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Blues America

Episode 1: Woke up This Morning

Duration: 1 hour

First broadcast: on BBC FourLatest broadcast: on BBC Four HD

Blues is usually described as the sound of racial suffering and feeling sad, but this documentary argues that the blues began as a form of black pop music. First appearing in the southern states of the USA around 1900, blues created by the poorest people in the richest nation on earth took America by storm. The film looks at the early years of the blues to discover how Bessie Smith, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Charlie Patton used the latest media to bring their music to the public. With contributions from Keith Richards, Taj Mahal and Chuck D. Show less

Contributors

Executive Producer:
Mark Cooper
Director:
Mick Gold
Series Producer:
Mick Gold

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