Master of Ceremonies

From ArticleWorld

The Master of Ceremonies (Also referred to as a MC) is considered to be the host of a staged event or similar performance. His job is, in most cases, to present the performers and to entertain the audience.

Origins

The term was its origins laid out in Roman Catholic Church. The Master of Ceremonies was the person responsible for organizing and rehearsing each mass and in some cases was also responsible for physical security in the area. His role was even more important when longer liturgies were held as he needed to make sure everything went according to plan.

The MC

In the seventies and eighties the MC (sometimes spelled emcee) was linked with hip hop music. Nowadays the term used for his position is “rapper”. In the past, an MC usually rhymed pre-written verses of just freestyle to introduce the performers and keep the crowd’s interest as high as possible. Because of these techniques the popular freestyle battles were invented. When linked with hip hop a person attending will rarely hear the full “Master of Ceremony” term. The common usage was in the abbreviation “MC”. The connection with the musical genre was first made in the Jamaican dance halls. The Master of Ceremony had a precise role in introducing the following act and he needed to take a toast (as a rap verse) in a fast paced style that was directly aimed towards the performers or the audience. People that migrated from Jamaica towards New York have taken with them the position and it eventually adapted to the new musical genre developed in the seventies. Nowadays the term MC is still being used in remote locations.