Where did blues come from?

Blues is a genre with a complex history that has had a huge impact on the future of music. It originated in the southern United States, and its first variety was the so-called country blues, which was played mainly by African-American agricultural workers. Blues was about life. The evolution of blues led to the birth of rock and roll.

People who talk about the roots of blues often use the term African-American folklore, which perfectly describes the history of this genre. Blues translates from English as “despair” or “sadness,” and its sounds are often called music for sad people.

It originated in the 19th century. Initially, the songs were about the lives of black slaves, but over time, musicians began to address many other topics, drawing inspiration from everyday life. The lyrics were usually very nostalgic and overwhelming, hence the term “music for sad people.” When African Americans began to emigrate from the South to the northern cities of the United States, they also took the blues with them. This led to the creation of its next variation, called “urban blues.”

The genre underwent many transformations. The instruments accompanying the musicians also changed—bluesmen who previously played the guitar or harmonica began to use the piano, bass, or drums. Of course, the themes of the songs also changed, and more and more often they spoke of typical city life.

The evolution of blues led to the emergence of rock and roll, derived from the lively rhythm and blues genre. It also influenced later popular music and was of great importance in the work of jazz musicians—elements of blues were used, in particular, by Louis Armstrong.

Blues was created by African Americans, and for years only they performed music of this genre, but over time, white performers such as Elvis Presley began to include blues motifs in their songs. Later, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and John Mayall also did so.

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Who is a bluesman?

In fact, the term “bluesman” is reserved exclusively for African American men who perform blues. However, this is a rather strict approach and strict adherence to terminology. Nowadays, white musicians are also sometimes called bluesmen. Moreover, there is another rule in the USA. If a musician performs songs of another genre, such as ballads, in addition to blues songs, he is called a “songwriter” rather than a bluesman.

This was usually due to some kind of accident or illness. That is why many bluesmen were blind. When it became clear that a little boy would not be able to work physically, often the only right decision was to become a musician. Otherwise, he would still have no chance of getting an education.

So it happened that the fate of a little 4-year-old child was already predetermined—he was to become a bluesman. Young music enthusiasts usually made their own instruments, for example, from wire and stones or boxes. Those who were more fortunate and whose families could somehow afford to buy an instrument (which was very difficult, given the extremely low wages on the plantations) began their adventure with the blues with a guitar.

Young students who wanted to learn the secrets of the genre usually watched bluesmen perform in so-called “music establishments,” i.e., local taverns, or at parties organized by plantation owners. The chance to learn the art of this genre became a guide for the blind bluesman, which meant running away from home.

What the blues is about

As already mentioned, the blues was about life. Since the everyday life of bluesmen was not easy, this was strongly reflected in the themes of the songs. So you could say that the musicians sang about literally everything. They were familiar with themes of love, loneliness, freedom, romance, and travel. They were also not afraid of topics such as homosexuality, crime, drug addiction, extreme poverty, or prostitution. Due to their nomadic lifestyle, they often referred to various world events in their songs, including disasters, wars, and politics.

Cult bluesmen

The pages of history are filled with the names of artists without whom rock and roll and popular music would not be the same. Their lives were difficult, often filled with alcohol and violence.

One such figure was Led Belly (pictured below), a former murder convict known as an outstanding blues performer and virtuoso on the twelve-string guitar. In his work, he touched on a wide variety of topics, from alcohol and women, through racism and life in prison, to topics related to famous people (good or bad), such as Hitler and Franklin Roosevelt.