HISTORY OF BLUES
The blues genre derived from music traditions located in West and Central Africa. through enslavement, Africans brought these musical elements with them, incorporating things such as call and response and complex rhythmic patterns, things that are concrete in the evolution of African American Music in the US. It started to develop and was introduced during the post-Civil War era, when enslaved people were free but still faced oppression. With this, they created many songs that showcased the sorrow and struggles that they faced, hence feeling the “blues”. This genre became a very significant thing in the Black community, allowing many to hear the experiences and struggles that African Americans faced during this time period, creating an outlet of expression for both the artists and those who relate to them.
BLUES ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: B.B KING
The birthplace of the blues was located in the Mississippi Delta, a version of the blues called “Delta Blues” showcases the raw emotion of pain and struggling through not just vocals but rhythmic patterns and instruments. One notable blues artist who came from Mississippi is B.B. King. King was an American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter who gained his nickname “The King of the Blues” due to his distinct style of soloing based on his unique vocal and guitar techniques like staccato picking, and vibrato in his songs, as well as string bending techniques. King was born on a plantation and worked on a cotton gin as a teen until he moved to Memphis, then later on Chicago to achieve his music career. He then became a part of the musicians being noticed on Beale Street, rendering him the name “Beale Street Blues Boy” or “Blues Boy”, then finally shortened to B.B. His impact on blues music has carried through, inspiring generations of new music such as the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix.
IMPACT OF THE BLUES
Blues created an indentity and social affirmation for Black Americans during this specific period of struggle, allowing them to speak their minds on their concerns about the lifestyle of being Black in America. This inspired new genres to emerge thereafter, such as Rock and Roll, Rhythm and Blues (R&B), and hip-hop, becoming the foundation of almost every single popular American song we hear in pop culture today.
SOURCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._B._King
https://www.strathmore.org/community-education/public-education/shades-of-blues/the-enduring-influence-of-the-blues/
https://www.aaihs.org/the-historical-roots-of-blues-music/
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