How did the blues get its name?
The name of this great American music probably originated with the 17th-century English expression “the blue devils,” for the intense visual hallucinations that can accompany severe alcohol withdrawal. Shortened over time to “the blues,” it came to mean a state of agitation or depression.
What is the true meaning of the blues?
“The blues” stems from the 17th-century English expression, “the blue devils,” which described the intense visual hallucinations of delirium tremens — the trembling and psychosis associated with alcohol withdrawal. Shortened over time to “the blues,” the phrase came to mean a state of emotional agitation or depression.
Why did slaves sing the blues?
The Blues really started when African people were taken to America to work as slaves on plantation fields. The slaves would sing songs of their despair and suffering to make the time pass more quickly. The Blues music is about the black peoples struggle to survive and their efforts to win back their freedom.
How did the Blues get famous?
After the Civil War and the emancipation of enslaved people, the blues spread, together with the people who sang and played it. Many former enslaved people moved from the cotton fields of the southern states to northern cities such as Chicago and Detroit, where the blues became hugely popular.
Had the blues meaning?
: a feeling of sadness or depression I’ve got (a case of) the blues.
Who made the blues famous?
Early blues music was very slow and emotional using simple harmonies with a vocalist accompanied by a guitar. Bessie Smith and Robert Johnson made the blues style very popular in the 1920s.
Why was the Blues considered “the Devil’s Music”?
The Devil’s music Because the early bluesmen and women were the downtrodden illiterate descendants of slaves who were not seen as skilled enough to work as servants or in other reputable functions, blues was not considered respectable.
What influenced the birth of the Blues?
The African-American culture of the southern plantation influenced the birth of the blues through the adaptation of their African musical heritage. Based upon a call and response structure, one slave worker would call or play a lead and the fellow workers would respond with the same phrase or an embellishment of that phrase.
Why did the Blues first become popular?
The Blues music originally grew popular among the black population during the time when slavery was prominent in the United States. Before the origination of the blues, African American’s voiced their feelings and interpersonal relationships while working out on the planatations.
Why is the history of Blues important?
Blues, secular folk music created by African Americans in the early 20th century, originally in the South. The simple but expressive forms of the blues became by the 1960s one of the most important influences on the development of popular music throughout the United States .