MLTR) (USA) band

AC-DC (AUSTRALIA) Band

CHRIS CORNELL (USA) solo

KANSAS (USA) band

BRIAN ADAMS (CANADA) solo

KIM KARNES (one-lady-riot) (USA) solo

THE SMOKIES (UK) band

COOPER BROTHERS (CANADA) band

SHANIA TWAIN (USA) solo

FLEET WOOD MAC (USA) band

THE EAGLES (USA) band

……………………………..

I reserve the last slot for a soon-to-evolve full-scale Nigerian Band that will do ROCK in line with our positive, moral values and belief system. We can. We shall!

--Francis Duru II