The style is very rhythmic, has strong vocals and simple but powerful lyrics and slide guitar featured prominently in the music.īlues music is characterised by sad melodies and even today the expression 'having the blues' means you are feeling gloomy. The guitar and harmonica were used to accompany vocals in the Delta blues as they were easy to carry around. Traditional songs were handed down by word of mouth and old lyrics were often adapted and turned into new ones. The Delta was particularly poverty stricken and the plantation owners kept their workers in harsh conditions. The Delta blues, first recorded in the 1920s, was one of the earliest types of blues music and originated in Mississippi in the Delta. Well-known country blues musicians include Lead Belly, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Robert Johnson. The majority of blues musicians had descendants from Africa who were transported to America in the slave trade. The early style of blues was known as country blues and was usually a solo singer accompanied on guitar or piano sometimes with added harmonica or drums. African music combined with the folk music of the white European settlers to produce new styles of music. They used call and response in which phrases from a lead singer were followed by the other singers. Work songs were sung rhythmically in time with the task being done. Combined with the African rhythms, these musical styles were the foundation of blues. Early types of African American music included spirituals (religious songs using vocal harmony) and work songs.Įnslaved people would sing work songs while working the plantations and religious spirituals in church.
Although the blues evolved in the southern states of the USA from the late 19th century, it has lots of musical influences from Africa.Īfrican enslaved people brought their musical traditions with them when they were transported to work in the North American colonies.
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