Afro-American music is sound of ‘human pride’

Poem story about people

By Cezary Owerkowicz

ride, at the beginning was the world’, says St John. Music of the word is – poetry. Poem is also a famous music form (not only symphonic poems). Here the poem first had already made a great success in the composer’s native country and also abroad, for example the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2017. Then, secondly, the author with cooperation of his friends, transformed it into a music form, most probably – a musical. Oh! Poem is about music and its influence on the fate of the big community was an eminent part of the nation and the country, the ‘Great’ country.

Poem is called ‘Olio’ and its author is Afro-American poet Tyehimba Jess (born 1965, in Detroit). It is a story about people who really created AfroAmerican music in the US. It is not his first work on ‘black music’ in the United States.

In 2005 he wrote a book ‘Leadbelly’, about Hudson William Led- better (18881949), folk and blue musician. Thanks to the determination and the talent he implemented to popular music 19th century’s songs he listed on the farm he grew up. In 1988 his name was introduced to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Bob Dylan is fascinated by him.

Owerkowicz

Jess was interested to know if there are still any records from the 1930s and about people who created music aside the Ledbetter ‘black music’. They were bluesmen before what they were playing. It is we who started to name them ‘blues’. ‘I dug through thousands of notes and documents and the result was awesome. This is a tale of the forgotten, never recorded singers, instrumentalists, from the days of the end of slavery until WW II. Without them the Afro-American music would never sound as great as it is today.’

It is a sound of the human pride – Music – the first experience with freedom.

The only existing records are made by Bert Williams of the Bahamas, one of the greatest stars of vaudeville of the beginning of the 20th century. His records were bestsellers and he was the first Afro-American on the Broadway stage.

We don’t know any other voice of Afro-Americans from that time. They were not only earning their bread from singing but also sang about human dignity nevertheless with a difference. Over the decades, from the time of slavery the Afro-Americans were depraved from performing music.

They did not learn to read or write, or to play instruments and common singing at their work place was just illegal. When they were allowed to take instruments they were obliged to play what their masters liked to listen to. However for those musicians music was the first ever experience with freedom: they were able to buy guitars, mouth-organs and finally to play what they like.

In the United States ‘black music’ got new meanings and sounds. It was translated on instruments not known for their African ancestors. This way the ‘blues’ was born, the same jazz; from such spiritual mixture and story about fate of slaves. Today when we talk about ‘black music’ we think about music in the United States only. But it has spread around the world, it is everywhere conquered everybody. This is a great success for its creators, descendants of slaves.

It is impossible to omit spirituals, songs of slaves such as reading Bible and from eternal human hopes to fight for human rights, from hope and values taking power for emancipation and spiritual revival. I was surprised how many churches attended by Afro-Americans were burnt. The list or research was never done. I was the first doing it – says Jess.

I also never knew who was Edmonia Lewis? It is one of my best private discoveries. She probably achieved the greatest success between all 19th century American artists. Half Indian, half Afro American at the age of 20, after the end of War of Secession, she left for Rome and became very famous, like a local celebrity. In the 1980s of the 19th century she earned vast amount of US dollars which her brothers could not do.

However, strange is the story of sister McKoy, a Siamese twin, connected by backbones. Since they were one and half they were performing at touring circuses. After they were kidnapped and taken to England, they were brought back to United States where they worked as slaves. When they were freed they joined the circus and earned huge sums of money, to such an extent they were able to buy a plantation, but worked as slaves there too.

I am greatly impressed of the genus and cheerfulness of my black brothers – still slaves or first generation of free Afro Americans who achieved things which at one time were just impossible. They were pioneers of the progress not only in the field of music. Even than to show beauty of ‘black music soul’ was the most important, at a time when it existed in live form only.

Jess did the detailed research. He thinks that he reached all possible sources looking for what his heroes wrote or said. He analyzed their instruments, to recognize their playing technique. All other elements are products of his imagination. ‘I was looking at empty paper and heard my different visions. After some time I started to believe in what I wrote…’, he said.

What was I thinking about one of my heroes ‘Blind Boone’, when he escaped at the age of 12 from school for the blind children from the streets of unknown city St Luis? What was the wonder about twins McKoy when they were taken to England? What was the reaction of their mother from emotional point of view – well their mother too was taken along with the twins, so she could stay close to them or was she planning to come back to the rest of her seven children? I tried to put myself in their situation but the only solution was to imagine.

This is the endless power of poetry. I wasn’t able to predict what would happen in the next verses. I am happy that I succeed to give voice to wonderful forgotten artistes, who created a new, free world. I receive thanks more from single people for reminding them of our generation Edmonia Lewis, John Williams, piano virtuoso ‘Blind’ Boone, Fisk Jubilee Singers performing in public slaves’ songs, I consider that I have played my part and fulfilled my duty.

Can you imagine the great determination of ‘Blind Boone’ to become a famous musician, since at the age of six months he was diagnosed for meningitis and doctor literally pulled out the eyes from his skull? Maybe I became a poet to bring back the memory about such people? Maybe I was determined to make a research on this story for almost eight years? Jess asks us.

In the US the poems at once became popular. Now it is time for their translations, and to make them available in other countries as the UK, Germany, and Poland and so on. Some of them have ‘experiences’ with colonialism, some of them – not all. In every way it arouses interest about unknown roots of Afro-American music which became so famous and popular even with beginnings ‘sunk in the darkness’.

Influence

Poem is a story about influence of music on a single human life, for single hero but also for the author. The same it is a story about music influence for certain society, even its history. How strong a tool the music is.

There is a very common opinion that the music of the poem should be recorded. Poet Jess says: Yes, I just work on it. I try to arrange recording of the album with participation of the outstanding contemporary musicians. More, with other poet and composer, Janice Lowe we have started already arranging from the poem ‘Olio’ stage musical. We are eager to see results of our efforts soon’.

What to add? We are eager too: blues, jazz, tragic and great history. Music, as the first experience of freedom.

Editor’s Note: Cezary Owerkowicz is the chairman of the Kuwait Chamber of Philharmonia and talented pianist. He regularly organises concerts by well-known musicians for the benefit of music lovers and to widen the knowledge of music in Kuwait. His email address is: cowerkowicz @ yahoo.com and cowerkowicz@ hotmail.com