Spirituals, The Revolution of an Cultural Art Form
Location
FA-160a
Department
Music and Dance
Abstract
African slaves created the musical art form we currently know as spirituals, when they were brought here to America between the years 1619 and 1860.These songs were passed along orally from generation to generation as there was no written form of the music. They were originally thought of as folk songs sung by the slaves as they worked in the fields for their masters. These folk songs served to put the white owners at ease, signaling that all was well. The songs themselves often served as a means of communication between the slaves, telling stories of glory long ago, or the right time to escape, or even where to go to hide from white bounty hunters. Over the years spirituals evolved into country, gospel, blues and Jazz music, all designed to tell the story of a race of people, and these days, Spirituals are more popular now, than ever in its history.
Faculty Sponsor
Katherine Petersen
Spirituals, The Revolution of an Cultural Art Form
FA-160a
African slaves created the musical art form we currently know as spirituals, when they were brought here to America between the years 1619 and 1860.These songs were passed along orally from generation to generation as there was no written form of the music. They were originally thought of as folk songs sung by the slaves as they worked in the fields for their masters. These folk songs served to put the white owners at ease, signaling that all was well. The songs themselves often served as a means of communication between the slaves, telling stories of glory long ago, or the right time to escape, or even where to go to hide from white bounty hunters. Over the years spirituals evolved into country, gospel, blues and Jazz music, all designed to tell the story of a race of people, and these days, Spirituals are more popular now, than ever in its history.