Final Project

1. Listen to other songs written during the early 1960s that featured Latin-American musical influences. Using independent research, write a one-page history of a song of your choice from the list below. Which Latin American rhythms, percussion, or other sounds does this song incorporate? What team of songwriters wrote the song, and what were some of their other compositions? How successful was the recording in terms of its chart position, award nominations, or covers by other artists?

·         The Diamonds - “Little Darlin” (1957)

·         Ben E. King - “Spanish Harlem” (1960)

·         The Drifters - “Sweets for My Sweet” (1961)

·         The Drifters - “Up on the Roof” (1962)

·         The Drifters - “Save the Last Dance for Me” (1962)

·         The Drifters - “Under The Boardwalk” (1964)

·         The Isley Brothers - “Twist & Shout” (1962)

·         The Crystals - “Uptown” (1962)

·         Jay and the Americans - “Come A Bit Little Closer” (1964)

·         The Crystals - “Then He Kissed Me” (1965)

2. Design a poster board to display a Latin-American dance style, such as the Mambo, the Rumba, the Cha Cha, or the Conga. Choosing one dance, independently research the physical dance steps and the musical accompaniment. Gathering primary sources, poster boards should include album covers, movie posters or still shots, advertisements, or any other sources that point to the popularity of their chosen dance style during the 1950s. Questions to consider include:

·         Which musicians were known to play this style of music?

·         What famous performers were associated with this style of dance?

·         Did the dance appear in any major film or television productions? Consider shows like I Love Lucy and West Side Story.

3. Assign students to read Handout 4: Review of a Machito Concert, as reviewed by music journalist Jerry Wexler. Explain that Wexler later became an esteemed music producer who helped guide the careers of such artists as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and the Drifters. Also in the audience at the Palladium the night of Wexler’s review was trumpeter and bandleader Dizzy Gillespie, who became a major proponent of Afro-Cuban style Jazz in the 1940s and 50s.

Conduct independent research into the careers of Wexler and Gillespie. What evidence can you find that indicates these two individuals were influenced by Latin American music? How might they have been inspired by artists such as Machito, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodriguez? What work did they produce that reflected this inspiration? Write a one-page response, citing examples from the lesson and from independent research.

Research Cyril Davies, Alexis Korner, or Long John Baldry, focusing on what these musicians did to inspire groups associated with the British Invasion like the Rolling Stones, the Animals, and the Yardbirds.

Ask students to create a timeline of key events in Liverpool during and immediately after World War II, as well as in the early lives of the Beatles, using pictures to illustrate key events.

Closure: S. present group projects to class.