The blues is a genre of music that took shape at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It originated in the United States, and its rhythms are based on lyrical songs from Africa.
The term “blues” appeared in 1895. It comes from the English word “blues,” a short form of the expression “blue devils,” and translates as “depression,” “longing,” “despondency.
The blues simultaneously weaves together several genres that are particularly popular with the Cotton Belt African Americans of the Mississippi River Delta. This music accompanied them as they worked on the plantations. It included: typical ritual songs of certain religious cults that came with them from Africa, ballads, chants, and so on. All this formed the basis of the blues. It would later be considered one of the most important assets of African-American culture of the 20th century, greatly influencing world music.
The origins of the blues can be traced back to the period of the slave system. In those years, the labor force from Africa began to be imported to the new continent discovered by Christopher Columbus. Negroes, the ancestors of today’s African Americans, worked primarily in agriculture or as servants in the homes of wealthy white Americans. They were often harassed and humiliated. All this continued until the abolition of slavery in 1863.
The harsh conditions of African Americans were reflected in their songs. They were primarily characterized by bright sounding percussion and vocals with religious and vocal overtones.
The first semi-professional blues singers were drifters who wandered the country to earn their bread by taking low-skilled, poorly paid jobs. They seldom made money from their gigs, but rather from friendly parties where they were rewarded with booze and food.
The first recognized bluesman was named William Handy. He is the author of “The Memphis Blues. Thanks to him, the blues began to be distinguished as a separate musical genre.
However, the classic blues in the familiar to all formed only in the 20s of last century. That’s when this music came out of the African-American backyards on the big stage. Its brightest representatives are Mamie Smith, Ma Rainey and Bassey Smith.
If you want to dedicate your life to music, come to Jam’s cool music school. It will be a great start for your music career, and the first results won’t be long in coming.