Gospel-Spirituals

= Gospel Music && Spirituals … = = From Then To Now! =

Gospel music can be traced back to the 18th century. The tunes and the beats of the negro spirituals and Gospel songs are highly influenced by the music of their actual cultural environment. During that time, hymns and negro spirituals were lined and repeated in a call and response action. Because the enslaved Africans had attended their masters’ worship services, the seventeenth century influences on Negro spirituals and work songs were traditional hymns the enslaved Africans heard in worship. Coming out of an oral tradition, gospel music typically brings a great deal of repetition. The repetition of the words allowed those who could not read the opportunity to participate in worship.
 * __History of Gospel Music:__**

The first negro spirituals were inspired by African music. Some of them, which were called “shouts”, were joined with dancing, including hand clapping and foot tapping. Some African American religious singing at this time was referred as a “moan” or a “groan”. This type of moaning or groaning didn't mean that they were in pain.

The gospel musical structure is very unique. Back in the old days, the musicians used drums as their way of playing their music. However, the slaves were not allowed on the drums because their owners feared that their beats that they might create, might be used for long-distance communication and so the clapping of the hands became the primary form of the percussion. In addition. they had a lot of call and response witch the leader of the song will say a line or a phrase, and the choir will repeat or join in the son witch had repetition in their music. The new and converted slaves had adapted to Methodist hymns such as "Amazing Grace" that was written by a slave captain, which had also introduced to the West African rhythms. In contrast, they gospel music that is played in todays time is very different. In today's music, the musicians use organs, bass, drums, guitars, etc. The sound of the beat is appealing to the person and their interest of style. Black America has made a great contribution to the world culture through the various types of music such as jazz, soul, funk, R&B, and rap. All of these various types of music has been and will continue to be traced back to the gospel music. The majority of R&B and Hip-Hop artist have taken beats and rhythms from old folk spirituals and R&B and Soul music. = =
 * __ The Music: __**

__**Songs and Artist**:__

__Artist:__ Sister Rosetta Tharpe __Song:__ Down By The Riverside __Name of Album:__ The Gospel of the Blues __Release Date:__ 1800's media type="file" key="Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Down By the Riverside.mp3" width="240" height="20"

__Artist__: Rev.Timothy Wright __Song:__ You Must Come In At The Door __Name of Album:__ Reverend Timothy Wright and the New York Fellowship Mass Choir __Release Date:__ September 2, 2003

__Artist:__ Kirk Franklin __Song:__ Before I Die __Name of Album:__ Hello Fear __Release Date:__ March 22, 2011 media type="file" key="03 Before I Die.m4a" width="216" height="18"

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 __Artist:__ Da T.R.U.T.H __Song:__ Who Am I? __Name of Album:__ Open Book __Release Date:__ April 9, 2007

media type="file" key="Da T.R.U.T.H ft. Tye Tribbett- Who Am I.mp3" width="240" height="20"


 * __Events on African American:__**

__1808 Ban of Slave Trade:__ The ban of slavery was not fully abolished until the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were put into placed to the Bill of Rights in 1865. On March 2, 1807, Thomas Jefferson signed the bill abolishing the slave trade among African Americans to take effect on January 1, 1808. In section 9 of Article 1 of the Constitution, stated that Congress wouldn't be able to prohibit the importation of the slaves before 1808. As 1808 approached, the issue of the slave trade had came in Congress for consideration. In December of 1805, the bill to stop importing slaves was to happen in 1808. However, in April, it was decided to postpone the issue till a later date. Later on, the case was finally ruled and there was no more importation of the slaves. It was not an easy task to take on but they managed to get through it. With this, the slave started to sing songs that represented them not being slave

__1840 Amistad Ruling:__ On November 17, 1840, John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States, and then serving in Congress, visited thirty-six African men being held outside of New Haven, Connecticut. The thirty-six Africans had been among five or six hundred purchased by a Portuguese slave trader in April 1839. They were shipped to Havana, Cuba, then a Spanish colony. The Amistad case was to figure out the statues of the African American men that had rebelled on the Amistad boat and took control from the slave owners. The problem was that the slaves had landed on American soil but it would be illegal to claim them as property because of the slave trade in the USA. However, there also was a case charging them with murder of the owners. The charges were later dropped due to the murders of the Spanish men so it was believed for it to not let America rule against them. This is important to justice and equality because it shows how the court system showed justice by freeing the slaves for being transported illegally.

__1850 Railroad Segregation:__ Segregation of African-American railroad passengers was a long-standing tradition in the South. Emancipation and passage of constitutional amendments related to civil and political rights. In 1871, Senator Burton's wife was thrown off a moving train when she refused to leave the white only coach. The situations like this inspired African-American legislators to join Representative Mayes and they attempted to start laws supporting equal accommodation on trains for African Americans. In the late 1870s, Representative R. J. Evans of Navasota offered an amendment to a railroad rate bill. If the amendment bill passed, it would have made it illegal not to sell African-Americans first-class tickets.‍ If it didn't pass then it would be legal.

http://www.npg.si.edu/col/amistad/index.htm http://www.bostoncommunitychoir.org/history_of_gospel_music.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_music http://afgen.com/gospel1.html http://www.negrospirituals.com/ http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-gospel-music.htm