field holler
An unaccompanied, solo vocal form from the African American tradition, sung in fields during labor, characterized by long, melismatic phrases and free rhythm — a direct precursor to the blues.
In Depth
Alan Lomax's 1940s recordings of Mississippi field hollers capture a direct musical link between West African vocal traditions and the blues — the vocal inflections and blue notes are virtually identical to what would later define blues, R&B, and rock singing.
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