The Los Angeles Mix-Tape Project

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Music has a marvelous ability to be correctly perceived by the people regardless of their culture, language, or country. Moreover, music can represent a place, reflect its inhabitants’ values, and be a tool to explore history. Neighborhoods, cities, and entire countries have their musical genres and flows that reflect the culture and make it available to de discovered by foreigners. Some of them include many small musical flows that together form the society’s portrait. Los Angeles is full of creative people and cultural minorities, and musical genres can change from soft surf sounds to hard rock from one neighborhood to another (Kun 185). The music of that city reflects essential American values such as freedom and reveals its inhabitants’ lifestyle throughout history.

Prosperous neighborhoods of Los Angeles include many societies with different cultures and values they represent through their compositions. The genres varied throughout history and were mostly influenced by Californian widespread flows, such as folk in the 1970s, West Coast rap in the 1980s, and nu-metal in the early 2000s (Ozyurtcu 21). However, some flows were established, particularly in Los Angeles, and remain in its modern culture. Surf music is an excellent example of the culture formed in the city and developed with its changes. This paper aims to discuss how the surfing movement’s songs reflect Los Angeles’s culture through its history and prove that the chosen genre represents the city.

The “Los Angeles is Singing” essay written by Josh Kun in 2015 describes the city’s most popular songs and genres. The author maps the neighborhoods and provides a brief history of why specific musical flows were established in those places (Kun 190). Moreover, the songs about Los Angeles are listed in the article and show how people value the city and its traditions. As one of the most attractive city’s attributes, Surfing is mentioned in multiple compositions and highlights the importance of surf music for tourists and inhabitants (Kun 186). The essay encourages the readers to discover Los Angeles history via the songs about it and pay attention to the popular music flows in different periods.

The statements from “Los Angeles is Singing” support the thesis that cultures like surf music reflect the city through history. Other arguments can admit that songs written and performed by surfers represent Los Angeles, and the genres’ changed due to the novelties of life in the chosen place. First, weather conditions, prosperous beaches, and the ocean attract tourists worldwide, and surfing is one of the most exciting activities to do in the city. People worldwide associate Los Angeles with doing that sport, wearing a swimsuit, and listening to relaxing and uplifting music (Ozyurtcu 27). These pictures are the main motives of almost every surfing song, and it confirms the connection between the city and the beach-based lifestyle culture.

Moreover, influenced by the California sound, songs of the late 1960s were dedicated to freedom, sunshine, and catching the waves while surfing. Los Angeles is significant for the state, therefore is novelties of the music culture rapidly became popular. The music reflected the city’s rhythm, new genres were assimilated by the citizens and integrated into the communities such as the surfers. The songs of the 1960s were played in folk genres, then rock sounds implemented in the 1970s, disco tunes took place in the 1980s, and minor flows of West Coast rap and nu-metal influenced the music of Los Angeles (Ozyurtcu 23). All these novelties impacted surfers’ movement, and, for example, famous Surfaris’ “Wipe Out” rock composition represents the surfing culture.

Los Angeles’ bands and their songs that stood in the surf music’s origins prove that the movement reflects the city’s culture. The Beach Boys are the most significant artists who influenced surf music in the early 1960s. Their album “Little Deuce Coupe,” released in 1963, is full of songs praising the Los Angeles beach lifestyle and shows what young men valued in that historical period. For example, the “Cherry, Cherry Coupe” song lyrics define the importance of aesthetics in everything. The Beach Boys (1963) sang “The wildest short around is my cherry, cherry coupe; It’s one of a kind, and it looks really good; Chopped nose and deck with louvers on the hood.” New artists inspired by the Beach Boys will perform with similar songs revealing the city life, people’s values, and enjoyment of surfing, but in the genres that assimilated with surf music.

Surf songs about Los Angeles is another evidence of the strong connection between the city and the beach life movement. Bruce & Terry is a duo that performed in the 1960s, and their song “Summer means fun” represents the celebration of summer on the Malibu beach full of happy teenagers who do not need to study in that period (Bruce & Terry). The song’s uplifting rhythm provides listeners with a feeling of content and reflects the sunny mood of Los Angeles.

The song significant for the surfing culture is The Mamas & The Papas’ “California Dreaming.” The band performed in the folk genre, and the harmony of voices and music combination made them popular among surfers and worldwide. The Mamas & The Papas (1965) sang “I’d be safe and warm if I was in L.A.; California dreaming on such a winter’s day.” The song reflects the Los Angeles’ inhabitants’ love of the city’s warmth, and famous lyrics are often associated with California.

Los Angeles is a city that can be explored through its music and the genres that appeared and assimilated into the culture. Moreover, the neighborhoods have their own history, and songs helped them share it with others (Kun 182). Compositions of the coast and beach parts of the city were born in surf culture that is significant for Los Angeles. It represents the Californian values and reflects the citizens’ spirit of love and freedom (Kun 200).

The surfing songs’ lyrics are easy to perceive, they are mood-boosting and remind the listeners to enjoy the moment and take life in a relaxing manner. The most exciting concept of surf music is its ability to integrate with different genres: compositions played in folk, rock, disco, nu-metal, and even rap take place in that culture. These assimilations helped the culture survive through history and collect enough different songs representing Los Angeles of various periods.

Exploration of the surfing culture development in Los Angeles revealed its importance for the city’s portrait. Music can represent a place where it was born or reflect the moods and values of its inhabitants. Politics, economy, environment, and diversity changed through the history of California, however, the music praised the states’ values of freedom and fulfilling life. Surfing as a part of Los Angeles’ lifestyle is undividable from the culture, and the songs about that sport often mention the city, its views, and the benefits of living in it.

Works Cited

“Beach Boys – Cherry Cherry Coupe (1963).” YouTube, uploaded by Beach Boys Remembered. 2011. Web.

Kun, Josh. “Los Angeles is Singing.” LAtitudes: An Angeleno’s Atlas, edited by Patricia Wakida, Heyday Books, 2015, pp. 180-201.

Ozyurtcu, Tolga. “Living the Dream”: Southern California and Origins of Lifestyle Sport.” Journal of Sport History 46.1 (2019): 20-35. Web.

“The Mamas & The Papas – California Dreamin’ (1965).” YouTube, uploaded by TMTPMusic. 2010. Web.

“1964 Bruce & Terry – Summer Means Fun.” YouTube, uploaded by The45Prof. 2020. Web.

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The Los Angeles Mix-Tape Project

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