Negro Spiritual

Negro Spiritual

Posted by Amanda Kelley 9/15/19.

The music genre Negro Spiritual was first introduced to society during the 17th century. This kind of music allowed people of African descent who were brought to America to be enslaved to express themselves and show the world what they had been through. These songs have been passed on from generation to the next. One popular song which I believe many people know and also a tune I enjoy singing during my free time is Wade in the water by Ella Jenkins. This song is one that has been around a very long time however a fun fact it was not published until 1901. Many negro spirituals included words such as motherless, freedom, and weariness. I am very sensitive to some negro spiritual depending on the artist who sings it because you can feel what they have been through just from the emotion within their voices. The spirituals such as Kathleen Battle expressed lots of emotion the song showed what she had been through the use of her voice, facial expressions, and background singers. “I wish I never was born” that’s a very deep verse in the song. I would never want to feel like that ever to the point where I wish I never got to experience life. However I do enjoy these songs because they share a lot of knowledge about my ancestors history. Another fun fact before I end this post the Spelman College Glee club actually did their own reignition of Wade in the Water which was arranged by Professor Johnson. It was very nice check it out on YouTube!

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