It's a not-widely-enough known fact that the banjo came to the U.S. from West Africa, and that it took root due to slaves and their children who defied restrictions on the drum by picking out beats on the banjar, as it was sometimes called. The banjo is indeed just about everywhere in Country music. So much of African culture was stolen by whites and reclaimed and rebranded into white culture.
To many African-Americans not only pioneered but grew up on country music, sadly African connection to Country music today has been too slow in coming.
Lil Nas X "Old Town Road" debunk the myth that black people and country music don't mix.
The relationship between blacks and country music, however, began centuries ago. In fact, blacks in the rural South helped create country music and remain avid fans today, according to Pamela Foster, author of a new book, "My Country: The African Diaspora's Country Music Heritage." In the antebellum South, banjos, fiddles, and harmonicas were the dominant instruments played in black culture. Unfortunately, history has distorted these facts to make people believe jazz, blues and spirituals were the staples of black culture at that time when, in fact, it was country,"
For years, country superstars have made No. 1 hits from songs created or first performed by African-Americans. Though some old-timers, including Chet Atkins, Hank Williams and Bill Monroe, acknowledge they learned their craft from black street-corner musicians, most African-American contributors have been ignored. Except for Charley Pride, no African-American has ever made it big in Nashville, a town with more than 25 record labels.
"Black artists feel like they have been left out of a whole industry for no reason other than color," said Cleve Francis, who had a brief country-music career during the early 1990s. "Country music has mirrored the racial divide in this country. Other forms, such as pop and opera, have integrated but . . . blacks have never been welcome in Nashville."
Frankie Staton, a singer, and songwriter got fed up with doors being shut in her face and decided to start her own forum for black entertainers in Nashville. Her popular Black Music Showcase has provided a stage for more than a hundred musicians from across the country.
"You can't tell me that out of 32 million African-Americans in this country there is only one man who can sing country music," said Staton.
"Somewhere between traditional country and black people lies a whole new market, and I call it `cowboy soul.' I don't sound like a white girl trying to sing country music and I don't want to. I think it's OK to sing country and sound black at the same time."
"The industry's perception is that it's white people's music"
Country music is a $2 billion-a-year industry, propelled by 36 million Americans who listen to country radio every week, according to the Country Music Association. The data, compiled by the Simmons Study of Media and Markets, suggest that only 5 percent of those listeners are black.
Country music's racial caste in the Old South explains why blacks generally don't frequent country dance clubs, show up for concerts or readily admit they are fans.
If you trace back the origins of these blues you find the country blues. Rock music derives its raw spirit of rebellion and lusty sex from the country blues sound, which gave birth to the Chicago blues, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n’ roll.
The fact that racism still lurks in every nook in American music was witnessed at the Country Music Awards when Beyoncé took the stage with the Dixie Chicks just a few weeks ago, country music as a genre began to collectively lose its mind. Comments swarmed over social media posts the next day decrying Beyoncé as a cop hater, a feared #blacklivesmatter activist, and most importantly, as someone who had no business playing country music.
Recently during a show at Nashville's "Nash Edition," K. Michelle took over the stage, but it wasn't to belt out a tune, it was to speak her truth. Apparently, the singer was in attendance as a guest but felt compelled to leave the audience and join host and singer Tyler Rayn in the middle of a set, instead. Michelle took over the mic to say a few words.
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