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Undergraduate Danz Courses in the Humanities: American Sabor/American Flavor: Latinos Shaping U.S. Popular Music

Fall 2006 Danz course instructed by Sara Goering (Philosophy) and Janelle Taylor (Anthropology).

The Danz Courses in the Humanities provide unique opportunities for University of Washington first-year students to engage in challenging, cross-disciplinary work. These courses introduce students to the study of the humanities (including literature, history, philosophy, cultural studies, and film) and build the intellectual foundation for a liberal arts education through the study of human thought, values, beliefs, creativity, and culture. Teams of talented faculty from diverse disciplines bring their perspectives to the Danz Courses in the Humanities, encouraging students to become active and creative learners within the university community. Offered for VLPA, I&S, and Writing credit, a Danz Course is offered Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters.

The Danz Courses in the Humanities are made possible by the generous financial support of Fredric Danz, a College of Arts and Sciences alumnus (‘40) and longtime benefactor of the humanities at the University of Washington with additional thanks to the Graduate School for their support of the graduate student teacher assistants.

Danz Course Archives

 


Winter 2008 • HUM 206 (VLPA, I&S, W, 5 credits)
Latinos Shaping U.S. Popular Music

Michelle Habell-Pallán (Women Studies)
Shannon Dudley (Ethnomusicology)

Course Website | e-flyer (pdf) | Undergraduate Advising Podcast

Latino contributions to popular music in the United States have too often been relegated to the margins of a narrative dominated by African and European Americans—an overly black and white view of our musical history. Latin music is often portrayed as an exotic resource for “American” musicians, as suggested by pianist Jelly Roll Morton's reference to "the Latin Tinge." This course turns that phrase and that perspective on its head. "American Sabor" addresses problems of cultural representation that concern an increasingly visible and influential community in the U.S.

We will document the roles of U.S. Latino musicians as interpreters of Latin American genres. We will also highlight their roles as innovators within genres normally considered indigenous to the U.S., such as rock and roll, R & B, jazz, country/western, and hip hop. The course distinguishes regional centers of Latino population and music production—exploring unique histories, artists, and musical styles. At the same time it draws out broader patterns of boundary crossing, language, social struggle, generational difference, racial/ethnic/class/gender identification, and other factors that shape the experiences of U.S. Latinos everywhere.

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