The History of Blues Music: Part 2
The Blues sub-genre sometimes referred to as Country Blues was a reflection of the lives of the people in the rural South. The ex-slaves were no longer under the legal ownership of the rich farm owners but they were just as much under their control. Sharecroppers found it hard to break even and rarely made enough money to get ahead financially. The music they developed in the Mississippi Delta is often referred to as “Delta Blues.” Many people who were fortunate to have been trained on musical instruments found life to be better traveling from community to community performing songs that focused on a better life, sex, love, and life’s trials. Most of the early musicians were men.
Blues Festivals: Part 3
The last Blues Festival I atteded in St. Louis was a major disappointment, in my opinion. I thought is was poorly organized and poorly planned. To start, the main stage was set up in an vacant area across from the new football stadium. They were using the area for parking and there was a football game going on. The ball game lasted well past the time the festival was scheduled to start. People with paid tickets were required to stand around and wait for the people at the game to just sort of amble out and move their vehicles as they felt like it.
