The beat generation and its musical interaction

The world wars which radically affected the social life and thus paved way to new trends in the United States also created a new type of music culture. The model of life which was imposed on the American society by politicians and the media circles caused strong reactions among the youth while notions of anti-war and anti-establishment were gaining ground as well. Eventually, some writers and musicians at that time tried to find ways to cope with these feelings and pioneered new literary and musical styles against this authoritarian regime. A few prominent Afro-American musicians succeeded in creating a new style in jazz music called 'Bebop' in reaction to white Americans who wanted to control the music market with a view to use jazz only as entertainment means. Bebop was performed by some talented musicians such as Charlie Parker, Kenny Clarke and Dizzy Gillespie, a style that was based on improvisation which was impossible to imitate by others in order to preserve the true meaning of jazz which was deeper than just entertainment. By doing so, these musicians went beyond the boundaries of the present music culture to recapture the origins of jazz. This brand new and rebellious style deeply affected the young minds, who will later be regarded as the 'Beat Generation'. Under the light of these developments, the writers of this generation, who produced a new, bohemian and uncensored genre which also rejected the classical academic rules, played an outstanding role in the emergence of Rock 'n' Roll, which first initiated in the U.S. and later spread to England and other parts of Europe. This movement which bears 'a unique character of its own', and which can also be named as 'looking for individual freedom', became an essential part of what was called Western popular culture as of the 1950's. During the sixties, 'Rock 'n' Roll' and 'Teenage' culture which was triggered by the Beat Generation was taken over by the newly developing 'Hippie-Movement'. This then, turned into a counter-culture which was largely accepted by numerous youngsters who also got involved in Eastern philosophies, by means of which they intended to reach spiritual freedom using 'mind expanding' drugs. In the meantime, nationwide protests and anti-war demonstrations broke out when the U.S. got involved in the Vietnam War, eventually having impacts on new musical timbres and especially song lyrics. This period reached its peak with half a million people showing up at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969. The Beat Generation became a symbol of these changes and individual freedom, while their impact on social and popular culture will carry on for many years to come.