Table of Contents
What is the true meaning of the blues?
“The blues” stems from the 17th-century English expression, “the blue devils,” which described the intense visual hallucinations of delirium tremens — the trembling and psychosis associated with alcohol withdrawal. Shortened over time to “the blues,” the phrase came to mean a state of emotional agitation or depression.
What does the word blues mean in music?
of sadness
: a feeling of sadness or depression. : a style of music that was created by African-Americans in the southern U.S. and that often expresses feelings of sadness. blues. noun plural. \ ˈblüz \
Is blues the mother of all music?
The blues are often referred to as the mother of modern musical forms. But where did the blues come from? The blues first grew out of the music of enslaved African Americans (and later African-American sharecroppers, railroad work gangs, and prison work gangs) and described life’s hardships.
Why are the blue called the blues?
The name of this great American music probably originated with the 17th-century English expression “the blue devils,” for the intense visual hallucinations that can accompany severe alcohol withdrawal. Shortened over time to “the blues,” it came to mean a state of agitation or depression.
Why are the blues called the blues?
Is blues the father of music?
William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was a composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues….
| W. C. Handy | |
|---|---|
| Died | March 28, 1958 (aged 84) New York City, New York, United States |
| Genres | Blues, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician bandleader teacher |
| Instruments | Trumpet |
Is blues music always sad?
A lot of people think the blues are sad. Other blues are angry, moody, scary, frightened, and some are bouncy, joyous, exuberant, happy. Clearly, the blues is unusually rich in emotional expression. So, no, the blues is not sad music, and they do not tend to make us sad.
Who started the blues?
The blues originated on Southern plantations in the 19th Century. Its inventors were slaves, ex-slaves and the descendants of slaves—African-American sharecroppers who sang as they toiled in the cotton and vegetable fields.
Is blues music happy or sad?
Other blues are angry, moody, scary, frightened, and some are bouncy, joyous, exuberant, happy. Clearly, the blues is unusually rich in emotional expression. So, no, the blues is not sad music, and they do not tend to make us sad. Rather, if anything, they send sad feelings scurrying off someplace else.