Origin

Rebeca Hernández Mendoza

Rock emerged in the United States in the mid-1950s, as a result of the fusion of several popular musical styles at that time, mainly rhythm and blues (R&B), country and gospel.

This new rhythm combined the strength of African-American music with the simplicity of white country, resulting in an energetic, rebellious sound and very different from what was heard before.

The term «rock and roll» began to be used to describe this new form of music that made people want to dance and express themselves freely. At first, it was performed by African-American artists, but was soon adopted by white musicians who helped expand it among young audiences across the country.

Rock represented a profound cultural change, because it was not only a new type of music, but also a way to break social rules and express freedom.

Thus, rock was born as a mixture of cultures and sounds, becoming the voice of the youth of the 50s and laying the foundations of one of the most influential genres in the history of music.