Unit 1: American Vibes (Terminale G6)

 Motown: The Music that Changed America

The document under study is an article from the BBC website published in 2019, written by Arwa Haider. It deals with the history of the famous African-American music label Motown.

We have learned that Berry Gordy created Tamla Records in 1959 that became Motown Record Corporation the next year. This music label produced iconic African-American artists such as Diana Ross, Steve Wonder, the Jackson 5… It was an influential label back then because it gained its identity with iconic artists with their proper styles. Moreover, the label helped them develop their talents. Besides, Motown had an impact on the music industry and inspired the rest of the world in its method. On top of that, Motown still impacts the music industry nowadays. In fact, contemporary artists such as drake sampled the famous songs produced by this label at the time to create original songs nowadays. It is very trendy today among American artists.

It is interesting to note that the name “Motown” is a portmanteau word that corresponds to the nickname of the city of Detroit “Motor Town” where the label was created.

At the time, this music label was countercultural as it was exclusively composed of a multicultural staff in an era when America was socially divided.

To conclude, music was always important for the producer because it has the power to unite and gather people together to a common passion.

Homework: Learn the lesson.