Black AMERIICAN REQUIEM: The instruments and people that introduced the sounds we hear in country music today.
Written by Laya Hartman
Taylor Irish, Katelyn Diaz, Jonaira South, and Laya Hartman
The history of country music in America originated with African Americans. They brought instruments, such as the banjo, with them to America during the transcontinental slave trade, starting in the 1600s, to create music. Soon after, instruments such as the banjo, the flute, and drums were taken from African Americans by white slave owners, but Black people in the South still created music.
Journalist, Michael F. Bido says, “As their [African American] music spread to white audiences through deeply racist Minstrel shows, the genre was rebranded as “hillbilly music” and quickly became known as the country music we know today. Early country music was often rebranded or stolen from the hymns and field songs of Southern enslaved people, as well as from professional, Black musicians.” For years to come, the creation of country music in America often went uncredited when African Americans helped to create music of the time. Popular artists that we know and love today like Minister Louis Armstrong went uncredited on his work with Jimmie Rodgers’ “Blue Yodel No. 9” in 1930, a country album.
Throughout the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, Black artists' creation of country music was common. In the 1960s, Ray Charles created Modern Sounds in Country and Modern Music, a blend of country in Nashville and R&B. This album was on the top Billboard Top Albums for 14 weeks. Throughout the years, Black artists have veered away from the creation of country music as it became dominated by white musicians. Matthew Leimkuehler says, “Country radio played 11,484 songs from 2002-2020. Roughly 1% of those songs — or a total of 133 — were by Black artists.”
Like most things in America’s history, the origin of country music is complicated and nuanced – but Cowboy Carter is re-educating the public on how Black people made music what it has become what it is today. Beyonce is dismantling the expectation for Black artists to create music within boundaries. Bido says, “While white musicians can yodel, stomp, clap, and pluck without repercussions, Black artists do not receive this freedom; African American musicians who dare to enter the country scene, regardless of whether they were born and raised in the South, are faced with extreme backlash for simply honoring their artistry.” Not only have Black artists been excluded from country music, but they are also given standards by which they must create. Cowboy Carter traverses an area of music that black artists have since been distant.
