One of the most prominent figures in the Harlem Renaissance was by the name of Duke Ellington. The Harlem Renaissance was an extraordinary expansion in social, intellectual, and artistic aspects in the 1920s for the African-American community. The Harlem Renaissance was very significant because it marked a moment when white America started recognizing the intellectual contributions of African Americans. Duke Ellington apart from many others rose against the whites’ and made history for all African Americans, not only in the music industry but rather the sociological and racial atmosphere as well.
Duke Ellington was born on April 29, 1988, in Washington D.C. He grew up in a middle-class family that showcased a strong case of racial pride. His family encouraged him to further pursue his interest in fine arts, especially taking into consideration that his mother also played the piano, and thus he began studying piano at the young age of seven, under the supervision of his mother. Ellington attended Armstrong Technical High School where he studied art. He grew fond of studying art during his high-school years, and he was awarded a scholarship to the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York, but he did not accept it. Instead, through the inspiration of other ragtime performers, he began playing professionally at the age of 17.
Duke Ellington’s music career took off and he became very popular. He began playing at the widely known Cotton Club. Cotton Club was prominently a “whites only” club, so the fact that he performed there was progress in breaking down racial barriers. Ellington toured Europe in 1933 and 1939 and appeared in many films and radio shows. But his life was not quite as easy as it sounded. Other than the racial issues, he had other problems. His band wasn’t easy to assemble. He went through a lot of trouble, obstacles, and hard work to assemble his band. Still, Ellington won many awards, such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Best Original Jazz Compilation, and many Grammy awards.
Ellington's passion for creating music and his players' interesting capacities and his assortment of temperaments were rare. His specific tune and his order of tactile structures, rhythms, and compositional structures changed over his regularly unpretentious, frequently complex recognitions into an assemblage of music unrivaled in jazz history. He diverted jazz music from being a type of excitement for the 'whites' to an advancement that brought about new workmanship developments crosswise over America. Customarily, Ellington spoke to the truth of the cruel and crude African American living in America through explicit jazz sounds, for example, the 'wilderness sound'. In addition to the fact that Ellington made advancements in melodic improvement amid the Harlem Renaissance, he additionally gained adequate ground in racial improvement using his music.
Duke Ellington, like many other artists during the Harlem Renaissance, embodied the raw energy and idealism of the movement, interpreting them into many different musical sounds representing his artistic expression. Ellington did not believe in the fact that his band was made up of different instruments, but rather it was made up of different individuals. Contradicting other artists who combined the different instruments into one voice, Ellington wrote music that allowed for the unique style and skills of his band members to shine through and play against each other.
For the youth, Ellington embodied the transcendence of the traditional approaches of jazz music. He built the foundation for jazz music and basically became the epitome of the entire movement. He changed music into a form of expression that allowed for the representation of African Americans to rise through. He was essential in breaking the stigma that viewed jazz as only being a form of entertainment for whites. Ellington allowed his music to connect the different relationships in society as well as create a combined society of whites and African Americans who both were able to enjoy this dominant musical style.
Ellington is considered one of the main artists that allowed for the rise and growth of the success of jazz in society. His efforts have led to him receiving the respect of other leading musicians and allowed him to be recognized for his efforts through his receiving many awards and magazine covers.