Introduction
Enslaved Africans brought their instruments and music to the Americas. They used music as a way to preserve tradition and culture. Stolen from their land and family, music was a way to keep them connected and grounded to their people and their culture. However, they often had to sing and dance in private. White Americans viewed their music as barbaric and performances wild, and they were often banned from playing. In fact, the Negro Act of 1740 banned the gathering of slaves in large groups. Slaves found times and places to worship, dance, and gather among each other. They continued to use music to preserve culture, fight against oppression, and join together.
Enslaved Africans brought their instruments and music to the Americas. They used music as a way to preserve tradition and culture. Stolen from their land and family, music was a way to keep them connected and grounded to their people and their culture. However, they often had to sing and dance in private. White Americans viewed their music as barbaric and performances wild, and they were often banned from playing. In fact, the Negro Act of 1740 banned the gathering of slaves in large groups. Slaves found times and places to worship, dance, and gather among each other. They continued to use music to preserve culture, fight against oppression, and join together.
Dance
The Ring Shout
The Ring Shout is a dance stemming from Central and West Africa that is closely associated with worship and ceremonial practices. Slaves in America continued the ring shout practice with Christianity. The Ring Shout would take place with participants moving around in a circle and a leader singing lyrics in a call-and-response fashion. Similar to spirituals, the ring shout was laughed upon by white observers and was performed mostly in secret. Historian John David refers to the ring shout as an “an essential ritual for enslaved Africans,” as well as an act of validity and camaraderie for a group in the face of oppression.
Negro Spirituals
The Spiritual is a religious folk song that is closely associated with enslaved African Americans and is regarded as one of the most significant forms of folksong in American history. Negro spirituals were usually sung in a call and response form, with a leader singing a lyric, and participants responding in unison. These songs can take many forms. Some spirituals were rooted in darkness and sorrow, called sorrow songs. Examples of sorrow songs include, “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” and “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.” These songs conveyed the dark days and feelings accompanied with being enslaved and were usually sung in gatherings of African Americans. Spirituals are passed down generations through oral tradition and were performed by stars such as Louis Armstrong and Mahalia Jackson.
Other spirituals were sacred to slaves. When brought to America, slaves adopted Evangelical Christianity and adapted their own religious practices to follow Christianity. They used song and dance to express worship and bring Christianity to “life.” Negro spirituals were used for worship and congregation. The word “spiritual,” derives from Ephesians in the King James translation of the Bible. White Americans frowned upon the way that slaves worshipped. As a result, gatherings were banned in many places and took place in secret. However, slaves were astonished by Biblical stories and the parallels of the books to their own lives. They created spirituals to retell the stories in the Bible.
Spirituals were also used as a means of protest or escape from slavery. Songs like, “Wade in the Water,” and “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” were both tools that slaves used when taking the risk to escape North. Since the Underground Railroad was used to escape, spirituals like “I Got My Ticket,” are thought to be incentives to escape. Harriet Tubman, an African American woman who assisted hundreds of slaves to freedom, used “Go Down Moses,” to identify herself to slaves looking to go North. These songs served as a means of survival, strength, and symbols of freedom to slavery.
Conclusion
Music was a vital part of the lives of enslaved Africans whether it be through dances, negro spirituals, or traditional instruments. Music served as a means or worship and unity for people whose lives were constantly a battle. Songs strengthened communities of slaves as well as assisted them on their journey to freedom. The importance of music continued to impact the lives of African Americans for generations to come.
Citations
https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/development-music-south-africa-timeline-1600-2004
https://www.si.edu/spotlight/african-american-music/roots-of-african-american-music
https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/history-african-american-music
https://spinditty.com/genres/The-African-Roots-of-All-American-Popular-Musical-Styles
https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200197495/
https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/applied-and-social-sciences-magazines/ring-shout
