The path the slave took to 'citizenship' is what I want to look at. And I make my analogy through the slave citizen's music -- through the music that is most closely associated with him: blues and a later; but parallel development; jazz... [If] the Negro represents; or is symbolic of; something in and about the nature of American culture; this certainly should be revealed by his characteristic music.So says Amiri Baraka in the Introduction to Blues People; his classic work on the place of jazz and blues in American social; musical; economic; and cultural history. From the music of African slaves in the United States through the music scene of the 1960's; Baraka traces the influence of what he calls "negro music" on white America -- not only in the context of music and pop culture but also in terms of the values and perspectives passed on through the music. In tracing the music; he brilliantly illuminates the influence of African Americans on American culture and history.
#1688052 in Books 1995-07-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 7.25 x 1.25l; #File Name: 068480199X736 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great ServiceBy ElizabethThe book came exactly as it was described and thus I was pleased with the quick delivery and quality of the book. Thanks ! =]2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Sample this old text for its random voices. Originally written in the 1960sBy QuickhappyThis is a dated book; but a good one. It was first composed in the 1960s. My edition is from 1968; so perhaps it has been brought up to the present. But I would think that it has been surpassed by other texts in many ways.Very few readers will need to bother with a text such as this. African-American history has come a long way since the 1960s: there are superior textbooks available. The narrative has many holes--too numerable to list. (I.e. almost no mention of the flood of 1927; little coverage of Ida B. Wells; etc.) Why; then; would anyone bother with a book such as this? (A.) if you can buy a copy for a dollar or two. (B.) if you are looking for wonderfully rich historical documents.The book is loaded with first person accounts from history. Newspaper clippings; letters; conversations; novels; advertisements; and the like. Obviously; this is not the first or the last book to give weight to original historical documents. However; what you'll likely find here is a unique collection of texts and illustrations. Moreover; they are often reprinted for a page or two: at some length. Page after page of this 550 page book is given over to Black voices from the past. Anyone wanting to hear a random sampling of Black voices from the past might do well with this text.
