The Land Where The Blues Began Analysis

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Whether it is a matter of gender or race, dealing with modern day and past issues must come with a sense of humility. As a white, privileged woman I have never felt oppressed and at times it has been difficult for me to truly put myself in the position of an oppressed woman or African American. When discussing the obstacles African Americans had to endure, I sincerely try to empathize. With humility, everyone including myself, must leave all judgement and past experiences behind in order to attempt to learn the culture of others. Embracing new culture was especially difficult when the blues was introduced. The African American blues singer, Odetta, sings “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child” as she expresses her longing for home (Odetta). …show more content…
White men managed to control others for the longest time. Even when white men like Alan Lomax offered outlets to African Americans and gave them chances to express themselves through blues music, they never completely attained artistic freedom. In the documentary The Land Where the Blues Began by Alan Lomax, he travels around the South hunting authentic blues singers and giving the men their ‘big break’ in the music industry. On the outside, Lomax looks heroic for his work in helping uncover the hidden world of blues; however, in his attempt to tell the world the true story of black people, he neglects everyone uninterested or unconnected to blues music. Not every black person during the twentieth century was born with music in their veins. A story of black people and the blues was written for every black person, even those who did not relate themselves to blues. For those who shared a passion for music, the music industry had oppression of its own. Feel Like Going Home, a film directed by Martin Scorsese, follows talented musician, Corey Harris as he encounters blues icons from the 1930’s and 1940’s. During his conversation with singer Otha Turner, he learns that the music business focused on satisfying others, rather than allowing one to play what they wished to play. The white man in the business simultaneously gave blacks an opportunity at fame, while also