I have always wondered why so many great singers came out of the Delta . I found out that during slavery , all kinds of African slaves from many different tribes were brought here , and many of them had different kinds of talents . What was in the soul was a song they didn ’ t learn , it was a part of them — and that ’ s where America ’ s first music came from , the souls of the slaves .
While the fact that the Blues came from an adaptation of African music that was sung by the slaves is common knowledge , what I did not know was that the reason so many of the ancient , first-generation Blues musicians seem to have played off beat is that “… the blues had no definite beat . In fact , during slavery , the slaves were not allowed to have drums because then they could communicate with each other . So , anything that a slave could beat on was taken away .”
Ultimately this is a book about personal growth . The growth of a little girl born into terrible circumstances who grows up and experiences huge amounts of pain and disappointment before eventually making peace with herself and her Creator . When explaining the Blues , Sheba has this to say :
Life is what makes a good blues singer . Blues is about life and the things that life takes you through . It ’ s about bad times , good times , loving someone and not being loved back . That ’ s why people don ’ t accept a young person singing the blues — they feel they haven ’ t really lived it . Someone said , “ The blues is easy to play but hard to feel .” The blues would be best described as stories , about people highlighting their feelings in music , the good and bad . The blues is our trail of tears , blood , and sweat coming from the dry bones of those who died for us .
So , folks , what is the bottom line ? If you like the Blues , this book is required reading . Even if you are not into this type of music , you are sure to find the story of Sheba ’ s life enthralling . This is the kind of book one reads in one sitting . Once you start , you will not be able to put it down . My suggestion is that you do as I did and listen to the album while you are reading .
Available at Bongo Boy Records : https :// bongoboyrecords . com / sheba /