The blues was born among the African-American community in the southern United States.
Blues is a musical genre that emerged in the American South from the compositions and performances of African-American men and women . Blues was born as a vocal musical form and later evolved into multiple styles.
According to specialists, the origins of blues date back to the 19th century , while the oldest recordings date back to the 1920s . It should be noted that the concept of blues, typical of the English language, is associated with sadness , anguish and melancholy .
Characteristics of the blues
Blues generally has a twelve-bar structure and a rhythm known as a shuffle . The spirituals (a type of religious song), the so-called field cries and the succession of musical phrases called call and response are part of the songs of this genre.
Another of the peculiarities of blues is the importance it gives to the guitar . Musicians often use techniques such as slide and bend to generate different sound effects.
The harmonica also usually plays a leading role in blues. On this instrument, the use of the cross harp , a technique popularized by Sonny Boy Williamson I , is notable.
Lyrics content
In its early days, blues was strongly linked to the tradition of oral storytelling . Through blues, the artist shared his hardships, often making reference to racism, police brutality and other problems suffered by members of the African-American community.
Early blues featured a line that was repeated three times. Currently the most common formula consists of a line that is repeated once and precedes a final line.
Religion also used to be present in the older blues. While some composers included Christian messages, others spread Yoruba beliefs.
The harmonica is a musical instrument frequently used in blues.
Main exponents of the blues
Great musicians and singers have managed to remain in history for their contributions to the blues. Bessie Smith , Leroy Carr and Robert Johnson , for example, shone in the early days.
These figures were joined by other references such as Muddy Waters , Willie Dixon , John Lee Hooker and BB King . With its growth, the blues transcended the African-American population and even left American borders . In this way, Johnny Winter , Janis Joplin , Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan began to stand out, to name a few artists.
Regarding blues in Spanish, the members of the band Manal are often mentioned as pioneers. This Argentine trio, formed by bassist and singer Alejandro Medina , guitarist Claudio Gabis and drummer Javier Martínez , released their first album in 1970 .
Influence on other genres
Upon becoming popular, blues soon influenced other genres such as rock , jazz , and country . Even musicians associated with different styles ventured into blues or developed works that fuse it with other types of manifestations.
Elvis Presley, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin y Bob Dylan, entre otros, han registrado importantes songs de blues en sus discos e incluido temas en su repertorio.