Reference:
JB Lenoir – Slow Down
What is the blues
With the advent of Reconstruction and the growing liberties for African-americans in the early 20th century, the black community experienced a rejuvenation in culture, literature and art. One of the main creations that came out of this period was the establishment of the blues music genre. A medium in which blacks could represent their emotions in a unique way, the blues gave the black community a way to connect with blacks and non-blacks through their heart-wrenching melodies and passionate voices.
In the essay ‘What is the blues’, the author clearly establishes how the blues serves as a representation of the “suffering, anguish-and hopes” of slaves and black sharecroppers during the 19th and 20th centuries. At the time of its initiation, the genre received mixed reviews from the public. Many praised the unique style it used to convey their messages, while others found the style peculiar and unnatural. A mixture of “field hollers, work songs, spirituals, and country string ballads” enabled the genre to connect to a large swathe of the African-American population. Recurring chords, an “ABAB” rhyming scheme, and frequent pauses Additionally, the stylistic revolution that the blues undertook paved the way for many of the genres that we cherish today, including, rock and pop, to form. Over time, the blues genre has kept with the times and evolved to represent the present state, allowing audiences through all time periods to connect.
The ability of the blues to connect African-Americans cannot be understated. Considering that blues music was an essential component of the oppressed black community to express their feelings and emotions shows how significant the genre was. In a sense, it represented the rich history of the blacks and included elements of realism, “I’ve been a hobo”: other lyrics help to illustrate the sorrowful state of affairs within the black community and life in general. With the invention of the radio, blues music became the first platform of mass media for the African-American community, for example, “Crazy Blues” by Mamie Smith sold an outstanding figure of a million copies, a feat even more important as she was a black woman.
To conclude, the significance of the blues on the development of African-American culture is extremely profound. Although many may still find the genre strange, the music itself helped unify a fragmented community and nurture the musical revolution that would lead to the creation of rock and pop music.