The beginning of the 20th century is considered to be the birth of blues. This style of music was originated from Afro-America slaves’ traditions and covered such countries as Africa and the United States, later the whole of Europe. Blues underwent different interpretations and in the early time of its development was called “race music”, as it was the music for people of Afro-American origin. Though it is impossible to name the definite year when blues was originated.
The birth of this style of music is closely connected with the lyrical music of slaves who used to involve technical elements in this genre. At the beginning of its formation blues was interwoven with one more style of music – country and only later it was generally recognized as a separate independent style of music.
The early development of blues coincides with the period of Emancipation which is why the role of women in its formation was really profound. In general, Emancipation changed the life of all black Americans and this could not but influenced the development of their music. People got the freedom to move and work where they liked and thus, to develop their own genre of musical art.
From the very beginning of blues formation, the following blues singers were prominent and generally recognized: Ma Rainey, Mamie Smith, Bessie Smith, and others. The women involved in the sphere of blues transferred the existing black culture into the American mainstream. The contribution of women to this style of music resulted in a complete change of people of Afro-American origin making it more visible and sensitive. (LeRoi, 1963)
The rapid development of blues mostly took place due to the participation of women. With their help, this musical style reached its peak in development and continued its growth. One of the most prominent prints left by women in the history of blues covered the following:
- Minstrelsy of black culture;
- The development of black entertainment throughout the whole world;
- The establishment of cabaret scene in 1920 in the majority of northern cities;
- Popular artists of that time were dominantly women.
The role of the women was really important in the formation of the classic form of the blues. (Titon, 1997)
“When a woman gets the blues she hangs her head and cry.”
Women vocalists made this style professional, not only as a genre of music but as a profession for life. Women of Afro-American origin used this new style in musical art as a method for earning money singing their songs in public. Their profession was involved in the sphere of entertainment. Female representatives of blues traveled through many cities and showed their performance in which they demonstrated the peculiarities of musical style.
Due to them, the stylistic scope of the audience was changed and this style was differently perceived by publicity. Women’s traveling changed the general view on the style and its position in society. Female classic singers stimulated the growth of blues making it the mainstream not only of the black culture but of the whole world.
From early times of the blues development, this style was directed to highlighting the real relationships, not fiction. Nowadays blues music shows the relation of a woman to a man being based on mutual love and understanding. In the period from 1923 and up to 1945 women with the help of blues tried to fight for their rights and change the image of a woman in society.
This powerful music style allowed them to express their emotions and reach the most important in life – independence. Blues can tell a lot about the period of their birth and bloom. Women did everything to change stereotypes completely and their lyrical blues music was the background for it. (Schoemer, 1991)
Blues was really important for women, maybe that is why they continued to develop them. They believed in the power of their lyrics which helped to make a strong independent woman from a miserable housewife having no right to express her thoughts. Blues showed that men and women are not so bound and can work and live independently. It was prominently seen in:
- Singing style;
- Song content;
- Musical accompaniment.
Women who performed blues songs provided a real shock to the audience and even changed their worldview. Blues songs covering the whole world expressed the problems of gender inequality and sexism; they could speak to the audience with their melody and lyrical words. This style was a real key for women to get freedom and back their rights.
Blues was an excellent method to address the world and get respect in return. Women musicians could always find support in the eyes of the audience promoting their qualitative music. For example, such famous blues singers as Bessie Smith tried to show in her song Victorian gender roles which were a part of a tradition.
She believed that blues could make a star of a woman who devoted herself to this music style. Through her songs, she showed how any woman step by step could become independent from a man, how she could earn enough money to lead a happy life without any obligations and gender dependence. (Spiegel, 1999)
Blues was also important in the problem of national unity. Only this style could unite all the women in order to solve one major problem – inequality. Women’s Movement in America united American females with African ones. White American women understood the mood of blues and even provided some grade of moral support to its singers. Emancipation and the development of blues closely interacted with each other which is why the working class and middle class could find a common language in the process of gender problems solution.
According to the words of Goodson, who was in blues as a pianist, it is blues that changed the world and women were the backgrounds for it. She said that a woman could always sing the blues much better than a man could do this. This style influenced other genres of music as well and became a part of some famous music styles such as jazz and country.
As a way of conclusion, it is important to stress that blues changed the world for women who devoted their lives to it. Women contributed the most important to this style – their souls and it helped them to get freedom and independence. Developing and promoting blues throughout the whole world changed the attitude and stylistic scope of the audience helped to return important values and have a different look on life. Women were the main instrument of the blues style and their role in its history will always be the dominant one.
References
Jones, LeRoi. Blues People: The Negro Experience in White America and the Music that Developed from it. New York, 1963.
Titon, Jeff Todd. Early Downhome Blues: A Musical and Cultural Analysis. Chicago, 1997.
Schoemer, Karen. Women Singing the Blues. B.: 1991.
Max D. Spiegel, Some of the Big Men of Blues. Spiegel, Publisher: The Mudcat Café., 1999.