The sound of guitar, piano, drums, saxophone, trumpet and harmonica once created a form of music in the South. It had to travel a long way crossing the Atlantic clashing with Europe and Africa to begin an era in South America. About 100 years ago this style of music had planted its' roots.
Now web search engines are familiar with this form because the world is browsing blues music online to download their favourite song which they might have heard at the blues music station. You must now be eagerly waiting to know the history behind this 20th century musical genre... Here comes the story.
When the people of Africa were enslaved they carried on their oral tradition of call and response as they sang, to indicate their plight.
When the field hollers later adopted this technique and created work songs, narrative ballads, rhythmic tunes, a form called blues evolved. The term 'blues' was derived from 'blue devils' which was a symbol of sadness, depression and melancholy.
The traditional call and response style transformed after the civil war and the blues movement started in the Mississippi delta developed into a music style where a singer would sing a line and in response the guitar would answer it. Single lines were often repeated in the lyrics which constituted the experiences of African Americans in the 19th and 20th century.
Blues music witnessed change along with time and the result was a variety of sub genres. When swing amalgamated with the predecessor of R & B and blues, a dance form originated which was termed as jump blues. The delta blues when electrified formed the Chicago blues.
From the ragtime and barrelhouse derived the piano based blues named Boogie-woogie. When the Texas musicians moved to California they popularised a form of blues adding on swing beats which derived the name west coast blues.
The jazz oriented Kansas City blues, New Orleans blues, British blues, sophisticated cool blues, Blues rock, Texas blues, Memphis blues etc are the other popular sub genres.
The milestone in blues music history was made when W. C. Handy composed 'The Memphis Blues' in 1912 which is accredited as his first successful blues composition.
When Perry Bradford's Crazy blues was recorded by Mamie Smith and the relationship between gospel and blues music was portrayed by Blind Willie Johnson and Willie. B. Harris new chapters were added on to the history of blues music.
The thrilling performances of Robert Johnson in "Sweet Home Chicago", Howlin Wolf in "Moaning at Midnight" and John Coltrane's hard bop are breath taking moments in blues history. The impact created by these artists is the reason why people worldwide still listen to blues music.
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