Sinful Tunes and Spirituals: Black Folk Music to the Civil War

by Dena J. Epstein

From the plaintive tunes of woe sung by exiled kings and queens of Africa to the spirited worksongs and "shouts" of freedmen, enslaved people created expansive forms of music from the United States to the West Indies and South America. Dena J. Epstein's classic work traces the course of early black folk music in all its guises. Anchored by groundbreaking scholarship, it redefined the study of black music in the slavery era by presenting the little-known development of black folk music in the United States. Her findings include the use of drums, the banjo, and other instruments originating in Africa; a wealth of eyewitness accounts and illustrations; in-depth look at a wide range of topics; and a collection of musical examples. This edition offers an author's preface that looks back on the twenty-five years of changes in scholarship that followed the book's original publication

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great history: this study makes me want to hear the music. Got to reread the book!

[Walkeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended by a friend when I was seeking a book to help me understand the roots of gospel music, Epstein's work is packed with numerous first-hand accounts of African music and African American music from the late 1600s through the Civil War. It does read a bit like a textbook in the sense that it is dense with information despite there being relatively few primary sources from which to draw. Definitely a worthwhile read if you're truly interested in musical and cultural history .

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book after watching "The LIbrarian and the Banjo". Interesting book but couldn't get through all of it. I was interested in Banjo history but this book goes way beyond and is really more like a textbook. I picked through the various parts that were of interest but only read about 10% of the book. Watch the documentary but the book was a little too deep of a dive for me.

[Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5