Jubilee quartets made their way onto the musical scene in the early 20th centuries. It started out as a way for black colleges and universities to money for finances. Jubilee quartets first gained recognition at Fisk University by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. They were the first to establish a tour that brought in a substantial amount of money for their school.
Jubilees quartets usually consist of four to six people that sing together to create harmonious music. Jubilee quartets sing using different music styles such as: four part harmony, melisma, and blues notes. There are also different types of quartets such as: Minstrel jubilee, community-based quartets, and sacred harp, but gospel quartets are the most famous in the 21st century.
Gospel quartets are the face of quartets today. Examples of this are the Five Blind Boys of Alabama and the Blind Boys of Mississippi. Specifically, the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi is the most known quartet today. They were influenced heavily by the Soul Stirrers and mostly did covers of songs in the beginning of their music career. However, later after moving to Chicago, they recorded their first hit “Our Father”. From there, their rise to stardom and fame continued to grow.
Jubilee quartets are in genre and category of their own. Not only do they combine the elements of gospel, but they also combine the elements of four to six part harmony. This makes quartets unique. Jubilee quartets are one of a kind and are not genre specific when it comes to musical genres. Quartets are capable of producing music from any genre. Jubilee quartets are the back bone of many boy bands that people know and love today.
