Underdogs of the Blues

When exploring the genre of the blues, men have dominated. However, women served as the underdogs as they fundamentally shaped the blues. For example, In 1920 Mamie Smith became the first black vocalist to record a song, “Crazy Blues”. This accomplishment paved the way for many other aspiring women not only interested in blues but in many styles of music. Unfortunately, some blues artist experienced the reality of gender relations such as; unequal pay and demanding a male representative. Pat Cohen, the “mother” of the blues speaks up against maltreatment and confirms that she as an artist feels like she is at a disadvantage in the blues world because of her gender. Women were pushed around because of not having experience in the music industry. Men have an easier access to pursing a music career. A lot of the time women trying to make it in Blues are single, which means everything is on them. Despite the mistreatment, they offer different aspects to the genre that men do not. Women express feelings, they connect with the songs when writing, performing, and listening. This is a unique attribute that can not be copied by any gender or race.