Blues: From Plantations to Pop Music - Essay Sample

Introduction

The blues is a music genre, which is very popular and most of the songs recorded today have some blues elements in them. The blues paved the way for jazz and country music listened to by people today. The blues music was an essential part of black culture because they introduced this type of music in the industry. The blues originally started in the 18the century in plantations in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi ("Blues Music: History & Origins"). It was initially a work song because the African American slaves sang it while they worked in the fields. The main types of songs incorporated in this type of music are African and religious songs.

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However, African songs were the main inspiration for the origin of the blues. African music had an excellent beat because it involved the use of drums and other instruments. The work songs get created while the African American slaves worked on farms. Religious music was also an integral part of forming the blues because most of the African Americans were religious and got exposed to Christian hymns.

In 1900, W.C. Handy wrote the first country blues and published it (Kopp). In 1915, "Crazy Blues" by Mamie Smith became the first blues music to be recorded. This music was played together with various musical instruments like guitars with someone singing in the background. A definite call and response get incorporated between the voice and the guitar. The African American slaves used the guitars to compose this music because they had many notes, and the slave owners allowed them to have this instrument. However, the slave owners did not permit the use of drums because they believed that the slaves would use them to signal each other. An example of a blues musician who had their song published and recorded was Blind Melon Jefferson. His songs got registered in 1926. Other musicians like Robert Johnson, Son House, and Charlie Patton began to rise in the blues music industry. The blues came from different places, and it has played a significant role in black American culture and is still a prevalent form of music even today.

Influence of Blues and Jazz

Jazz and blues genres of music are slightly similar because they both originated from the African American community. These two types of music have the same viewpoint because they showcase the relevance of music today. However, from a musical perspective, jazz would not have existed without the blues. The twelve-bar blues chorus was the main template used to make jazz. Several jazz legends like Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver used blues as the central pillar of their songs (The Influence of the Blues on Jazz, 1). Duke Ellington used the blues as a foundation of his sacred jazz music despite composing his songs for half a century. As jazz music evolved over the years, the blues remained constant because they were the main foundation of jazz music.

There has also been a collaboration between the blues and jazz musicians, which has remained constant over the years. Mamie Smith was the first blues vocalist to become famous, and she worked with a jazz tenor sax pioneer. Over the years, many jazz and blues musicians started forming collaborations because these two types of music influence each other. Both the blues and jazz have changed much since their inception, but their connection is still firm. It has become evident that the jazz and blues genres of music complement each other.

Creation of Different Genres

The blues fostered the establishment and growth of other genres, like work songs, country blues, and folk music. The work songs get created when the African Americans were singing while they worked on the farms. Most of these blacks were slaves, and they found consolation in their music. They sang while working as a symbol of the pain and harassment that they had to endure as slaves. The work songs were very significant because they were a cry for help from these African American salves. Once the blues music had become famous, several artists emerged. The first country blues got recorded in 1915, which paved the way for the emergence of other country blues in the United States. Country blues were prevalent because they got played in various clubs and functions.

Over the years, there was a folk that the blues were also called the devil's music. A considerable number of African Americans were very religious and criticized other blues musicians for turning this music genre into secular music. The blues got associated with evil because of the behavior of several blues artists (Melhem). For example, Son House was a blues singer who got convicted of killing someone. Lead Belly was a blues legend, and he also stabbed a white man during a fight. They believed that Robert Johnson once collaborated signed an agreement with the devil so that he can rise to fame. Most African Americans were religious, and they came up with different blues music for spiritual purposes. However, the evil actions of several blues artists made people assume that it was the devil's music.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the blues is a music genre, which has changed the world, and it has provided a platform for many types of music listened by people today. Without the blues, there wouldn't be jazz, pop, or country music. It paved the way for so many possibilities in the music industry. This music created a platform where the real desires and needs of people getting celebrated. A plethora of people might assume that the blues are a devil's music, but it was a symbol of hope for many African Americans.

Work Cited

"Blues Music: History & Origins." Schoolworkhelper, 2019. Retrieved from https://schoolworkhelper.net/blues-music-history-origins/. Accessed 10 Dec 2019.

Kopp, Ed. "A Brief History of the Blues." All About Jazz, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-brief-history-of-the-blues-by-ed-kopp.php. Accessed 10 Dec 2019.

Melhem, Hisham. "Blues, The Devil'S Music." English.Alarabiya.Net, 2015. Retrieved from http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/world/2015/05/18/Blues-the-Devil-s-music-.html. Accessed 10 Dec 2019.

The Influence of The Blues On Jazz. 2019. Retrieved from https://www.jazzinamerica.org/pdf/1/influence%20of%20jazz%20on%20blues.pdf.