Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Winter 2024 11 Fraternity Education up and dancing Salsa! Salsa has been a popular form of music and dance since the 1970s and has spread in popularity all over the globe. e genre originated in mid-20th century New York and was influenced by Cuban and other Latin- American styles of music from the Caribbean. It was given the name "Salsa" by Johnny Pacheco, a musician and producer in the late 1960s, as an identifiable marker of the style of music. Salsa music is most easily defined by its rhythmic bell patterns created using claves and follows a 3-2 or 2-3 pattern. ere are many dance styles of Salsa, but the basic steps of Salsa are about shiing your weight forward and back — you step forward with your le, shi your weight to the right foot, step back together, then step back with your right foot, shi your weight to the le, and then step back together. It's really that simple! Karen taught us a few more moves to do and then shared with us videos of her dancing Salsa. Presentations paused for the summer and when we reconvened to plan our theme for this current term, we realized that there was still so much interest in presenting on the topic of Music of the Americas, that we just had to do a Part 2. Before we even le our meeting, four sisters had already volunteered to be presenters this year. We knew this would be another exciting year of learning and growing together. Our current term started in September with a presentation from our sister Stephanie William about American Slave Music. e roots of American slave music are traced back to the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the forced transportation of millions of African people across the Atlantic who were then enslaved in colonial America. As they traveled, slaves from different countries, tribes, and cultures would use singing as a way to communicate and identify kin and countrymen who were traveling with them. Once in America, it was illegal for slaves to learn to read or write, so music was one of the main forms of communication they used. ese songs were used to not only maintain a trace of their African heritage but to help pass the time of their labor in the fields, while also expressing their dreams and celebrations. When the Underground Railroad became popular, these songs began to be used as communication in ways such as "signal songs," which told the slaves when it was safe to escape, and "map songs," which told people where to meet. ese songs were based on gospel so that the slave owners wouldn't suspect a thing. A famous example of these songs is Wade in the Water, which tells the slaves to wash their clothes and hide in the water to rid their clothes of their scent when being chased. Another example of these songs is Follow the Drinking Gourd, which instructed the slaves to leave in the Spring and use the Big Dipper constellation to find Polaris (the North Star) and follow it to freedom. From American Slave Music, many other genres have formed including Jazz and Blues, which are seen as true American folk music, but were shunned in classical music. Jazz rose in popularity in the early to mid-20th century and can be seen featured in movies and musicals, and was featured in the opera Porg y and Bess, by George Gershwin. Antonin Dvorak even stated at one point "any serious American composer should be basing their sound on African American spirituals if they want to be successful in the future." However, at the time, this was not well received as many still viewed the African American people as inferior. To this day, many Black musicians who play crucial roles in Jazz, Gospel, R&B, Hip-Hop, and other popular styles still face hurdles in classical music. Stephanie's powerful presentation on this history was an incredible start to our year and increased our appreciation for the history and roots of American Slave Music. HEARING continued on page 20 At top, Roxann Ferguson sings a series of American At top, Roxann Ferguson sings a series of American Jazz pieces accompanied by Karen Tobias. Jazz pieces accompanied by Karen Tobias. Above, Jackie Tilles plays a Native American Above, Jackie Tilles plays a Native American flute song during her presentation flute song during her presentation on Native American Music. on Native American Music.

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