Negro Spirituals + Modern Black Music

Cultural Continuities:

rhythm in our story

The Technical similarities:

 Negro Spirituals were created in response to the hardships of slavery in an effort to communicate and offer morale. Negro Spirituals were a direct result of enslaved people Africanizing the religious practices pushed on them.

Things like ring shout and call and response are just one of many elements  like clapping and body movement that reflect African influence on African American music. 

Further Examples:

Negro Spirituals' influence on Modern black music

R&B

The vocal elements of negro spirituals heavily influence R&B of today. R&B borrows many of the same rhythmic patterns fromo negro spirituals, and also banks on the feeling of listeners.

Gospel

Gospel music is perhaps the most noticeably influenced by Negro Spiritual. In addition to the fact that most gospel icons have a cover of a spiritual in their discography, Gospel music is defined by many of the same elements that shaped spirituals. From call and response to content that focused on hope, Gospel is very similar to Negro spirituals.

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