The Blues

Documentary series about the history of blues music, from its African origins through its current worldwide appeal.

Originating in the polyrhythms that African slaves brought to America, this raw, emotional sound evolved into mournful work chants as it swirled throughout the Mississippi Delta. It moved upriver after the Civil War as "freedmen" searched for the promised land in the factories of Memphis and the streets of Chicago. Rude, rolied or refined, blues music has traveled the world ever since, speaking to people everywhere of the dislocation, yearnings and heartbreak, and inspiring musical genres from country and folk to soul, rock and hip-hop.

Music, Documentary