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- More about music and slavery...
- The “Moses of her people”, Harriett Tubman was the Conductor of the Underground Railroad.
- One of the songs of the Underground Railroad was “Wade in the Water”, While it hasn’t been proven, it is believed that Harriett Tubman used this traditional Negro Spiritual as a way to warn slaves to get into the water to hide from the slavecatching dogs on their trail
- "Wade in the water, wade in the water children,Wade in the water,God's gonna trouble the water"
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- Singing as a form of communication is deeply rooted in the African American culture. It began when we were kidnapped and shipped across the Atlantic during the Middle Passage.
- We were from different countries, tribes and cultures and used singing as a way to communicate during the voyage. That's how we were able to look for kin, countrymen and women through song.
- Music was a way for us to express our feelings whether it was sorrow, joy, inspiration or hope.
- And then, songs were passed down from generation to generation throughout slavery.
- These songs were influenced by African and religious traditions and would later form the basis for what is known as “Negro Spirituals”*
- *term by Col. Thomas W. Higginson
- Also, singing at contraband camps helped former slaves navigate between slavery and freedom.
- Today, music still accompanies the fights against all forms of injustice, racism, but also sexism, homophobia, and other pretexts of discrimination. the music still accompanies the fights against all forms of injustice, racism, but also sexism, homophobia, and other pretexts of discrimination.
- The fight is not finished, and other musical styles have been born from this songs of slavery, such as blues, jazz, or more recently rap, which serves as one of the principal ways of denouncing inegalities with art.
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