Musical Crossroads is an exhibition at our museum where history and culture intermingle, where music serves as the crossroads between the interpretation of musical styles and the traditions and the stories of cultural survival, individual accomplishment, and social progress. In the exhibit, and this Guide, we explore stories of musical genres and contextual themes that are integral sub-plots in the history of African American music.

Sacred music—spirituals and gospel—illustrates the central role music plays in African American spiritual and religious life. The earliest form of Black musical expression in America, spirituals merge Christian psalms and hymns with African music styles and secular American music forms. Originally an oral tradition, they impart Christian values while defining the hardships of slavery. The Fisk Jubilee Singers, a pioneering Fisk University group formed in 1871, awakened the world to spirituals.

Gospel music originated in the Black church and has become a globally recognized genre of popular music. In its earliest form, gospel music functioned as an integral religious and ceremonial practice during worship services. Now, gospel music is also marketed commercially and draws on contemporary, secular sounds while still conveying spiritual and religious ideas. Thomas Dorsey (1899-1993), commonly referred to as the Father of Gospel music, used this piano and bench at Pilgrim Baptist Church.

African American folk music links back to African cultural traditions. Stemming from field hollers, work chants, and game songs, folk music bursts with social commentary. Popular folk protest music spread in the 1960s, and its influence is still found within hip-hop today. In this photo, singers Harry Belafonte, Oscar Brand, and Joan Baez perform folk songs at the Alabama State Capitol during the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March for voting rights.

The blues form the foundation of contemporary American music and greatly influenced the cultural and social lives of African Americans. Blues diversified across the Mississippi Delta, Memphis, Chicago, & Southern Texas with each flavor featuring a uniquely identifiable sound and message. For example, Mississippi Delta blues illustrated the region’s poverty while celebrating its natural and cultural richness. Seminal blues artist Robert Johnson recorded one of only two albums at the Gunter Hotel.

African Americans have always played a significant role in the armed services’ military band tradition. In the Revolutionary War and Civil War, African Americans served in fife and drum corps. Musicians that played in military bands during WWI and WWII often incorporated modern musical styles, such as jazz, into their song selections. They also toured the US and Europe, entertaining civilian and military audiences alike. The Library of Congress preserves Sid Hemphill's fife and drums recordings.

Jazz evolved from ragtime, an American style of syncopated instrumental music. Jazz first materialized in New Orleans and is often distinguished by African American musical innovation. Multiple forms of the genre exist today, from the dance-oriented music of the 1930s big-band era to the experimental flair of modern avant-garde jazz. Born in Washington, DC, where a bridge now bears his name, Duke Ellington (in black tux) is recognized as one of the greatest jazz composers of all time.

The predecessor to soul music, R&B is another stylistically-diverse genre with roots in jazz, the blues, and gospel. R&B helped spread African American culture and popularized the idea of racial integration on the airwaves and in white society. Today’s R&B has assimilated soul and funk characteristics. Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul”, distinguished herself from other singers by recording a wide range of styles, exhibiting a keen musical curiosity and bringing intelligence to her craft.

Rock 'n' roll music incorporates elements from all African American music genres and combines them with American pop and country music components. The genre was born in the 1950s and appealed to the rebellious yearnings of American youth culture. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the “Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” rose to prominence in the 1930s as a pioneer of mixing “secular sounds,” such as electric guitar, with sacred lyrics. She performed at the 1967 Newport Folk Festival, then held at Festival Field.

Hip-Hop and rap are musical traditions firmly embedded in African American culture. Like jazz, hip-hop has become a global phenomenon and has exerted a driving force on the development of mass media. Hip-hop music spawned an entire cultural form, while rap remains a means for artists to voice opinions and share experiences regarding social and political issues. Home to Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash, the Bronx River Houses complex was the epicenter of the early development of Hip-Hop.