African American Spirituals

Coded Songs and Slavery

The above link takes you to a youtube video that describes the types of codes used in songs during the time of slavery in the United States. Watch it if you would like to learn more about some of the songs we have been singing in class.

Remember, spirituals were a building block for jazz music. Jazz music was born out of the blues era, and the blues were born of the suffering from slavery. A big price was paid in order for this music, and it changed the face of American music drastically.