The music and art scenes in Brooklyn hold a rich and diverse history that plays a fundamental role in shaping American music culture. Music and art cohesively work together to display emotion, purpose and influence one medium on the other, with the ability to connect communities of people from different backgrounds and cultures through audio and visual languages. Brooklyn’s music and art scenes bring unify the borough with diversity, a melting pot and continually at the forefront of American culture.
Now, and in decades prior, music and art have become a way of life to the rhythm of Brooklyn, one that is kept alive and running by successive generations of immigrants and transplants from across the world and nation. The power of creativity is not just about entertainment, but about sparking a community to create change, awareness, freedom and unity, becoming a culture that exists as a city’s heartbeat.
The culture of art exploded in the early 1980s from street art, which put the spotlight on local talent, including TAKI 183 who entangled the graffiti movement, highlighting the power of making a statement and pushing extensive boundaries. In the 2000’s, the Brooklyn art scene got hotter with the digital age and the use of technology as a tool to present digital born art, increasing our understanding of unique characteristic features. Artists began collaborating and the rise of art hubs allowed for universal creativity. Today, art in Brooklyn is accessible and continually celebrated.
Music records the collective and diverse history of Brooklyn, spanning across genres and generations. In the 1920‘s, jazz became the central sound, evolving and influencing numerous genres to this day. By the 1960s and 70s, the borough became a hub for soul, funk and R&B, and by the 1990’s, the growth of hip hop culture continues national influence today. By the 21st century, the rise of music festivals including BRIC, Afropunk, Brooklyn Folk and Brooklyn Hip-Hop festivals – as well as dozens of cultural and smaller music festivals, parades and events – continuing to bring the borough together through all walks of life.
The West Indian Day parade has become one of New York’s major cultural celebrations and takes place on Labor Day to parade down the eastern parkway. West Indian culture trace their ancestors back to the Caribbean, where the island takes pride in multifaceted colorful dances, parties, and annual carnival celebrations.
With vibrant sequins and feathers, the parade highlights an extraordinary range of people and places that show all walks of life and the importance of unity. Caribbean art has become a diverse reflection of culture, seen in their costumes and elaborate face masks in a wide variety of styles inspired by natural and spiritual cohesive elements. The colorful traditions of Carnival and rich presentation of cultural identity has a boundless impact on the art that emerges through the historical parade that showcases pride, heritage, culture and the importance of identity.
Cultural identity has served as a catalyst for artistic expression, defined by music and art, allowing artists to explore their roots and traditions that serve as an intertwined visual language, creating a narrative that speaks to people of all ethnicities, religions and backgrounds. Not only does the West Indian Day parade attract a community for the annual celebration, it celebrates a bigger purpose of honor, respect, and support from the borough.
The Brooklyn Flea Record and Art Fair – held on Saturday, September 30, 2023 at the Marsha P. Johnson State Park – celebrated 12 years of vinyl treasures with over 40 labels, record stores and collectors. The impact and resurgence of vinyl records on the music industry has revolutionized the creation of music, distribution, consumption, and ultimately helped acknowledge the value of the music community. Vinyl allowed music to become more accessible, enabling a visually captivating and engaging representation that highlights a deeper appreciation for the overall experience of music.
The record fair celebrates the unity of both mediums, a way for people of all ages to come together to see vendors that also value the evolution of music over the ages. Including alternative, indie, rock, metal, jazz, classical, pop, blues and much more. Artists and music enthusiasts come together to appreciate the tangible experience of holding a physical record that connects them to the roots of music, enhancing the auditory experience that keeps the love for music alive.
Art and music go hand in hand, sharing a relationship that evokes an emotional response and involves elements of rhythm, harmony and texture that coexist with one another. Music and art are tools for communication, ingrained into the fabric of our society, our relationships and can be understood universally beyond culture and language.
The harmony between the two share narrative moments, they inspire and influence one another, that create a unique dynamic that allows music and art to become part of the culture. Art and music share an intertwining relationship that cohesively evokes emotions, community and promote creativity. Building a culture as seen in Brooklyn permits an exploration of identity, communication and reflects symbiosis between the two art forms.
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