ROOTS OF BLUES, THE

I went to Africa to find the roots of the blues. So Samuel Charters begins the s
tory of his research. But what began as a study of how the blues was handed down
from African slaves to musicians of today via the slave ships, became something
much more complex. For in Africa Samuel Charters discovered a music which was n
ot just part of the past but a very vital living part of African culture. Using
extensive quotations of song lyrics and some remarkable photographs of the music
ians, Charters has created a unique contribution to our understanding of both Af
rican and American cultures and their music.