The African-American Diaspora may have been brought about for unjust reasons, stemming from the transatlantic trade, but along with the thousands of African-Americans came a wave of Blues, Jazz, Gospel, and what is now considered R&B music that heavily influenced music in both the United States and UK. This new music was an interpretation of what it meant to be a Black American and it quickly diffused into the culture of the time to create a very new genre and culture.
Like any other music genre there was a distinctive culture that started. First came the Teddy Boys, followed by the Ton-up Boys, which led to the Rockers and then the Mods. Musically all of them were quite similar following what was heavily influenced by the African-American Diaspora. This was a connection between all of the subcultures, despite having slightly different tastes in style and fashion. The music obviously shared many of the same traits over time starting in the late 1940s right after World War II continuing to the newly evolved identity of the Mods.
Despite slight differences between the subcultures, they all had one common connection aside from the music: they were all young subcultures in search of a new identity. From the Teddy Boys to the Mods, all of these young people were looking for something new and when you compare the different subcultures they really aren’t all that different. Much of the culture came from similar connections such as the introduction of motorcycles and motorized scooters, as well as common amphetamine use. It may not seem like there are many nuances between subcultures but fashion and other aspects of their culture varied greatly. For example, the original Teddy Boys modeled their fashion after the upper class, while the evolution that came to Rockers brought more of a leather jacket and motorcycle style.
This rebellious new culture was also slightly fueled by media attention, which is what any of the subcultures were actually fine with because it recognized the enormity of the new culture. These cultures, which all started from the African-American Diaspora, developed into a prominent genre that encompassed far more than the combination of the Blues, Jazz, Gospel, R&B, and Rock that continues to be relevant decades later.
Like any other music genre there was a distinctive culture that started. First came the Teddy Boys, followed by the Ton-up Boys, which led to the Rockers and then the Mods. Musically all of them were quite similar following what was heavily influenced by the African-American Diaspora. This was a connection between all of the subcultures, despite having slightly different tastes in style and fashion. The music obviously shared many of the same traits over time starting in the late 1940s right after World War II continuing to the newly evolved identity of the Mods.
Despite slight differences between the subcultures, they all had one common connection aside from the music: they were all young subcultures in search of a new identity. From the Teddy Boys to the Mods, all of these young people were looking for something new and when you compare the different subcultures they really aren’t all that different. Much of the culture came from similar connections such as the introduction of motorcycles and motorized scooters, as well as common amphetamine use. It may not seem like there are many nuances between subcultures but fashion and other aspects of their culture varied greatly. For example, the original Teddy Boys modeled their fashion after the upper class, while the evolution that came to Rockers brought more of a leather jacket and motorcycle style.
This rebellious new culture was also slightly fueled by media attention, which is what any of the subcultures were actually fine with because it recognized the enormity of the new culture. These cultures, which all started from the African-American Diaspora, developed into a prominent genre that encompassed far more than the combination of the Blues, Jazz, Gospel, R&B, and Rock that continues to be relevant decades later.