9/19/2018

Blues Music Of Yesterday And Today

By Scott Gibson


When it comes to different musical genres, there are many which are well known and others which are overlooked when downloading or purchasing music. In the case of blues music, it is one of the latter. For, while there are numerous blues artists, those associated with modern day blues often prefer to play at festivals, jams and live shows.

The history of the genre is lesser known than many others. For, there is no detailed information as to the timeline related to the origin of the genre. Still, as the style evolved over time, most relate the style back to the African Continent.

The beginning of the genre included music with styles which closely resemble that of modern blues. As such, it is believed that the musical styles of today originated at the time the first songs came onto the music scene. For, it is strongly believed that the genre originated by black workers whom created and sang songs with technical themes and emotional lyrics based on real and fictional experiences.

Being an ever changing genre, the styles have evolved and changed over time. As musicians tend to add elements of individuality when playing solo or with a group, the change is one that is ongoing. As most participate in a number of open jam sessions, the instrumentals between the lyrics is often considered jamming or call and response created by those playing drums, guitars and keyboards.

Modern day styles associated with the genre are believed to have been born out of the slave trade. For, as with many hymnals, it was the simple solo songs which slaves sang in the fields while working from which a number of songs have been passed down through generations. Often known as call and response, the style was later accepted as a natural part of the genres known as blues or rhythm and blues. Whereas, the songs often held a great deal of emotion due to the environment in which most were born during that time.

An original string instrument during that time was the Akonting, while similar to the banjo, the predecessor dates back to a period long before the genre became better known. While banjos have somewhat moved over to the bluegrass genre, slide and pedal guitars are now somewhat front and center when it comes to the blues. Still, having been born out of a style once known as Field and Hollar, the genre has gone through several changes since being recognized in the early 1900s.

Whether due to style or history, the genre has now become so popular as to have a number of non-profit organizations supporting not only the genre but the musicians whom are a part of it as well. As a result, most of thee organizations provide contests and jams for players as well as lovers of the genre.

Most often, these societies are non-profit organizations which hold a number of events. The funds from these and other events often go to a number of different charities which provide musicians with everything from housing to health care and beyond. In many cases, there are contests in which a number of musicians compete before moving on to an annual or semi-annual award ceremony.




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