Voice Types in the American Public Imagination
Different voice types have different iconographical functions in the United States. To understand this we can examine how the public has come to understand soprano voices (the highest voices in the female range) and black contralto voices (the lowest voices in the female range).
In recent American history, the female soprano voice serves a unifying function. One of modern time’s greatest sopranos, Whitney Houston, was one such unifier. In 1991, ten days in the Persian Golf War, Houston emerged into Tampa Stadium before 73, 813 fans. 115 millions viewers tuned in to watch as Houston performed the national anthem and a flyover of F-16 jets from an Air Force base. The performance served to unify the nation behind a military effort to expel Iraqi troops from Kuwait.
Beyoncé’s mezzo-soprano has been used in a similar fashion. When we think back to the 2008 inauguration of Barack Obama, we remember that the 1st couple’s 1st dance was to the tune of “At Last,” originally by Etta James bother sung by Beyoncé. As the first black President ascended to the highest office of the land, Beyoncé’s voice and song speak out to the feeling of love happening at last, but also the dream of black political power and the hope of change. During Obama’s 2nd inauguration, Knowles would take to the stage to perform the national anthem and unite the country once again.
Female contralto voices, on the other hand, with their allusions to masculinity and husky rattlings disrupt the national fabric. They tell us of hardships that need to be overcome. Rather than wash over society’s flaws, contralto voices have the power to show us the places where society is in desperate need of improvement.
Nina Simone is one such contralto voice. Her songs “Mississippi Goddamn” and “Four Women” speak to the the consternation of black America during the Civil Rights Moment and the plight of black women in particular, respectively. Simone uses her voice to great effect making listeners confront American societal failures. Her contemporaries, like Fannie Lou Lou Hamer, an American voting and women’s rights activist, sang “This Little Light of Mine,” a hopeful song about fully embodying yourself. Her deep voice and musical arrangement conjures the history of slave songs, giving context to the 60’s civil rights movement by reminding us of the history that delivered us there!
In more modern times, artists like Lauryn Hill have taken over the mantle of contralto voices. Inspired by the events in Ferguson and the shooting of Michael brown, Lauryn Hill released a song entitled Black Rage, which interpolated “My Favorite Things” by Rogers and Hammerstein from The Sound of Music. She recalls the three-fifths clause from America’s slavery history as well as the sexual violence of slavery. By reminding herself of her people’s history, she “doesn’t fear so bad” what is coming next. The weightiness of her timbre gives weightiness to her subject matter, forcing the listen to confront the truth.
By analyzing what role different voice types serve in our culture, we glean a better understanding of why certain artist occupy certain roles in the public imagination. It also helps us better consider how we might use our voices. Gone understudied within this particular blog post is the intersection of womanhood and blackness as they pertain to this particular set of artists! Please think deeply on how that angle might apply here as well.
