Blues Songs and Roots of Blues Music - Essay Example

The first roots of Blues music were during the time that West African slaves were ed to harsh and back-breaking labor in the fields of the south. The days were long and unpleasant, and Blues songs were composed to help the slaves to pass the time and make the work that they had to do somewhat bearable. The songs of this day consisted of a call and response system, which was used to put some rhythm into their work, and it, was this system that would govern the way that all Blues songs were written after the slave days up until today (University of Scranton). Blues songs are not only written about the trials faced during the slave days, these songs are also written about the many trials that blacks have faced over time. After the slaves were freed, the black community had new challenges. While they were excited about being free and in charge of their own lives, there were still a number of obstacles that kept them from being equal to their white counterparts. Because of their inequality, the black community suffered significantly. For instance, the only jobs that were offered to black men were the jobs that their white counterparts were not interested in doing. These jobs usually consisted of back-breaking labor under harsh conditions. Some of the remedial tasks that blacks were forced to perform in order to make a living were working on farms or in the fields or the position of traveling minstrel (University of Scranton). Concerning the conditions under which the blacks were forced to work, one article titled “Life after the Thirteenth Amendment” states that though blacks were free from slavery; their jobs were similar to what they had to do while they were slaved. Laws were passed to keep blacks in poverty, such as prohibiting them from owning land, imposing stiff fines if they were not working (It was tough to find a suitable job due to severe racial discrimination and lack of work for blacks that did not cause them to take up positions of servitude.), and they could be sold into what was called virtual slavery if they were unable to pay the fines imposed upon them. What’s more, black children could be forced to work as apprentices (Thomas). It would be a very long time before blacks had the true equality that they deserved. Along with the inequality that the black community has suffered, they dealt with a number of other troubles. Blues songs were composed to help them cope with such troubles, as well as being a way to vent out their frustrations. Blues’ songs were sung about the themes that dominated everyday life for the blacks. Some of these themes were sex, poverty, lost love, imprisonment, inequality, crime, and drunkenness, just to name some. Blues music may sound sad when one listens to it; however, it is powerful, as it celebrates the lives of black individuals (University of Scranton). It was not until 1909 when the Blues were finally given public attention by white society, as this was the time when these songs were actually being documented and recorded. Concerning this, one article states that: W.C. Handy, a musical scholar, was awakened on a train station platform in Tutwiler, MS by what he described as "a lean, loose jointed negro... playing the weirdest music Id ever heard". He went on to talk about how the man played his guitar with a pocketknife, and he sang that he was going "where the southern cross the dog". (Bluescentric) This man was more than likely talking about going where he could be free from racial oppression. During this time period, the messages in these songs began to be heard, and the blacks began to obtain true equality for themselves. Sadly, though, true equality, like what is experienced today, had a long way to go, especially as it pertained to the music industry itself. For instance, Race Records, a company that was established to enable Black Blues’ musicians to record their record would only pay them a onetime fee for their records, which usually was $20. After the artists received the fee for the record, there were no royalties paid to them thereafter. The only way that artists hoped to survive in this fashion was to continue to create new records, so they could still prosper under such unfair treatment (Bluescentric). It was not until the Civil Rights Movement that blacks truly received credit for their work Blues played a major part of the Civil Rights Movement. Countless songs were sang about the inequality that the blacks had to deal with on a daily basis, as these songs protested the treatment that blacks were routinely subjected to. For instance, in the South, lynching of blacks was condoned up until the point that the Civil Rights Movement really took effect; Billy Holiday sang the song titled “Strange Fruit” as a means of loudly protesting such treatment and to get the message across that this cruel and unjust treatment of blacks needed to end (Katz). Though the blacks are no longer oppressed by white supremacists, the Blues are still a very big part of their lives. Numerous performances still take place, and modern-day events are planned that feature modern-day Blues’ artists. These songs share with our modern community a major part of history, as we are able to hear what blacks of the past have had to endure through the messages that are conveyed in the songs. Songs from decades ago still live on and are sang and enjoyed by millions. Even white people have taken a liking to Blues music, as some of them come to such performances to enjoy the entertainment. Blues is a genre of music that will never be forgotten, since many of the issues sang about in these songs are still relevant today. Not to mention, it is a significant part of Black heritage, and it is these songs that have helped along the Civil Rights Movement that led to our society being a level playing ground for peoples of many ethnicities to thrive. NO more does the racial discrimination of the past exist, as our society is thriving and more civilized than in times past. No matter one’s race, any individual is free to work at any job he or she wants, and there are no laws set in place that cause certain ethnic groups to remain in poverty. It is these Blues musicians who helped to bring about true democracy, where everyone is free to be whatever he or she wants to be. Work Cited Bluescentric. "Blues Timeline: important Events in blues History." Bluescentric. N.p., 2009. Web. 14 Dec. 2009. . DVD/Video Recording/35MM: Strange fruit. Dir. /Pro. Joel Katz. California Newsreel. 2002. Thomas, Sandra. "A biography of the life of Frederick Douglass." History.rochester.edu. N.p., 2009. Web. 14 Dec. 2009. . University of Scranton. "History of Blues." Blues Music Rocks. University of Scranton, 2009. Web. 14 Dec. 2009. . Read More