The blues
- Faby Médina
- Mar 2
- 3 min read
What are the origins of the Blues?
The blues was born in the post-slavery Mississippi Delta. The living conditions of African Americans remained close to those of slavery: extremely arduous and even dangerous for these new citizens, who were nonetheless second-class citizens. Black people were no longer considered commodities. They were more easily thrown into prison or, worse, lynched and hanged from a tree at the slightest suspicion, without evidence or trial.
However, major changes occurred in the lives of this newly freed population: the opportunity for education, the freedom to travel, and the sovereignty of their sexual lives! Many would head north, fleeing the racist South to join the working class. This was the great migration to major industrial cities like Chicago, Detroit, Boston, and New York.
It is within this social context that the Blues emerged in the southern United States. Travel, male-female relationships, and social difficulties are the favorite themes addressed in this music, much like the European realist song of the same era.
Like the Negro Spiritual , the Blues is the natural offspring of the Work Song. This song, sung by slaves and their descendants, served not only to bolster their courage at work but also to communicate and send coded messages right under the noses of the masters and overseers who supervised them. This is what gives the Blues its double meaning, its hidden message beneath seemingly simple lyrics. The Work Song's distinctive characteristic—primarily vocal and often improvised—stems from the African tradition of a lead singer who proposes the melody and a chorus that responds. The Blues adopts this same technique, with the difference that the response to the lead vocal is instrumental.
The Blues is the father of all popular music that emerged in the United States during the 20th century. Jazz, Boogie Woogie, Country Music, Chicago Electric Blues, Rock 'N' Roll, Rhythm and Blues…
Blues is also Creole with the group Delgrès created in 2016 and already awarded a Victoire de la Musique in 2019.
The classic blues of the early 20th century was as much a male-dominated genre as it was female, featuring singers such as Ma Rainey , Alberta Hunter , Sophie Tucker, Ida Cox, Slippie Wallace, and all the Smiths... Bessie, Mamie, Sarah, Trixie! Despite having no relation to one another, from 1920 onward, with Mamie Smith's very first blues recording, "Crazy Blues," these voices—sweet, husky, powerful, and clear—flooded the streets of major cities, selling thousands of copies. The records of these blueswomen enriched the labels of this burgeoning industry.
While Ma Rainey was nicknamed the mother of the Blues, Robert Johnson is said to be its father.
This exceptional musician, who carries with him the legend of having sold his soul to the devil, has inspired many world-renowned artists today, starting with the 3 Kings, BB King, Albert King and Freddie King.
The youth craze of the 1960s for reissuing old records revived the Blues, with artists of all styles and genres such as Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, John Lee Hooker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Etta James, winner of six Grammy Awards and no fewer than 17 Blues Music Awards. Young English rockers arrived in the United States in search of authenticity, following in the footsteps of these forgotten Blues legends.
The Blues is close to the people, it touches the heart. Popular in the truest sense of the word, it speaks to us simply, which is why it continues to exist. Its simple form of 12 bars and 3 chords offers the possibility of all kinds of sophistication, a fertile ground for musical creation. The Blues carries within it both the simplicity and the complexity that are the very nature of our experience of living on Earth.
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