#worksongs

My newest post covers briefly the development from worksongs into modern rhythm and blues, as usual illustrated by many examples.

From the worksongs of the American slaves, a singing style gradually developed that was called 'blues' around 1920. The blues, like the worksongs, expressed the feeling of discontent that the inferior position of the African-American population entailed. Other topics were relationship problems and natural disasters.

During this development, there has been cross-fertilisation between (rhythm and) blues and other emerging genres.  Initially, these were mainly the (negro) spirituals and gospel songs and, from the 1920s, old-style jazz ('Dixieland' in New Orleans) and later in swinging dance orchestras, such as Count Basie and his band. After the war, this was mainly rock 'n roll. In the 1980s, the term 'R&B' was further expanded to include hip-hop, having already been used for soul, funk and even disco. 

Check my post here: https://hermanvandenbosch.com/2025/11/09/from-blues-to-rhythm-and-blues/

The roots are workings. boogie boogie and ragtime. Other influences like country and western followed. My posts dealing with these doors can be listened to and seen here

I expired the roots of American popular music, jazz and rock included, In three subsequent installments of my blog 'Listen, look and enjoy. In the next future, I wil continue with the exploration of more recent styles that emerged from the Afra-American and European roots. But to start with, deepen your acquaintance of workings, boogie woe and ragtime.

Music in the Americas would have sounded completely different today if millions of slaves had not been deported to this part of the world. The so-called ‘worksongs’ are an early example of the evolution of African music into a unique Afro-American style. The same happened with the songs sung by European immigrants.

My most recent post is the first episode in a series about the African-American tradition in music, beginning with songs by slaves, evolving through spirituals, gospel, and blues into rhythm & blues, Motown, funk, disco, and dance.

This series is the counterpart of articles I previously published on the influence of the music that European immigrants brought with them to the US. These songs laid the foundations for country & western among others.

However, the most important contribution to the development of American music was the blend of both traditions. Think of rock ‘n’ roll. Check mij blog : Music, listen, look and enjoy on hermanvandenbosch.com

Recently, I wrote a series of posts about the evolution of the music that immigrants from Europe brought to the US, so-called country & western. This style blended with rhythm & blues, rooted in the African-American tradition. Rock ‘n’ roll, folk, ‘Americana’ and eventually Shania Twain and Taylor Swift positioned in this evolution. In the next episodes I take the opposite route. The starting point is the African-American tradition, beginning with the songs sung by slaves, and two be continued through spirituals, gospel, and blues into rhythm & blues, Motown, funk, disco, and dance

July 9, 2020