Harlem Renaissance

Kathia Ramirez

Maurice Tut

Irvin

1920’sIn the 1920’s, there was something call “The Negro Movement” which was centered in Harlem

This movement had an impact on literature, drama, music, visual art, and dance

These changes were not of European or American styles, it was the black dignity and creativity which it merged from

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong was born in 1901 in New Orleans just in time to encounter the 1920’s

This family was poor and live in a place where people called it the “Back of Town

When he was about six, he would often hang out by a club called “Funky Butt” where he listened to the music and watched people dance

At eleven years old, he dropped out of school and sang on the streets for money

He was found by a cornet player and took him in, taught him how to play the cornet and that’s where Armstrong started his career

Career Highlights

Armstrong achieved many things in his life

He mostly played the trumpet/cornet and was known for his improvisation

He recorded many song and one of his famous pieces was “What a Wonderful World”

Not only was he famous for his music but also known for being on television and on films like in “Sleepless in Seattle”

He died of a heart attack after a show and his last word were ”I think I had a beautiful life”

Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born in April 1899 and was the most influential figure in jazz

Most of his family worked to have food on the table and mostly all of his relatives played the piano

Ellington got his nickname “Duke” when he was a child, it was because of his casual way of being

Duke started practicing the piano when he was eight and learned by listening to ragtime pianists

Once he was caught playing the piano by President Roosevelt

He got his money by playing jazz 4 people and was how he launched his career

Career Highlights

New dances like the Charleston were implemented and Duke would often compose music to go with the new dance

Duke was give the key to the city of Los Angeles in 1936

As Armstrong, he worked in some films not only sticking to music

Some of his famous pieces of music are “Mood Indigo” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing”

He was once awarded the Pulitzer Prize but turned it down because he did not want to become famous

Aaron Douglas

Aaron was born in May 1898 and was an American painter and a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance

Aaron received a B.A. degree from the University of Nebraska

Began his career by creating illustration for The Crisis and The Opportunity

He moved to Harlem in search for a new opportunity and a different lifestyle

He began studying with Winold Reiss who both work on The New Negro

This would help him develop the modernist style he was famous for

Career Highlights

He began working with W. E. B. DuBois helping young African painting to express their African heritage

He also made mural on Fisk University which were his most important works

Douglas was know for his abstract, unusual color and hard edged paintings which were often important