By Alyce Larson
Almost everyone in the world will have heard at least one of the many African American spirituals which have become so embedded as part of American culture over the last two centuries or so. Spirituals are an early form of gospel song, which arose from a blending of European Christianity with African cultural traditions. The form developed to become known all over the world.
The harsh backdrop of slavery was the main factor in the development of the spiritual as a song form. Many thousands of people from West Africa were enslaved and taken to the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their cultural traditions, religion and language were violently suppressed in their new environment.
The slaves were forced to adopt Christianity and forsake traditional methods of worship too. When practicing their spirituality at this stage, they had to listen to sermons in English and sing hymns. The natural exuberance and personal nature of African worship was considerably constrained.
This led to the slaves adapting the new religion to their own styles of worship and cultural expression. Some practices from Africa had survived and were grafted onto Christianity at secret 'bush meetings'. Here, at these events, Africans could express themselves more openly.
Practices like running through the meeting place taken by the spirit, dancing and other things could still be done in a clandestine way. Music also became important, as slaves looked to bring their own stamp to the staid European hymns. Part of the music was songs, with the preacher leading the congregation in call and response, as literacy among slaves was relatively rare.
This call and response style came about because the majority of slaves were illiterate and could not read the lyrics of hymns. This played a part in how the musical form evolved, as well as the words which were sung. Interestingly, this call and response style also continues to occur in parts of Scotland were the Gaelic language is still spoken.
As the style of music developed, original songs began to be composed in the new style. Like all great art, the songs were also a response to the very specific conditions imposed on African-Americans by slavery. Lyrics, while adapted from European hymns and Bible stories, reflected the oppression and cultural suppression of slavery.
Slaves, obviously, were prevented from taking any political action, with violence an integral part of their oppression. It was in this kind of repressed environment that the spiritual emerged as a musical and lyrical expression of hope in hard times. The English language of the Bible was combined with African melodies and the realities of their American situation to create a new art form, offering hope through music.
Old Testament settings were common for African American spirituals (http://www.calvinearl.com) , with the stories of Exodus often used as source material. Moses leading his people from exile in Egypt was a situation, after all, with some parallels for displaced Africans. It is testament to the creativity and spirit of the slaves that the songs continue to resonate to this day.
About the Author:
This homepage www.calvinearl.com contains free information about African American spirituals that people urgently require for their needs. Take a look at our up-to-date website by clicking here on http://www.calvinearl.com today.
Almost everyone in the world will have heard at least one of the many African American spirituals which have become so embedded as part of American culture over the last two centuries or so. Spirituals are an early form of gospel song, which arose from a blending of European Christianity with African cultural traditions. The form developed to become known all over the world.
The harsh backdrop of slavery was the main factor in the development of the spiritual as a song form. Many thousands of people from West Africa were enslaved and taken to the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their cultural traditions, religion and language were violently suppressed in their new environment.
The slaves were forced to adopt Christianity and forsake traditional methods of worship too. When practicing their spirituality at this stage, they had to listen to sermons in English and sing hymns. The natural exuberance and personal nature of African worship was considerably constrained.
This led to the slaves adapting the new religion to their own styles of worship and cultural expression. Some practices from Africa had survived and were grafted onto Christianity at secret 'bush meetings'. Here, at these events, Africans could express themselves more openly.
Practices like running through the meeting place taken by the spirit, dancing and other things could still be done in a clandestine way. Music also became important, as slaves looked to bring their own stamp to the staid European hymns. Part of the music was songs, with the preacher leading the congregation in call and response, as literacy among slaves was relatively rare.
This call and response style came about because the majority of slaves were illiterate and could not read the lyrics of hymns. This played a part in how the musical form evolved, as well as the words which were sung. Interestingly, this call and response style also continues to occur in parts of Scotland were the Gaelic language is still spoken.
As the style of music developed, original songs began to be composed in the new style. Like all great art, the songs were also a response to the very specific conditions imposed on African-Americans by slavery. Lyrics, while adapted from European hymns and Bible stories, reflected the oppression and cultural suppression of slavery.
Slaves, obviously, were prevented from taking any political action, with violence an integral part of their oppression. It was in this kind of repressed environment that the spiritual emerged as a musical and lyrical expression of hope in hard times. The English language of the Bible was combined with African melodies and the realities of their American situation to create a new art form, offering hope through music.
Old Testament settings were common for African American spirituals (http://www.calvinearl.com) , with the stories of Exodus often used as source material. Moses leading his people from exile in Egypt was a situation, after all, with some parallels for displaced Africans. It is testament to the creativity and spirit of the slaves that the songs continue to resonate to this day.
About the Author:
This homepage www.calvinearl.com contains free information about African American spirituals that people urgently require for their needs. Take a look at our up-to-date website by clicking here on http://www.calvinearl.com today.