Painting by Sarah Fenwick
Jazz is a dynamic American art form celebrated for its spontaneity, freedom and skill. Jazz emphasises improvisation in which musicians create music in real-time and express individuality through personal stories. Jazz originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th century, where slaves would congregate on Sundays when they did not have to work. They would sing, play music and dance, swaying back and forth to the songs of their home countries. All of these musical styles blended to form a new genre called ragtime. Around the same time, former slaves from other parts of the American South brought the blues to Louisiana, combining spiritual music from the Baptist church with secular lyrics that told the painful stories of slaves' lives. When ragtime and the blues came together, it created a completely novel style of music. In the late 1890s syncopation joined with soulful melodies, upbeat dance tunes united with the sultry sound of brass instruments, and jazz emerged.