Various authors have varyingly explored the origins of the blues, as a genre, possibly because of its influence in modern-day music world. In fact, the blues significantly influence today’s music scene and it is common to find other music genres borrowing from the blues in terms of style, tunes, as well as other features. Nevertheless, the blues have emerged as a widespread genre since its inception in the United States in the early 19th century. It is believed to belong to the popular (commonly referred to as pop music) style of music. In addition, it is associated with African-American culture. This paper looks into the work of two authors (R. Palmer and W. Barlow) by comparing and contrasting their views about the origin of the blues as …show more content…
At the time, according to Palmer, one of the workers took the lead and others would join in. Palmer also brings about the aspect of popular culture in his description of the events leading to the blues’ origin. He claims that the tunes were popular in the south, which can be translated to mean that those living in the south (the blacks) used the songs to express themselves. Another common feature between Palmer and Barlow’s explanation of the origin of the blues music is that they note a strong influence by white culture by mid or late 18th century. Like Barlow, Palmer notes the association between the blues and folk in which the latter was converted to the former over time. Indeed, Palmer’s explanation of the blues’ origin notes that the emergence of common subjects including women and hard luck signified the process of folk songs becoming the blues. Such common subjects can be described as related to personal experiences, and Barlow noted this by explaining the blues’ standard form revolves around personal experience. This means the blues most probably originated out of experience African-Americans were subjected to and this formed the …show more content…
In addition, they agree that slaves from these regions carried with them their culture and started singing a type of genre that did not exist in the United States. However, as the groups from different linguistic cultures gathered and worked together, there was a telling influence giving rise to the blues. The two authors contrasted heavily while explaining the type of influence leading to the blues. On the one hand, Palmer associates the blues origin with country music. On the other hand, Barlow notes that the blues origin had to do with rural folk songs including African-American
As the United States entered the 1920's it was not as unified as one might think. Not one, but two societies existed. The Black society, whose ancestors had been oppressed throughout the ages, and the White society, the oppressors of these men and women. After emancipation the Whites no longer needed the Blacks, but were forced to live with them. The Blacks despised the Whites, but even so they became more like them in every way. Even though these two races had grown so similar over the past century and a half, they were still greatly diversified. One aspect of this great diversity was the difference in music trends. The White society was still in love with the European classical music. The Blacks on the other hand had created something all their own. Jazz, Blues, and Ragtime originated in New Orleans in the 19th century, but by the 1920's it had become famous throughout America. The Whites tried to suppress the Blacks with new laws, but the power of this strengthened race was too great. The Negro music of the 20th century had a huge affect ...
Blues music grew up in the Mississippi Delta and more often than not, started directly in the fields. Blues music started as a way for slaves to express their emotions with each other. It was common for slaves to talk to each other in a rhythmic style so they were the only ones that could understand. For example, the slaves might sing to each other about the location of their boss. This was the common style of Blues Music for quite some time until Blind Lemon Jefferson rose to stardom. Lemon Jefferson was instrumental in the progression of country blues. His free-flowing style revolutionized Blues Music. Lemon Jefferson was considered by many to be the founder of Texas Blues. Jefferson was the spark that gave African American men a chance at
As time progressed, music had to continue to evolve to keep up with the ever-changing styles. Blues slowly began to morph into Rock and Roll to engage people of a new era. While many changes occurred in creating Rock and Roll, it continued to carry undertones of the Blues. This can be heard while comparing Son House’s, “Walking Blues” and Elvis Presley’s, “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” These two songs show many similarities, while also having their own identities.
The Blues Aesthetic is not simply just a music genre, it is much more. The Blues Aesthetic is a genre of music that comes particularly from African-Americans. The Blues Aesthetic was originated from the southern parts of the United States and eventually grew very popular among all types of people. The Blues Aesthetic started in the south because of the hardships African-Americans had to face at the time; the Blues Aesthetic was a pain reliever for all the pain. The Blues Aesthetic also gave African-Americans a cultural identity.
It is difficult to imagine American culture without the influence of blues. Thousands of hit songs, hundreds of movie sound tracks, and countless performances of all types have been enriched by the music of poor black farmers struggling to survive in the Mississippi Delta. This unique cultural legacy, spawned in the poorest and most segregated corner of America, has shaped the world’s perception of our country. In the blues we can still hear the tragedy of poverty, the work songs of slaves, the rhythms of the Mississippi, and the struggle for survival that formed the culture of the Delta – and that in turn helped form the identity we know as American.¬¬
The musical genre of blues is one that has continued to be a prolific style of music for many years. The blues began as working songs and field hollers sung by African American slave communities, beginning in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. The blues genre has since become a major influence on other developing genres. Most modern genres can be traced back to the genre, originating in the deep south of the United States. The musical style of blues is very distinct, and is identifiable to almost anyone. The many instruments generally used include acoustic guitar, bass, body and voice, piano and harmonica, as well as several others. In terms of production elements, traditional blues music is produced using minimal mics, and room ambiance plays a large role in producing the sound of the music. Some of the first major names in blues music was Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Leadbelly and Robert Johnson; all of whom were major influences on the blues as a musical style.
The Delta Blues was created in the Mississippi Delta when slaves were striped from their homelands. Then they were forced to work grueling hours in plantations. As a way to distract from the pain, slaves would sing “field chants”. It was also a way for slaves to communicate which wasn’t allowed by their owners. Through the chants, slaves could easily coordinate their labor and interact across fields.
It is very difficult to determine the exact origin of the blues. Although its earliest roots evolved from West Africa, the blues probably emerged in the United States around the 1800's relative to the African America plight into slavery, as spirituals, work songs, and "arhoolies" (traditional, vernacular, or regional music) (The Arhoolie Foundation). All had some form of influence on the blues as a distinct form of music. The emergence of the blues would have occurred with the social and economic circumstances of the African Americans. (Crosby) Blues was a way of communicating discontent. But it was the spiritual blues that was the music of an unhappy people - the music that told of death, and suffering, and a cry for some hope of freedom and liberation from their torment. Yes, the slaves did get their freedom but were still bound to their "Chains" by racism.
The author starts off by giving some background information on the blues and how the blues actually became music. Then, the authors transition quickly into how the blues and rock and roll are intertwined. They say that “blues guitarists were the first to use rock 'n' roll techniques, such as feedback and distortion”(Roberts). After this they transition on to say how rhythm and blues came about saying how Muddy Waters, an R&B singer had a “heavy electric guitar sound” that influences kids that grew up to be famous rock singers. In the 1950’s Alan Freed began playing R&B songs on his radio station and and referred to the morphed blues music as rock and roll; kids loved this new type of music and were now constantly listening to it (Roberts). The authors acknowledge how people did not originally like blues and the new rock and roll music because of the black influence and black culture it brought to the table, but when Elvis Presley came up in rock and roll people started to accept this new genre. The authors finish up the article by telling how after the new rock and roll style was in, the blues were out even though rock and roll is an expanded version of
Mississippi history is a sad history of slavery and oppression. It is a history of racism and refusal to let go of segregationist ideals. Mississippi history is enough to give many the blues. In fact, the Blues style music originated in Mississippi and gravitated outward from there. .Mississippi history and Blues history are intertwined. Delta Blues is a blues style that originated in the Mississippi Delta and influenced many musicians. Another musical art form, Jazz may be considered an offspring from the Blues and also started in the South. There are many Blues musicians and singers that come from Mississippi or have become linked to Mississippi for various reasons. Bessie Smith, Charley Patton, Muddy Waters, and Cassandra Wilson have all made their mark on Mississippi history through the Blues and Jazz music.
The blues is a musical genre originated in the Deep South by African-Americans. This genre is characterized as a lament or as a melancholy piece of music performed through storytelling. Blues saw a rise in the late 19th century and attracted the attention of many party goers and city workers. By the 20th century, the blues expanded throughout the United States and to various parts of the world. One person that was particularly affected by this movement was Bessie Smith. As a youth, Smith performed throughout the city of Chattanooga, TN to raise money for her impoverished family. Venturing out into the streets of Chattanooga allowed for Bessie to be exposed to what was known as “secular” music. Eventually, Smith was able to launch her career
For Stanley, the blues tell the stories of the African-American community. Some of the stories talk about the harshness of their lives, but they also talk about the good times they had. [People] play the blues to get rid of the blues not to get them." (Lamb, 1). When people play or even listen to the blues, they are letting all of their worries go. They are not worrying about their job, the bills, or their kids. They are just trying to enjoy the moment when the blues are playing. The blues are some people's release from the stresses of their lives.
The blues, a uniquely American art form, was born on the dusty street corners of the Deep South in the late 1800s. An evolution of West African music brought to the United States by slaves, created the blues which was a way for black people in the south to express their hardships, heartbreaks, religion, passion, and politics that they experienced in their day-to-day lives. The majority of blues songs were never written down, let alone recorded, but instead, were passed on from one musician to another and played on a variety of instruments including a number of stringed instruments, harmonicas, and horns. Once blues songs began to be officially recorded in the 1920s, the most frequently found instruments were guitars and pianos. However, the basic 12-bar style and three.-chord progression have remained the same throughout the years and continue to be key components of the blues.
The late 19th century marked a great deal of change in the United States as well as the rest of the world. World war one had begun and reeked great havoc on the entire world. Nikola Tesla and the fathers of communications had made major scientific breakthroughs in the communications field and modern radio programming was right around the corner. Slavery had been abolished for over thirty years but segregation was still an enormous factor amongst the African-American people in the U.S. One of the most segregated states in the entire country, Mississippi, was on the brink of one of the most influential forms of modern music that the world had ever seen or heard: the blues. What the blues did for music is reflective in almost every piece of modern music heard throughout the world today. From rock and roll to country music, all the way to hip hop, the blues is deep down inside shining like a beautiful light that makes that music glow forever. Weather a person is happy or sad, compassionate or indifferent; the blues will always be there to light the way. Right at the turn of the century a man by the name of W.C. Handy was about to stumble upon a sound that would change the world of music forever.
Blues is a popular music style even today. It is popular because of its characteristic style that later developed other styles and subsets of the primitive blues style and its ability to appeal to a larger audience; therefore, placing the music style into the light of mainstream society. Amiri Baraka, in his work Blues People, says that the blues is a product of the “Negro’s American Experience.” In addition, he adds that the blues “developed as a response to the Negro’s adaption to and adoption of America; it was also a music that arose due to Negro’s peculiar position in this country.” It would be difficult to argue that the blues are not a product of the African American experience. While there are instances where white American individuals