One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain. ~ Bob Marley
We begin Freedom Friday No. 6 with great enthusiasm from the Freedom Friday Tribe, it is definitely not so heavy as some of the other topics we have all discussed. You can find some of our posts in the curation project written by our curators @RichardCrill and @LindseyLambz at the following:
Everyone has stepped up to support this project and I am very humbled by many people who have taken these writings to heart. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's perspective and welcoming passionate expression with open arms.
This week we discuss Freedom of Music, Freedom Songs ...
The topic of music and freedom songs brings back a memory for me that was not always easy. It was a time where I never really felt a part of the human race and I always looked a little different. No one could ever really guess my race and I was defined as "Other."
I bring this up because I became very close to the African American culture most of my life. I hadn't yet connected to my Native American ancestry so there was a time I wandered around a bit lost, but I was always taken in and loved by Black America.
My full lips and derriere brought compassion and love from mother's friends who had similar features. They'd sing me songs from a time where their history was as troubling as my small childlike mind was feeling and brought me comfort. Some of these songs are referred to as African American Spirituals and a very strong part of USA history.
Calvin Earl explains Spirituals very well here:
The similar treatment of oppression happened to the African American and the Native American where the people were not allowed to dress, speak, practice ancestral spirituality, play their sacred drums, but it came out in song. As Calvin says they "listened to their hearts, and used their body" to express their feelings with Freedom songs.
One of my favorite songs has to do with teaching the young how to hope for Freedom, called Wade In The Water, sung by Calvin Earl:
Wade in the water
Wade in the water
Children wade, in the water
God's gonna trouble the water
Who's that young girl dressed in red
Wade in the water
Must be the children that Moses led
God's gonna trouble the water
Wade in the water, wade in the water children
Wade in the water,
God's gonna trouble the water
Who's that young girl dressed in white
Wade in the water
Must be the children of the Israelite
Oh, God's gonna trouble the water
Wade in the water, wade in the water children
Wade in the water,
God's gonna trouble the water
Who's that young girl dressed in blue
Wade in the water
Must be the children that's coming through,
God's gonna trouble the water, yeah
Wade in the water, wade in the water children
Wade in the water,
God's gonna trouble the water
You don't believe I've been redeemed,
Wade in the water
Just so the whole lake goes looking for me
God's gonna trouble the water
Wade in the water, wade in the water children
Wade in the water,
God's gonna trouble the water
Another form of Freedom songs in relations to the African American is called Shouting, The McIntosh County Shouters present the story of how shouting began and how they continue this American tradition.
One of my childhood heroine's is Harriet Tubman a warrior woman that escaped slavery and became a conductor on The Underground Railroad, The Underground Railroad meant freedom for many in the years before Emancipation, and it had a map. That map is a song called “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” Listen in as Eric Bibb sings this folk freedom song.
Follow the drinking gourd,
For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom,
Follow the drinking gourd.
When the sun comes back and the first quail calls,
Follow the drinking gourd.
The old man is a waiting for to carry you to freedom,
Follow the drinking gourd.
Now the river bank makes a mighty good road,
The dead trees will show you the way.
Left foot, peg foot, traveling on,
Follow the drinking gourd.
Now the river ends between two hills,
Follow the drinking gourd.
There's another river on the other side,
Follow the drinking gourd.
It wasn't long thereafter that the Civil Rights Movement came to the USA and one of my favorite freedom songs is Oh Freedom! In my opinion, this beautiful song sings a tale of enslavement not only for the African American but for humanity.
Listen to the lovely sound of The Golden Gospel Singers, as they pour their hears out while singing Oh Freedom!
Oh, freedom, Oh, freedom,
Oh freedom over me.
And before I'd be a slave
I'd be buried in my grave
And go home to my Lord and be free.
No more weepin,(don't you know), no more weepin,
no more weepin over me.
And before I'd be a slave
I'd be buried in my grave
And go home to my Lord and be free.
Oh freedom,
Oh, freedom, Oh, freedom,
Oh freedom over me.
And before I'd be a slave
I'd be buried in my grave
And go home to my Lord and be free.
And before I'd be a slave
I'd be buried in my grave
And go home to my Lord and be free.
The #FreedomFriday initiative is one I created because humanity is ready to break free from enslavement and take on the slave "masters," we see atrocities worldwide and are truly sick of seeing people treating each other despicably. It's time for us all to rise up and take responsibility for our actions and those of our ancestors.
Hopefully, you enjoyed reading and listening to this post as much as I loved writing it, this brought back some great vibes and another confirmation of how powerful music can be for our soul. Much love to anyone who took the time to share this experience with me and being a participant of #FreedomFriday.
As always I love community engagement, so leave a comment and I will be sure to respond to you.
Yours,
Thank you for stopping by to read my blog. I’m a Certified Indian Blood member of the Hopi & Apache Native American tribes, Reiki Master-Teacher, Medicine woman in-training, paralegal, researcher, and writer based in the mountains of Colorado, USA. I work closely with fellow planktons and minnows in a few groups by helping them adjust to Steemit and curate quality content. I’m especially interested in finding others who love natural medicine originating from ancient practices, gold and silver, and energy work. Additionally, I'm the creator of #MedicineCardMonday and #FreedomFriday, so if you are interested in receiving Native American Medicine stop by my blog every Monday to say hello!
A'OO, Eagle Spirit