It is often said that the hardships and trials that individuals go through are only there to make one stronger. Culture and environment are critical when it comes to surviving those times. Sometimes, inner strength can shine through in ways that one can least expect. Negro spirituals were created in times where hope was the only thing that many black slaves had to embrace.
Negro spirituals are unique in the fact that they were very different and unique. These songs were filled with such sorrow and heart-felt emotion, that the soulfulness of the music made other types of music stand in the shadows. One must remember that slaves were looked at as animals without a soul. Slavery was deemed right in the eyes of many because they believed it was justified through the Bible. Due to the fact that slaves were forbidden from learning how to read and write, music became their method of tearful release.
Singing for the slave, was a way to cope with working in the hot sun and laboring all day long. The sound of voices singing with one common bond helped them to pass the hours of toiling in the fields. It helped them to believe that one day, they would be free and have the chance for a better life.
Products of these spirituals were faith, dreams, and courage. The slaves had believed that the world would change. They believed that the hardships that they faced was not for nought, but served some purpose. They were not permitted to read or learn how to write. This was mainly due to the fact that slave owners thought that they would rebel. These things were outlawed for the slave, but singing and listening was not. They did not know that the music that they made today, would one day lead to poetry that would inspire millions.
Many slaves were exposed to music during the early 1800's that were from underprivileged whites who went to camp meetings. Evangelists from the Methodist and Baptist Churches preached messages that dealt with hope and salvation. These sermons were so closely tied to the longing that the slaves felt for freedom. However, singing about freedom at that time was a criminal act for the slave, therefore they often made the phrases ambiguous and understandable by the slave.
The Bible became a source of identity for them because they often compared themselves to certain characters that experienced adverse situations. The Jews became a source of encouragement for them because they were once slaves in the land of Egypt. However, due to God-sent deliverance, they were able to escape the hardships of slavery. They no longer had to do what other people wanted them to do. They were free to believe, free to receive, and free to be who they were called to be. The slave would often wonder when their day of redemption would come.
These songs were known as three types. They were "Balm in Gilead, "Deep River, " and "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child." These spirituals depicted a life of self-pity and desperate longing for a change. Other songs such as, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, " were much more open in their cry for freedom. Some spirituals sung of running away. Whatever the song was, the meaning was symbolic.
Two years after the Civil War ended, the first batch of Negro spirituals were in the process of being published. Many famous music magazines did not want to acknowledge these songs, but their power was soon unleashed by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Pretty soon, negro spirituals became known for how much they contributed to the music world.
Negro spirituals are unique in the fact that they were very different and unique. These songs were filled with such sorrow and heart-felt emotion, that the soulfulness of the music made other types of music stand in the shadows. One must remember that slaves were looked at as animals without a soul. Slavery was deemed right in the eyes of many because they believed it was justified through the Bible. Due to the fact that slaves were forbidden from learning how to read and write, music became their method of tearful release.
Singing for the slave, was a way to cope with working in the hot sun and laboring all day long. The sound of voices singing with one common bond helped them to pass the hours of toiling in the fields. It helped them to believe that one day, they would be free and have the chance for a better life.
Products of these spirituals were faith, dreams, and courage. The slaves had believed that the world would change. They believed that the hardships that they faced was not for nought, but served some purpose. They were not permitted to read or learn how to write. This was mainly due to the fact that slave owners thought that they would rebel. These things were outlawed for the slave, but singing and listening was not. They did not know that the music that they made today, would one day lead to poetry that would inspire millions.
Many slaves were exposed to music during the early 1800's that were from underprivileged whites who went to camp meetings. Evangelists from the Methodist and Baptist Churches preached messages that dealt with hope and salvation. These sermons were so closely tied to the longing that the slaves felt for freedom. However, singing about freedom at that time was a criminal act for the slave, therefore they often made the phrases ambiguous and understandable by the slave.
The Bible became a source of identity for them because they often compared themselves to certain characters that experienced adverse situations. The Jews became a source of encouragement for them because they were once slaves in the land of Egypt. However, due to God-sent deliverance, they were able to escape the hardships of slavery. They no longer had to do what other people wanted them to do. They were free to believe, free to receive, and free to be who they were called to be. The slave would often wonder when their day of redemption would come.
These songs were known as three types. They were "Balm in Gilead, "Deep River, " and "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child." These spirituals depicted a life of self-pity and desperate longing for a change. Other songs such as, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, " were much more open in their cry for freedom. Some spirituals sung of running away. Whatever the song was, the meaning was symbolic.
Two years after the Civil War ended, the first batch of Negro spirituals were in the process of being published. Many famous music magazines did not want to acknowledge these songs, but their power was soon unleashed by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Pretty soon, negro spirituals became known for how much they contributed to the music world.
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