Blues is a genre of music that originated from the songs of African-Americans in the United States, it also has some borrowings from folk music. In terms of subject matter, it is very broad, with lyricists and performers touching on themes related primarily to male-female relationships such as love, jealousy, loneliness. Social themes are also touched upon, but they are treated in a very critical way, especially regarding issues of racial inequality, but also political issues. You will also find songs that talk about travel, work or freedom in the broadest sense. In the lyrics of blues songs you can find a direct and straightforward story about everything that tormented, amazed, hurt and moved blues singers.This is present in the genre to this day, which is why its popularity is not waning, and many songs are timeless and also appeal to modern audiences.… Read more
The origins of the blues can be traced to the so-called labor songs of the period of slavery of African-Americans in the US, but also to the broader Negro folklore manifested in the form of street calls, lullabies, stories of hobos, the wailing of beggars, but also Negro religious song. It is widely recognized that labor and gospel songs are the main source of the blues.
In the classic, oldest blues songs, the basic instruments were primitive percussion instruments such as drums (this is a primitive, metal self-sounding instrument, wild of its simple construction is shouted from the earliest times in a very different form in all corners of the world) or bells, the accompaniment was also clapping hands. Nowadays, the most commonly used instruments are mouth harmonica, guitar, less often dente instruments or piano.
A brief historical overview of the Blues genre
The oldest variety of blues is the country blues, which dates back to the 19th century. It originated in the southern states of the USA such as Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia. Over time, it began to spread and, along with immigrating blacks, found its way to cities, creating its own urban blues variety and becoming an integral part of urban folklore. The genre steadily evolved, from purely vocal varieties, to the addition of instruments (guitar, bandjo), to piano instrumental forms, and eventually orchestral forms. Another breakthrough came at the end of the first half of the 20th century, when the blues gained another, improved form, more lively called rhytm and blues, it was this trivial genre that gave rise to the later rock and roll music, and what follows, all later, broadly defined rock music. The main representatives of urban blues of the 1930s were guitarists Big Bill Broonzy, Tampa Red, Scrapper Blackwell, pianists Leroy Carr, Big Maceo, Blind John Davis, Memphis Slim. Oral harmonica was growing in importance, mainly due to Sonny Boy Williamson I or Jazz Gillum. The 1930s also saw the rise of the piano style of boogie woogie. Its classic representatives were Pete Johnson, Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis.
After World War II, the so-called West Coast Blues began to dominate; T-Bone Walker, a pioneer of electric guitar playing, is considered to be the father of this style. The continuators were Pee Wee Crayton, Lowell Fulson.
Another genre of blues was Chicago blues. It differed from other genres in that it was definitely more electrified it also had a very strong rhythmic emphasis. Its main performers were Muddy Water and Willi Dixon, and later Jimmy Rogers, Otis Spann or Little Walter (who can safely be called a mouth harmonica virtuoso, thanks to him the electric mouth harmonica is still a symbol of the blues today). Other performers included Elmore James, Robert Nighthawk, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, Clarence Gatemouth Brown in Texas, Guitar Slim in Louisiana, B. B. King in Memphis.
The musical 1960s is another important stage in the development of this music and the peak of popularity of Chicago blues. The music also finds its way to Europe, with the British in particular succumbing to its charms. Acoustic blues performed by Son House, Fred McDowell, Mississippi John Hurt, Lightnin' Hopkins and Big Joe Williams also experienced a renaissance (mainly in the student community).
In the 1980s, the blues is once again experiencing the peak of its popularity and this is thanks to the film The Blues Brothers and performers Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, Robert Cray, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, among others.
Unfortunately, the modern media is quite averse to the blues, as it is not commercial music. However, this does not change the fact that it is still eagerly listened to and popular. Contemporary performers combine other musical genres with the blues, such as hip-hop, reggae music, Indian music, Jamaican music, African music, they also put more emphasis on the mood of the songs, and thanks to Erica Claptona acoustic blues has returned to favor.
I invite you to learn more about this genre not only in theoretical form, the site will feature more and more songs from this genre over time, but in all its own time.