Trials and Tribulations Through Song

Negro Spirituals Trials and Tribulations Through Song

by Alyssia Horsley and Khanijha Lee

Origins of Negro Spirituals

The first collection of Negro spirituals was published in 1867, but the origin of negro spirituals began with enslavement and the Atlantic Slave Trade. During field work many people would come together as a collective and pass the day by joining together through song. The songs they would sings would be about the trails and tribulations they were experiencing.“People used the term without the descriptor, ” African American”. The term “spirituals” is a 19th century word. The word refers to for song with religious texts created by African slaves in America.

Popular Songs

Sorrow Songs – Expressed the suffering and unjust treatment of enslaved African Americans during the period of slavery in the U.S. They are often composed of stories of struggles African Americans have endured since the Atlantic Slave Trade. Through these songs struggles and pain that was going on in the community was not hidden. People were allowed to let their emotions be heard.

Types of Negro Spirituals

Jubilees

Jubilees- the most popular Jubliee singers are the Fisk Jubilees singer. This a quartet sound. They blended commercial and instrumental dumping and sounds to create unique and popular music. Jubliee’s were very popular in churches and black universities. In the beginning the musical techniques mirrored western style music techniques. However the more popular the music got the more jazz, blues and other modern musical influences.

How Negro spirituals affect us today

Sorrow Songs

How its affects us today

Negro Spirituals are still sung and performed all over the African diaspora today. Depending on where you go you see variations of stories, struggles and testimonies all performed through song. As modern music techniques progress we have started to see an incorporation of jazz, blues and R&B. Although all the different types of Negro Spirituals variations originated and became popular during slavery. The stories and struggles that they sung about still hold some truth to what the average Black person is experiencing now. The songs where passes down from our ancestors and when we come together we feel the joy, pain , and happiness they felt at the time. During slavery it was nearly impossible to write or publish a particular song. Due to the circumstance many enslaved individuals were in. Since many people couldn’t read or write the negro spirtuals were there testimonies that could reach the masses.