The word "Godspell", which literally means "Word of God" is the historical origin of what we all know today as Gospel Music. From there, during the 19th century, the culture/music that today brings us to this post originates. You see, many times we are not aware of how many things that surround us today originated. For example, Taylor Swift breaking sales records and video and audio plays everywhere, or the rap and urban music that so characterises the modernity that we can all see today.
In 1930, Christian music made, from my perspective, the most transcendental milestone in contemporary history. Well, in the most divided southern United States in living memory, it gave birth to a style of liturgical music that encouraged hundreds, thousands, millions of parishioners to continue going to church for generations. The style I'm talking about comprised a choir of about 30 members that made the whole mystique surrounding the religion less complicated and more easily assimilated by all.
At a time when none of what we have naturalised and normalised today existed, Gospel music represented a very limited niche. It was originally for a minority within a minority. That is, African-American Christians, non-Catholics who used this method of worship/culture/music to extend their theological beliefs to others in an artistic mode of expression. The woman you will read about, I have written about before in this community within HIVE, but I will name her because she is a great woman....
Rosetta Tharpe was the pioneer between the classical environment where Gospel used to be heard and "us", so to speak. In other words, this wonderful and exceptional woman brought soul, jazz, blues, rock, rap, pop and even techno into existence in the first place.... Am I exaggerating? Not at all. Tharpe was the first African-American woman to cross the Atlantic between the US and the UK on a tour to showcase what she called "her special talent". She was referring to the kind of music she used to compose that changed everything...
Rock and roll, ladies and gentlemen... This woman, in the late 30's and early 40's gave birth to each and every one of the pentatonic riffs we all know from classic rock and roll. It gave birth to and emancipated all of the most iconic and well-known blues rhythms; and it also made possible the lyrical and soulful singing that is characteristic of soul and rhythm and blues. Therefore, pop, which is the genre immediately after these, in many aspects also owes a great deal to this woman and above all to Gospel.
It may seem strange and far-fetched, but you can bet it's true. And it is also important to understand how things have happened that have shaped our normality and even our tastes. This post is born as an important explanation about music; its heroes and the whys and wherefores that, in my opinion, should never be forgotten. How much this choice of origin should be kept alive, and above all to understand how certain events, even with little press, improve and transform everything. If this is not inspirational, passionate and meaningful (community slogans), then I don't know what could really be...
This is the community par excellence for music, for its importance and above all, for loving this human creation. What better place than here to remember this little story?