Blues People!

The way Jazz music was brought up in the chapter is that seems like it more recent then blues music. Blues seems to be much older and it was of music for black native Americans. It’s like the author is saying blues music wouldn't exist if it was for black people. Blues music was also known has African American work songs.  These work songs first development in slavery days. Whats Stuck out to me was when  the word was brought up “religious syncretism”. This stuck out to me because I personally never seen this word before. Based on the reading it means , “ The identification of  of one set of religious dogma or ritual with analogous coma or ritual in a completely alien religion”(Pg.18).  I thought this word explain the era of slavery blues music all in one word. The work songs for African American was used has religious songs. With African American songs came along dances. The dances were seen in southern places like New Orleans. I thought it was unfair to see how some slaves would sing their songs in the field then white people would notice that they were too happy. White slave owner felt that that they slaves wanted to leave their plantation. Its like of course the white wanted the black to suffer and not be happy or express themselves. It seems that the slave owners was trying to take the piece of happiness away from. The work songs were they way of bringing happiness to a horrible situation which was slavery. I think what power the whites over the black didn't stop the slaves singing there music. From reading some if the lyrics it seems like they were shocking or exciting about something. For example, “Go! on! eat enormously! I ain’t one bit ashamed-eat outrageous!” (Pg 21). I think that shouting expression was a sign of hope on their behalf. 

With work songs came with the speech or language of West Africans. From how I understand this part of the chapter was you have to have an West African accent to sing the work songs. But this statement or the West African  music was misunderstood. But the important thing was the background and it’s meaning behind the work song music. The songs was used has survival  guide for West African music. It seems that the work songs pave the way for Christianity. Its like the “Negros” started the idea of Christianity music. “But still Christianity was adopted by Negros before the great attempts by missionaries and evangelist in the early part of the ninetieth century to covert them” (Pg 32). I think black people changed the idea of Christianity music.