Scene in the South - Courtesy of Duncan Schiedt

When West African tribes were brought to the New World in chains, they carried their music and traditions with them. The powerful rhythms of African percussion influenced American music. Slave work songs were created in the African tradition of call-and-response. To tell a story, a song leader would call out a line and the workers would respond to the call. Many slaveholders did not allow the slaves to speak to each other, so the only way they could communicate was through song. They developed many different ways of getting their secret messages across in the lyrics. Slaves also sang soulful songs called "spirituals" to express their religious beliefs, feelings and desire for freedom. Spirituals and work songs are part of the foundation of the American art form, known as jazz. Also, in the early 1890s the blues emerged from these traditions. In performing the blues, singers used the power of their voices to express their feelings.