The History of the Human Voice
The human voice is perhaps the root of all musical instruments. All pitched instruments that we know and love today, spawn from the ability of the human singing voice. Best of all, every human being is born with the ability to express their thoughts and emotions through speech and/or singing.
From Gregorian Chant to Slave work songs, the human voice is a necessary component in virtually all styles of music. Throughout Medieval and Classical times, the singing voice was found in Operas and Choirs. The style of singing was very structured and began to take flight in the Romantic era (1800 -1900). In this era the use of vibrato in the voice was first found. The music of this era focused on drama and emotion. This style of singing had a very important role in the evolution of opera and piano/voice duets. Also around this time, women were permitted to sing in operas and the like. Prior to this, men and boys were the main voices heard. The Castrati (castrated males) would sing the soprano (high range) parts.
Arguably the most important root in the evolution of vocal music is the African American. African American slaves brought with them a very unique style of singing. Using these songs and spirituals as a survival mechanism from the torment they endured as slaves, gave this music a raw human element. This music was pure cathartic expression and the epitome of what vocal music should be. The music alone was strong enough for an entire culture to endure hundreds of years of torture and labor. It kept them alive and moving forward in the travesty we call slavery.
When you mix the structured knowledge of European harmony with the raw human emotion of African American music, you unleash a force to be reckoned with. These forces gave root to the blues, R and B, Rock and Roll, and pop music. In turn, this hybrid of styles eventually spawned into modern rock, rap, and hip-hop music.
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