Customer Reviews

The Roots Of The Blues (Da Capo Paperback)

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I bought this book expecting a dissertation relating the musical styles of Africa and the United States. Admitedly, I didn't found much of that. As the own writer suggests throughout the book, the relation is subtle, and not as some romantizers would expect. Charter does, however, a great job in describing the places he saw, the interaction, the people and even the music. You are left with a feeling that you are there, in Africa, experiencing and seeing what he saw. As a review on the back of the book notes, you manage to understand the subtle relationships between slavery, music, griots, and the general contrast of cultures, tribes and slow advancement that is Africa.
If you are solely looking to find out more about American blues, this book is not for you at all. But if you're open to a new experience, open to be placed in the hot, sweaty afternoons of this book, well, then it's a great immersion in the entire experience. Recommended!