Press Release
Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly
African-American Spirituals
Belief and Practice, Original Broadcast Date: August 26, 2005 (Show #852):
In Africa, music marked and celebrated virtually every event in tribal life including work, birth, marriage, and participation in war, which were all framed and punctuated with singing, dancing, drumming, or other forms of active music making. When African-Americans were brought to America as slaves, they carried with them some very long-standing religious traditions that highlighted the importance of musical story-telling. The creation of spirituals -- the earliest form of black sacred music
In Africa, music marked and celebrated virtually every event in tribal life including work, birth, marriage, and participation in war, which were all framed and punctuated with singing, dancing, drumming, or other forms of active music making. When African-Americans were brought to America as slaves, they carried with them some very long-standing religious traditions that highlighted the importance of musical story-telling. The creation of spirituals -- the earliest form of black sacred music