The Guidance of Blues
Blues is an African American art form that was created in the early 20th century. It was a secular response for the segregation that African Americans faced during the post-reconstruction era. African Americans use blues for catharsis, a spiritual relief from physical and emotional grievance in their difficult position in the society. Elements of it has been passed through the adaptations over the century and still exists in the modern blues we hear nowadays. Looking back at the history of blues as a whole, it has aided African Americans through slavery, segregation, and assimilation, and has contributed to gender equality in the twentieth century. Before blues were even being called blues, it was not a music made to create joy, but to fade and overlook the pain. Entering into the early twentieth century, Blues music was successful to identify itself and build up the foundation of becoming a popular music form because it was easy to learn and carry in the great migration, and was consisted of the souls of their ancestors.Racial segregation was not the reason why blues was not popular before 1920 among the whites, this potential art form was simply not noticed by the them. The recognition of Blues music in the society advocates equality for the blacks, and has refreshed the traditional attitude towards woman. Before blues were even being called blues, it was not a music made to create joy, but to fade and overlook the pain. Blues evolved from two types of music, field hollers and ballads(Oral). Field hollers are work songs that were sang by the gang labours during the antebellum era where slave plantations were the main economic resource in the deep sout. The main purpose of field hollers was to expedite the efficiency of the gang labour system(Oral). The slaves would respond to calls from one another, which kept up their working pace.These hollers did not end after the Civil War as African Americans are again forced by Black Codes to work under the sharecropping system in the late nineteenth century (Iglauer 53). The failure of Reconstruction became African American’s nightmare. They were not able to live in the world of equality and things seem no different from the antebellum era. As it is well documented that the music revealed the inhumanity of slavery and is filled with pain, suffering and stress (Iglauer 53). As slaves were forced to work repetitively and perpetually, when they respond to the song, they make wordless long howls across the field. This dragging sadness they tried to express then became the soul of blues music. The lives of African Americans were filled with suffering and sorrow, and they can be seen in their music. Entering into the early twentieth century, Blues music was successful to identify itself and build up the foundation of becoming …show more content…
Blues was first created in Tutwiler. The father of the Blues, W. C. Handy, published “Yellow Dog Blues,” the first song to be named “Blues” (W. C. Handy). After Blues was found, Handy led an orchestra to travel and perform Blues music in front of thousands of people, which became the first propagation of Blues music. Shortly after, Blues were sang by the most African Americans to express both physical and emotional grievance from everyday life in both the rural areas and urban areas. Blues was also sang to commemorate the painful years on the plantations in remembrance of their ancestors. They faced strong racism and segregation from the society. During the early nineteenth century, the classic blues age, most works were apprehensions and concerns about urban life as Blues migrated from the plantation south towards urban north. Such as “Washwoman’s Blues”, which lamented on the costs of domestic labor, “Poor Man’s Blues” criticized class divide, “Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home” emphasised the high cost of housing(Garrett 108). Because most Blues music contain less than 6 chords and its lyrics can sometimes be improvised either by the guitarist himself or by a vocal, Blues became a common music type among African Americans and was able to spread towards the north with the African Americans. Its simplicity and open end lyrics made the music easy to travel with, all it takes is a moderate guitarist and a wistful
Blues is an African American art form that was created in the early 20th century. It was a secular response for the segregation that African Americans faced during the post-reconstruction era. African Americans use blues for catharsis, a spiritual relief from physical and emotional grievance in their difficult position in the society. Elements of it has been passed through the adaptations over the century and still exists in the modern blues we hear nowadays. Looking back at the history of blues as a whole, it has aided African Americans through slavery, segregation, and assimilation, and has contributed to gender equality in the twentieth century. Before blues were even being called blues, it was not a music made to create joy, but to fade and overlook the pain. Entering into the early twentieth century, Blues music was successful to identify itself and build up the foundation of becoming a popular music form because it was easy to learn and carry in the great migration, and was consisted of the souls of their ancestors.Racial segregation was not the reason why blues was not popular before 1920 among the whites, this potential art form was simply not noticed by the them. The recognition of Blues music in the society advocates equality for the blacks, and has refreshed the traditional attitude towards woman. Before blues were even being called blues, it was not a music made to create joy, but to fade and overlook the pain. Blues evolved from two types of music, field hollers and ballads(Oral). Field hollers are work songs that were sang by the gang labours during the antebellum era where slave plantations were the main economic resource in the deep sout. The main purpose of field hollers was to expedite the efficiency of the gang labour system(Oral). The slaves would respond to calls from one another, which kept up their working pace.These hollers did not end after the Civil War as African Americans are again forced by Black Codes to work under the sharecropping system in the late nineteenth century (Iglauer 53). The failure of Reconstruction became African American’s nightmare. They were not able to live in the world of equality and things seem no different from the antebellum era. As it is well documented that the music revealed the inhumanity of slavery and is filled with pain, suffering and stress (Iglauer 53). As slaves were forced to work repetitively and perpetually, when they respond to the song, they make wordless long howls across the field. This dragging sadness they tried to express then became the soul of blues music. The lives of African Americans were filled with suffering and sorrow, and they can be seen in their music. Entering into the early twentieth century, Blues music was successful to identify itself and build up the foundation of becoming …show more content…
Blues was first created in Tutwiler. The father of the Blues, W. C. Handy, published “Yellow Dog Blues,” the first song to be named “Blues” (W. C. Handy). After Blues was found, Handy led an orchestra to travel and perform Blues music in front of thousands of people, which became the first propagation of Blues music. Shortly after, Blues were sang by the most African Americans to express both physical and emotional grievance from everyday life in both the rural areas and urban areas. Blues was also sang to commemorate the painful years on the plantations in remembrance of their ancestors. They faced strong racism and segregation from the society. During the early nineteenth century, the classic blues age, most works were apprehensions and concerns about urban life as Blues migrated from the plantation south towards urban north. Such as “Washwoman’s Blues”, which lamented on the costs of domestic labor, “Poor Man’s Blues” criticized class divide, “Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home” emphasised the high cost of housing(Garrett 108). Because most Blues music contain less than 6 chords and its lyrics can sometimes be improvised either by the guitarist himself or by a vocal, Blues became a common music type among African Americans and was able to spread towards the north with the African Americans. Its simplicity and open end lyrics made the music easy to travel with, all it takes is a moderate guitarist and a wistful