Music comes in many forms; most countries have a style of their own.
1
the turn of the century when jazz was born, America had no prominent
2
of its own. No one knows exactly when jazz was
3
, or by whom. But it began to be
4
in the early 1900s. Jazz is America"s contribution to
5
music. In contrast to classical music, which
6
formal European traditions, jazz is spontaneous and free. It bubbles with energy,
7
the moods, interests and emotions of the people. In the 1920s jazz
8
like America, and
9
it does today. The
10
of this music are as interesting as the music
11
. American negroes, or blacks, as they called today, were the jazz
12
. They were brought to southern states
13
slaves. They were sold to plantation owners and forced to work long
14
. When a negro died, his friends and relatives
15
a procession to carry the body to the cemetery. In new Orleans, a band often accompanied the
16
. On the way to the cemetery the band played slow, solemn music suited to the occasion.
17
on the way home the mood changed. Spirits lifted. Death had removed one of their
18
. But the living were glad to be alive. The band played
19
music, improving on both the harmony and the melody of the tunes
20
at the funeral. This music made everyone want to dance. It was an early form of jazz.