Michael S, I'm also interested in understanding the reasons for most African Americans' non-support of Blues music.

I've been trying to find with no success a book whose title & author I don't recall which indicated that there was no division in tradition African cultures between instrumental/vocal music performance and dancing (with that music, in response to that music, and to call up that music). The author wrote that when dance became disassociated with Blues (or was it Jazz?, or both?), and these genres became mostly "music for audiences to listen to", that is when Black people began turning their backs on these music genres.

I think that is one answer. But I also think that many Black people who think about Jazz at all, not only consider the music to be undanceable, but also consider it to be too high brow, and too formal. And, in contrast, I think that many Black people who think of Blues music at all, consider it too be too "downhome", too Southern "country" (with country meaning "rural").

An examination of Black folklore from Thomas W. Talley's 1922 Negro Folk Rhymes and other collections of secular slave songs and early Blues songs will demonstrate the mixed feelings, but mostly disdain generations of Black folks have had for our Southern roots (btw I'm African American but I have no known Southern American roots. The "our" here is used colloquially).

In addition to these possible reasons for the lack of significant support of Blues music among African Americans, I would add my opinion that most Blacks who consider Blues at all think it is depressing, misery music, and also think that Blues is too "old school" and also think that its musicians are too old). As a general rule, Americans (regardless of race/ethnicity) love youth. And African Americans are no different than other Americans in this regard, and we may be even more "in to" youth culture than other Americans.

Furthermore, generally speaking African Americans tend to be innovators and not presevationists/traditionalists. Again, I think that this is an American trait, but I also believe that African Americans reflect and promote this preference for innovation much more than other Americans. American popular culture has always been a testimony to African Americans innovative skills.

See this quote from three different posters on a blog on Blues music:

">why should young blacks play the blues- it`s an outdated music.<

Because it's good music?
How's that for a reason? Good music doesn't go out of date.

lightninboy » Thu Aug 25, 2005 12:15 pm

Seems to me that African Americans are trends setters.
They moved on from the blues a long time ago, where the rest of the world has been catching on, recycling and inovating.
Picking it up and moving with it.

I can see why young blacks in the US would rather sing hip hop/rap; they're setting another trend.
In fact, without Afro-Americans (sorry, I dont know the politicaly correct terminolgy in the US), I wonder what the rest of the world would do for "cool". "

http://www.bigroadblues.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2218

-snip-

(Btw, the "politically correct terminology in the US" is "African American").

I think that the poster was correct that most African Americans (and other Americans?) don't think the Blues is "cool" anymore. At one time, in some societal circles, eing a Blues musician or a Blues singer was a money making, "cool" profession. But it's been a long time since most Black folks thought that being a Blues musician or Blues singer or listening to the Blues is cool. Although the word "cool" is not as cool as it used to be (having been replaced by umpteen other slang words and phrases), it's still true that in most African American communities, being cool is what's happenin and being un-cool is not.

Rightly or wrongly, realistically or unrealistically, African Americans consider performing music as one way out of the poverty of the 'hood. Since Blues doesn't sell, some young musicians and singers who might otherwise been Blues artists, become hip-hop or R&B, or Dancehall Reggae artists.

And added to all of this is the lack of comfort many Black people feel when they are interacting with White people (and vice versa?). I wrote "they" because I usually don't feel uncomfortable around White people anymore. I think the fact that so many White people are in to the Blues (and Jazz) as musician/singer performers, and as concert/festical attendees is a reason why Black people aren't in to these music forms and, is even more so, a reason why Black people don't attend Blues festivals and concerts.

For the record (no pun intended), I didn't grow up hearing Blues or Jazz at all. My Northern United States family was too much into the church for us to hear this music. But being "churchy" didn't stop us from listening to Rock n'Roll (R&B) music. We just weren't allowed to hear that secular music on Sundays nor we "allowed" to dance on Sundays.

But thanks to my Jazz musician (then) husband, I was introduced to Jazz music. And thanks to a large extent to Mudcatters, I have been introduced to the Blues, and find that I love some old school Blues musicians & Blues vocalists and some contemporary Blues musicians and Blues vocalists.


These are my thoughts as to why more African Americans don't support Blues. I have no research to back up my opinions.

As always, I'm interested in any response to my comments.

Azizi Powell