Gospel Music

Gospel music originated in the American South and is still primarily an American genre, although it has spread (extendido)  to other countries as well. It combines Christian lyrics, often taken from the Methodist hymnal, with American musical forms including jazz, blues, ragtime and bluegrass. This music has its roots (raíces) in the spirituals composed and sung by African slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries, but it has evolved and changed through (a lo largo de) the years. It is most recognized today as the form it first took in the 1920s, when Sanctified churches encouraged joyful personal expression of religious faith.

During the period of slavery in the United States, slave owners wanted  to divest ( desposeer,despojar) their slaves of African customs and forced them to adopt Western habits — one of which was the Christian religion. Slaves retained certain elements of their culture and a distinct African American culture grew out of ( se desarrolló  partir de )the combination of African and European elements. Spiritual music is a good example of this, as it incorporates traditional African musical devices, such as the blue note and syncopation (síncopa, tipo de ritmo) , with Christian lyrics.

Medley of Old School Gospel Music CLICK AND ENJOY !!

Slaves also used the spiritual to communicate with each other, encoding (codificando)  messages about freedom and escape in apparently religious lyrics. For this reason, many songs are about the Exodus or God as liberator. Many also contain specific, albeit veiled (aunque veladas) , directions on how to make a successful escape.

( Source: wiseGeek)

Oh Happy Day by  The Edwin Hawkins Singers.

 

Lyrics 

Oh, happy day
When Jesus washed

My sins away, yeah

He taught me how, how to watch
How to fight and pray, fight and pray
And living rejoicing everyday

Oh, happy day