The "Negro Spiritual" Era

Negro Spirituals are the songs that slaves were given permission to sing, which consists of two types:-

• Negro Spirituals and work
• this category of music was sung by an individual or a group of slaves which helpped them with doing the jobs given by slave drivers. This catergory was used to express their feelings while working and helped cheer each other up when their morale is low. 
• Negro Spirituals and the Underground Rail Road (UGRR)
• while the UGRR was sung when the slaves were at the UGRR trying to escape form the slave drivers. This catergory of songs speak about the obsticles on the way when the slaves were trying to run away from their slave drivers, and the UGRR was their only way to get through for them to reach freedom.

So, here are examples of how the negro spirituals and UGRR music sounds like and this is a very famous UGRR song, sung by Big Mama Thornton- Wade in the water:-

and here is the lyrics so you can read what they were going through:-

(Chorus)
Wade in the water.
Wade in the water, children.
Wade in the water.
God's gonna trouble the water.

Well, who are these children all dressed in red?
God's a-gonna trouble the water
Must be the children that Moses led
God's a-gonna trouble the water.

Chorus

Who's that young girl dressed in white
Wade in the Water
Must be the Children of Israelites
God's gonna trouble the Water.

Chorus

Jordan's water is chilly and cold.
God's gonna trouble the water.
It chills the body, but not the soul.
God's gonna trouble the water.

Chorus

If you get there before I do.
God's gonna trouble the water.
Tell all of my friends I'm coming too.
God's gonna trouble the water.

(Songs for teaching, 2012

According to Aruther C. Jones "wade in the water" the coded meaning behind the lyric is "when you escape and are attempting to connect to the next relay point on the Underground Railroad make sure that you go wade (paddle) through water to thrown the bloodhounts off your scent" (Jones, 1999). So just as it was mentioned earlier that going through the Underground railroad is the only way to get to freedom, so the Underground rail road had authority patroling them and they had bloodhounds to track the African American so they wont runaway, and bloodhounds have a very strong scencing ability, therefore they had to wade or paddle in the water to get ride of their scent so they wont be tracked down.

According to (History Official Site of Negro Spirituals, antique Gospel Music), Slavery abolished in 1865 in America, but racism was still a great factor; yet gave African Americans the oppertunity to enter university. The first Black university was Fisk University, Nashville Tennessee. From this opperunity they took every chance to venture out into the new world, where they introduced and sung the Negro Spirituals, and the group which were the first to do that was Fisk Jubilee Singers (History Official Site of Negro Spirituals, antique Gospel Music).

Although, post the abolishing of slavery, most Afriacn American did not want to be reminded of the hardship and struggles, so the people were not so proud of the spiritual Negro music. Until the 1890's when the Holiness and Sanctified churches appeared; which was highly influenced by the African tradition, that involved clapping, shouting, footstomping and Jubilee songs.

1985- after

the words and action of Dr. Martin Luther King has changed the lives of the African Americans in the United States. The scene of music Has trasformed immesly thanks to the co- founders of the gospel music it has transformed and was used as a reference to many genres to what it is now! Therefore, gospel music or Negro Spirituality is one of the most important key element in the celebration of "Black History Month", in which Negro Spirituality music and its sub-genres are played throughout the month, remembering the hardship and celebrating the success of their forefathers.


Althought the Negro spirituals were established and developed rapidly in the US, Negro spirituals also spread out into other regions of The Americas. The next entries explain how,  where, and what music is recognised generally to the world.

Refernces:


History Official Site of Negro Spirituals, antique Gospel Music. (n.d.). Retrieved 04 14, 2012, from History: www.negrospirituals.com/history.htm

Jones, A. C. (1999). Wade in the water wisdom of spirituals. Maryknoll, New York, USA.

Songs for teaching. (2012). Songs For Teaching. Retrieved 05 04, 2012, from Wade in the Water Lyrics.