During the Atlantic slave trade, Negroes where taken from their homeland of Africa and brought to various places around the world such as Brazil, the Caribbean and the United States of America. The slaves that were brought to the USA developed a musical form known as Negro Spirituals. Negro Spirituals are songs created by slaves that discuss their identity being taken away, being separated from their families and friends, as well as being enslaved. Negro spirituals were a way for the slaves to express their emotions and always includes the idea of God. “Freedom” is a big word used within most Negro Spirituals.
When Negro spirituals were initially developed it was first sang by a single person. Throughout history, Negro spirituals have evolved with the times; Negro spirituals were later sang by jubilee quartets and now entire choirs. “Lord , How we come here,” “Elijah Rock,” “Steal Away,” “Ezchiel saw the wheel,” and “Motherless Child,” are a few Negro Spirituals that have been remixed throughout history. With most things in American history Negro spirituals have also been stolen by white people and they gain the credit for it. Negro Spirituals are now being sung by white choirs in white churches. Kathleen Battle is famously known for her amazing operatic soprano voice that she once used to sing the songs of her ancestors. Furthermore, Mahalia Jackson was able to not only tell a story but allow the audience to feel the fear, pain, and sorrow in which these songs were created from.
