By: Nia Simone Weeks
Spiritual- a type of religious folksong that is most closely associated with the enslavement of African people in the American South.
The earliest form of religious music to develop among African Americans in the United States is known as the spiritual. Being born of slavery, this music symbolized the slaves religious values and ideals and helped them through a horrible time of being involuntary taken and forced into slavery. In Africa, music has always been an essential part of the people’s lives;however their African-infused way of worship was frowned upon by the European colonists because they felt that it was wild. The Europeans felt the need to ban these gatherings of worship. Christianity was introduced to the African population in the seventeenth century. Although, the uptake of it took some time, the African population loved the Biblical stories and they created parallels to their own lives. This is turn caused them to create spirituals which retold stories about Biblical figures. Spirituals served as a way for enslaved African Americans to express their faith, sorrows and also hopefulness.
Spirituals are sung in a call and response manner, which typically involves a leader improvising a line and then a chorus of singers. Spirituals are known as slow, melancholic, and intense; however there are more joyful spirituals. These spirituals tend to be known as fast and rhythmic. They could also be known as protest songs and secret languages as well. Harriet Tubman used Negro spirituals as a secret language to signal to slaves that she was in the area and help those who wanted to escape as well.
Spirituals are very important in today’s music because it has its influence on certain genres such as Gospel. Though they are not the same thing, it is easy to see that they are very similar to one another. It also has a special connection with the African- American community, because it helps us think of everything our ancestors had to go through for us to get to the point we are at today. It not only serves as sorrow, or protest,but it shows an expression of triumph as well. It is important for everyone to know the history behind Negro spirituals.
Examples of Negro Spiritual Singers
Negro Sprituals
