The voice of slaves is covered in mystery. For the most part, slaves were not allowed to share their experiences and histories as they were illiterate and banned from public communication. As a result, they often came up with songs to depict their experience as well as their struggle to maintain their humanity and identity as well. In the culture of slaves, one of the most common presentations of a unique experience and culture has been the development of particular musical forms. Slave music is often evocative, striking, and as well as carries a soulful and unique energy. In this regard, this paper seeks to examine some of the psychological functions of slave songs and those connected to labor. In addition, the paper will highlight the ways in which slave songs were composed and further identify how African American slave spirituals differ from contemporary Anglo American spirituals.
Psychological/Emotional Functions of Slave Songs and Those Connected to Labor
When Africans first settled in America, they came with a rich culture that particularly involved the singing tradition. Slave songs had many purposes during slavery. They could celebrate crucial events as well as provide rhythm for chores that were repetitive, such as working in the farms. Additionally, songs aided individuals to remember their black history if they failed to have a written language. Songs further expressed emotions, in the same manner, that drama and poetry do. For slaves who were tired of slavery, songs served a critical function as well. They served a purpose of communication. With this in mind, their songs, which are at times referred to as spirituals, were passed from one particular group to the next, and a specific code came with the songs. Coded songs had words providing directions on how to escape slavery.
Interestingly, slave songs highly served an emotional or psychological purpose (Levine). Firstly, songs enable slaves to resists the horrors of slavery. The main theme in their songs was that of seeking freedom and escape from slavery. African-Americans stressed the freedom concept, expressed it into music as well as develop slave songs to protest the injustice of slavery. Music connected individuals together and, as a result, slaves directed all their energy towards a common objective such as emancipation. With slave songs, they could spread discontentment, encourage slavery resistance, increase morale, bring out the endurance to persevere, and also build encourage to fight against their oppressors.
Secondly, slave songs enabled slaves to share and relieve their traumatic experiences. Slaves were exposed to poor living conditions and, all too often, their masters physically and emotionally abused them. At times, they were also exposed to various forms of torture. For this reason, songs became an outlet to express their slavery torment without suffering the same aftermath that they would if they verbalized their sadness. Thirdly, songs were a way of documenting the life of a slave. It established a music diary that slaves would share with their fellow slaves. Families that had been separated because they worked in different plantations could be encouraged by the news of these songs. This encouragement was appreciated since slave families tolerated cruel punishments.
Songs connected to labor assisted slaves during hard labor by providing encouragement and increased unity. As a result, the slaves were able to do their work diligently despite the cruelty of their masters. During times of hard labor, slaves would start singing to pass time, as well as lift their spirits. At the same time, slaves used work songs to ask for help and guidance from God. Additionally, slaves utilized songs connected to laugh at themselves as well as their masters (Levine). They also used these songs to communicate their desires at that moment and talk about the forces that impacted their lives deeply. The continuously sang about the whippings they got and the white patrols.
How Slave Songs were Composed and How the Songs Reflected the Social World and the Culture of Enslaved People
Generally, slave songs were created in secret meetings known as bush or camp meetings. They composed their songs in sacred meetings primarily because most slave masters feared that Christianizing slaves might result in rebellion. In the camp meetings, slaves were free to come up with their individual shared spirituality with characteristics of both African cultures and the regional culture where they presently lived. Also, slave songs were indeed a product of communal consciousness. In this regard, the songs were derived from numerous pre-existing songs combined together with parts of new lyrics and tunes. Afterward, they are combined into a traditional but never fully a metrical pattern. They were, at the same time, a product of personal as well as mass creativity (Levine). They came from folk processes where older songs are continuously re-developed into new songs. In fact, the only constant elements in slave songs were the chorus and music as well. They used to ignore old stanzas, and come up with fresh ones whenever they felt like doing so. Also, during religious meetings, an individual would sing the words of a particular song to numerous different tunes. Then, he or she takes a tune that especially fascinated them and combine the words of many songs to it. Therefore, during the period of slavery, slave songs were not static; slaves never came up with the last version of a spiritual. Slaves had the freedom to change and re-create their music.
How African American Slave Spirituals Differ in their Content and Sacred Sensibility from Contemporary Anglo (“White”) American spirituals
Firstly, although the similarity exists between the melodies of a Black and White spiritual song, the text appears to be very different. They are certainly quite disparate. Further, there is a marked difference in emphasis as well as content. White spirituals were informed by otherworldliness, a temporal present’s rejection, and a habit to concentrate on Jesus. These were not common for black spirituals. In contrast, slave songs were characterized by the identification sense with the children of Israel, as well as, they relied on telling Old Testament stories (Levine). Moreover, in the performances of black spirituals, there is the existence of syncopation, flatted notes, as well as counter-rhythms symbolized by handclapping. This is, however, not present in white spirituals.
Conclusion
Slave songs were highly valued among the slave community as they provided emotional and psychological support. As a result, the slaves were able to cope with their challenges as well as the torture and brutality that they experienced during slavery. Eventually, slave songs ended up serving as a purpose of communication where slaves could communicate secretly about what they felt, thus, providing emotional support. Songs became so descriptive that they could give directions on how to seek freedom.
Works Cited
Levine, Lawrence W. Black Culture And Black Consciousness. Oxford University Press, 2007.
