Da Bluez

Approximately ten million Africans were brought across the seas to the Americas to be manipulated into slavery. They were meant to work harsh labor, yet they were no longer meant to have a voice. A few Americans took the time to appreciate the hard work performed by the slaves; however, appreciation is a short step in the long road to equality. It was not until the late 19th century that America began to repair the damages done by this immoral trading of human beings. Once the slaves were “freed” after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it did not do much to end the oppression and prejudice against the black race. Their freedom did not give them a heart; it did not prove the

y had soul. This is where their music becomes significant, and this is Blues music. Throughout their music, it took much less time for the black race to prove that they were not unlike the rest of humanity; in fact, they did have a voice, and a haunting one. Once Blues music was not only recognized, but also comprehended, admired and imitated, it opened the gates of immigration, and the nation to this day has matured in its ability to see gray.

It was due to the whites’ misconception that those slaves who displayed musical talent were typically given easier work and rewards for their talent and their seeming obedience of their labor. At times these slaves were bought specifically for their musical talent and were never subjected to harsh fieldwork. Sometimes, these black workers were invited to weekend parties, asked to perform, and were given whiskey, food and other rewards for their services. Blues music was not only an essential element of many religious and secular events for blacks, but it was a substantial source of entertainment for whites as well.

With this entire struggle from the whites to weaken the African's African heritage, it seems implausible to believe that the slaves' music was what threw the first stone at the barriers between the blacks and whites. Both the blacks and whites were finally agreeing on something-music. This is where country and blues came together, and both grew to be a highly vital and influential landmark in music history. While white musicians borrowed freely from black’s style of music, the black's Blues music proved to be the most indispensable in style with its grainy vocal texture and its distinctive emphasis on rhythmic momentum. It was this distinction that made black entertainers indispensable and continued to cultivate white appreciation for black music.

While their music was obviously something these slaves were using to keep their African heritage, the whites believed that their music was an expression of happiness and contentment. They believed that their singing was an expression of their acceptance of their hard fate. Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slaves represent the sorrows of their life.

Traditional Blues music is reflected in modern music, which displays vague or blatant Blues influences. However, the Napoleons of the Blues shall never be forgotten because they fought a war America had at one time decided it could never win. The music instilled faith into the hearts of many black Americans and at the same time instilled empathy and passion in the white Americans. It not only congregated people, it congregated two separate cultures, both as different as black and white.

Some topics in this essay:
Emancipation Proclamation, Jim Crow, Blues African, African's African, African European, Little Richard, Minstrel Medicine, America Approximately, Ships Europe, Napoleons Blues, blues music, blacks whites, black race, blues musicians, black artists, civil rights, black blues, civil rights movement, black white, musicians white, blues musicians white, style blues, white covers black, white blues musicians,