The United States Navy is the world’s largest and most powerful naval force. Founded on March 27, 1794, the United States Navy has only increased in size since then, and it is now the third largest of the United States armed service branches. The United States Navy’s stated mission statement is,
“Recruiting, training, equipping, and organizing combat-ready naval troops to win battles and wars while ensuring security and deterrence through persistent forward presence.”
Sailors would use music to deal with life at sea and function as a coordinated group.
Sailors on Navy ships used to utilize songs to help them cope with life at sea. These songs are referred to as sea shanties, shantyman’s songs, or maritime labor songs.
They were traditional tunes sung to help with rhythmical work. When they were sung, they served to coordinate the crew’s efforts.
Musicians in the Navy proved useful in more ways than one.
As the United States Navy has expanded, many artists have joined its ranks. As these musicians performed at funerals and festivities, it was discovered that they improved the morale of not just sailors but also civilians.
Since 1794, musicians in the Navy have banded together to establish a variety of musical organizations.
The US Navy now has six performance ensembles: a ceremonial band, commodores, concert band, cruisers, country current group, and sea chanters.
The Sea Chanters’ enthralling performance went viral, garnering over 9.1 million views.
Back in 2014, five sailors in the sea chanters charmed the crowd with their performance. Their performance was part of the Avenue series for the United States Navy Memorial in Memorial Plaza in Washington, DC. Their music choices evoke the sounds of the Jersey Boys of the 1960s.
Despite the fact that the songs were from the 1960s, the audience enjoyed every minute of it.
Although the 1960s had long since passed, the tunes from the Jersey Boys that these sea chanters brought back to life delighted the crowd, bringing them to their feet as they rose from their seats and began to dance and sing along.
These guys were coordinated with musical beats, much like sailors chanting sea shanties.
Throughout the concert, the sea chanters took turns mounting the stage and belting out their solos in a balanced and coordinated manner, much like the old sailors did on their boats.
Jeshi la wanamaji la Marekani ndilo jeshi kubwa na lenye nguvu zaidi ulimwenguni. Ilianzishwa mnamo Machi 27, 1794, Jeshi la Wanamaji la Marekani limekuwa likiongezeka kwa ukubwa tangu wakati huo, na sasa ni tawi la tatu kwa ukubwa kati ya matawi ya huduma za silaha za Marekani. "Mafunzo ya jeshi la wanamaji la Marekani ni ""kuchagua, mafunzo, vifaa, na kuandaa vikosi vya wanamaji tayari kwa vita kushinda vita na vita wakati wa kuhakikisha usalama na kuzuia kupitia uwepo wa kuendelea mbele."" ""Wafanyakazi wa baharini watatumia muziki kushughulika na maisha baharini na kufanya kazi kama kikundi kilichopangwa." Mabaharia kwenye meli za Jeshi la Wanamaji walitumia nyimbo ili kuwasaidia kukabiliana na maisha baharini. Nyimbo hizo huitwa shanties za baharini, nyimbo za shantyman, au nyimbo za kazi ya baharini. Zilikuwa nyimbo za kitamaduni zilizochezwa ili kusaidia katika kazi ya mdundo. Walipoimbwa, walitumika kuratibu jitihada za wafanyakazi. Wanamuziki katika Jeshi la Wanamaji walithibitika kuwa wenye manufaa katika njia zaidi ya moja. Jeshi la Wanamaji la Marekani lilipokuwa likiongezeka, wasanii wengi wamejiunga nalo. Wakati wanamuziki hao walipokuwa wakicheza kwenye mazishi na sherehe, iligunduliwa kwamba waliimarisha hali ya kiroho ya mabaharia na raia pia. Tangu mwaka wa 1794, wanamuziki wa jeshi la wanamaji wamekuwa wakishirikiana kuanzisha mashirika mbalimbali ya muziki. Jeshi la wanamaji la Marekani sasa lina vikundi sita vya muziki: bendi ya sherehe, commodores, bendi ya maonyesho, cruisers, kundi la sasa la nchi, na chanters bahari. Maonyesho ya The Sea Chanters yalienea sana, yakipata maoni zaidi ya milioni 9.1. Mwaka 2014, wanamaji watano waliopiga wimbo wa bahari walivutia umati wa watu kwa maonyesho yao. Maonyesho hayo yalifanyika katika ukumbi wa ukumbusho wa jeshi la wanamaji la Marekani huko Memorial Plaza, Washington DC. Muziki wao unafanana na wa Jersey Boys wa miaka ya 1960. Ingawa nyimbo hizo zilikuwa za miaka ya 1960, watazamaji walifurahia kila dakika. Ingawa miaka ya 1960 ilikuwa imepita, nyimbo za Jersey Boys ambazo waimbaji hawa wa bahari walileta maisha yalifurahisha umati, ikiwaleta kwenye miguu yao walipoinuka kutoka kwenye viti vyao na kuanza kucheza na kuimba pamoja. Watu hao walipangwa kwa nyimbo, kama vile mabaharia wanaopiga nyimbo za baharini. Katika kipindi chote cha tamasha, waimbaji wa bahari walibadilishana juu ya jukwaa na kuimba solos zao kwa njia iliyosawazika na iliyopangwa, kama vile mabaharia wa zamani walivyofanya kwenye mashua zao.