The Essence Of Blues Music

The Essence Of Blues Music Blues music at its inception is the music of the downtrodden and poor. Having its roots in the plantations of the South, blues music gave expression to the trials and sufferings of African-Americans who had suffered slavery, injustice, and poverty. According to Scaruffi (2003), Music remained the main vehicle to vent the frustration of a people, but the end of slavery introduced the individual: instead of being defined by a group (the faithful or the workers), the black singer was now free to and capable of defining himself as an individual. His words and mood still echoed the condition of an entire people, but solo singers represented a new take on that condition, the view of a man finally enabled to travel, and no longer a prisoner of his community, although, sometimes, more lonely. The songs of a negro were the diary of his life (road, train, prison, saloon, sex), often an itinerant life, as opposed to the diary of a community (plantation, church) (1) The blues is a song of lamentation of self pity. The songs often deal with themes that deal with an individuals pain and are often told in a tongue-in-cheek manner. It is a highly personalized account of what an individual is going through, and is reflective of the harsh realities of life of the American Negro faces in the deep South. Oftentimes the lyrics of blues deal with unhappy situations brought about by being jobless, poor, lonely, hungry, or being betrayed and deserted by an unfaithful lover. The whole essence of blues music was pain, but while the songs seems to be a paean to an individuals plight it does not wallow in tragedy but rather it celebrates it and recognizes the inevitability of the situation. And in the song Folsom Prison Blues Johnny Cash has managed to capture all of these elements and succeeds in telling a story about a prison in-mate who landed in prison because he killed a man so that he could see how he would die. (2) There are two physical elements in the song that is consistent to the tradition of blues music. The first is the prison and the other is the train. These two elements can be seen as metaphors for two themes that were important to the downtrodden and dispossessed negro the reality of being a slave, both literal and figurative, and on the other hand the longing for freedom and redemption which due to his place in society he can never have. For the prison in-mate in the song his prison cell is a reality he cant escape from. It is a reality brought about by his own actions and to some extent it is a reality that he accepts and concedes to. While the train that he sees from his prison cell represents all the things in life that he would want to have but can never have due to his social status in life. In fact the train with all its rich folks is actually taunting him making him feel bitter about his situation. Scaruffi makes mention of this stating that, Theoretically, the civil war that ended in 1863 freed the African slaves (slavery was officially abolished in 1865), and, in fact, the first collection of negro songs was published shortly afterwards, Slave Songs of the United States (1867). In practice, it did little to improve the condition of the black man: same job, same discrimination. Even for the blacks who left the Southern states, the cities of the North promised freedom, but mostly delivered a different kind of slavery(1) This discrimination and the inability of African-Americans to escape the imposed state of things can be clearly reflected on Johnny Cashs song albeit with a prisoner taking the place of the black man with the train representing white society. The social condition that has spawned blues music is still in existence today in the black ghettoes of America and is seen in the implied racism that most of the poor working class African-Americans are still suffering from. It is for this reason that blues music and the themes that it deals with are still relevant today as it was then. But like any form of popular culture that gets assimilated in the mainstream blues music today has lost its socio-political power and is now viewed more of a musical genre and is celebrated more for its contributions to the world of music. Today most people with equate blues music with such bands as the Rolling Stones and other white musicians who were influenced by such blues legends such as Muddy Waters and BB King. But if you define blues broadly as the music of the downtrodden and the dispossessed then one can say that the blues music has influenced every form of music that has embraced the themes and issues that blues musicians sang about. During the 1950s blues music gave birth to rock and roll a musical style that took blues guitar chords and riffs and brought about a whole new form of expression that went against conservative values. Blues themes also found expression in the late 80s in the musical rebellion called punk music. Like the blues punk music was born out of the suffering and despair of a marginalized social stratum this time instead of black plantation workers you have the disillusioned working class youth singing about their plight. Rap music can also be seen as the direct descendant of blues music. Like the blues, rap music is a vocal expression of the African-American youth of today to illustrate the problems that he is facing in a society that has constantly denied him redemption and has marginalized him. According to Parker (1999), For todays Black youth, rap music is this medium. It is a musical voice and expression of the unjust and violent society in which they live. Is rap music a trend that has never been witnessed in America before? No, rap music is a continuing line of Negro expressions including; Spirituals, Blues, and Soul, all of which were inspired in trying times in our society, even more so than that of today(3). While blues music can never be separated from and will always be integral to African-American history and struggles, the themes the blues sang about has a universal appeal which speaks directly to all of those who has had to endure a life of struggle against social inequality, personal trials, and injustices. The challenge of an individual to rise above his social conditions and the limitations that society has imposed upon him is a situation that anyone can understand, empathize and relate to. Psychologically the blues is an outlet for the frustrations that a Black man has to face in American society. A blues musician Tampa Red sang a song called Depression Blues. The song lyrics tell of how if only he could tell all his troubles then his heart would be at ease. This shows that for blues musicians the blues is a cathartic activity which helps them deal with the troubles they are facing. Singing and music has been shown to influence the mood of people. An organization called the American Music Therapy Association even claims music helps individuals with mental health conditions to address depression by making them conscious about their feelings and be more in touch with their emotions and moods (4.). It is therefore clear that singing the blues does help us deal with personal issues by bringing out this issues out in the open in the form of song and music. It gives find us a safe form of expression wherein we could channel emotions and emotional release.

Belarus’ Economy

Belarus†s economy has done fairly well from the situation it started in. The economy has some strengths, but it is also not without its weaknesses. Also the Republic has not done yet enough to restructure its economy after the break up of the USSR. Belarus has a fairly well balanced economy with an agriculture capable of feeding its population and a well developed industrial base. Belarusian industry is capable of producing 1. 1 million tons of steel per year, and it manufactures machine tools, agricultural machinery, motor vehicles. It also has a well developed chemical manufacturing plants, and there is also a branch of industry for consumer goods such as radio, television sets and bicycles. Furthermore its industrial construction complex ensures a considerable scope of construction. The Republic also has a diversified agricultural crop ranging from potatoes and grain to flax and livestock. The agricultural sector accounts for 20% of the GDP while the industrial around 43%. Besides helping to develop the industry, Russia helped to develop the infrastructure of Belarus making most of the country accessible. Belarus has a reasonably well developed industry and a long history of agricultural development. Problems for the economy of Belarus began to arise after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The weakness with Belarusian industry is two-fold. It has to import much of its raw materials from other nations and it imports most of its energy. As a result industry came under severe economic pressure shortly after independence. The problem with its agriculture is that it that about two thirds of the peasants are still organized into collective farms and the remainder in state farms. A few private farms were established but the treatment they received from the state discouraged other from trying. Also Belarus has a 14% trade deficit, which increase the vulnerability of the economy. Another drag on the economy is the continuing cost associated with the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, estimated in 1995 at a quarter of the national economy. The southern part of Belarus was severely hit by the nuclear fallout and many of the estimated 2 million victims live in Belarus. The Belarusian economy has room for improvement, however if put in the right circumstances it could thrive. After the dissolution of the USSR the national economy of Belarus was being restructured to introduce science intensive and low power consuming industries. However, Belarus has seen little reform since 1995 when president Lukaschenko launched the country on a path of â€Å"market socialism. † Privatization of enterprises controlled by the central government virtually ceased in 1996. Only about 10% of all enterprises under central government control had been privatized. In addition, Lukaschenko has re-imposed administrative control over prices and the national currency's exchange rate, and expanded the state's right to intervene arbitrarily in the management of private enterprise. Lack of structural reform, and a climate hostile to business, have inhibited foreign investment in Belarus in 1995-97. Belarus†s economy consisted mainly of secondary industry, dependent on Russia and other Soviet republics for both raw materials and markets. The second problem is that it inherited a weak political leadership at independence that never managed to even begin economic reform. To make the conditions favorable for investments Belarus is taking steps for creating an adequate base of legal standards for foreign investment security, liberalization of taxation order and customs regulations, granting cost benefits to investors and providing various information and business services. The economy of Belarus has great potential. Its strengths can be strengthened and its weaknesses can be improved. Having a strong trading partner would put Belarus in a position to over come the crisis in its economy.

Explain the Contribution to the Development and Expression...

The contribution of Pope John XXIII has been profound, as many of his initiatives and actions are still resonating today. His acceptance of Jesus’ words â€Å"I came to save all nations.† Represented his motivation to do well and bring peace upon the world. He was an advocate of Christian unity, social justice, human rights and the promotion of world peace. It is through his development of the Second Vatican Council, his contribution to ecumenism and his empathy for humanity that Pope John XXIII made a significant impact upon the development and expression of Christianity. The essence of the contribution made by Pope John XXIII was his calling together of the Second Vatican Council that aimed to address modernisation of the Catholic Church,†¦show more content†¦The roles of people in the church were redefined, as the Pope established himself clearly as a man of action, and not unreachable ‘God like’ figure. He did not submit to his power and instead worked together and worked for the people to make worshipping Christ more meaningful. The sacraments were developed to involve the congregation and improve the expression of Christian beliefs as the church was modernized and clericalism was removed. Pope John made a strong contribution to ecumenism. In his pursuit of ecumenism john embraced a church that was united in diversity. This was the movement to better relationships between Catholics and non-Catholics, Eastern and Western Orthodox churches as well as between different religious faiths and Christianity, â€Å"I am Joseph, your brother†. In dialogue between Eastern and Western Orthodox churches, there are now many positive relationships maintained between varying denominations throughout the Christian faith; creating a more supportive and secure atmosphere for Christian adherents. Pre-Vatican II Catholics were barred from reading works written by Protestant Reformers, other Christian denominations were schismatic and it was a sin to go to a non-Catholic service. The changes to the development and expression of Christian beliefs through Vatican II were there was freedom of inquiry, joint prayer services, common edition of the Bibles and heightened respect and dignity for others. 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HU4640 Project Part1 - 1650 Words

Project Part 1 An Introduction to Ethical Theories ITT Technical Institute, Hanover MD Mathew Leetch HU4640 Ethics July 22, 2015 An Introduction to Ethical Theories Abstract This paper is going to discuss Ethics and Ethical Theories. It will include an introduction to ethical theories, virtue ethics, and care ethics. There will be sections discussing absolutism versus relativism, consequentialism versus deontological ethics, and lastly, free will versus determinism. It will also include a discussion about the study of morality and identify which of the approaches (Scientific, Philosophical, or Theological/Religious) are closest to my own personal beliefs. There will be a discussion regarding the three sources of ethics†¦show more content†¦Utilitarianism considers the pleasure and pain of every individual affected by an action. It also considers everyone to be equal and does not permit an individual to put their interests or relationships first. After this it attempts to provide an objective, quantitative method for making moral decisions. Utilitarianism is not able to assign quantitative measures to all pleasures and pains, and does not address the issue of some pleasures and pains that cannot or should not be measured-such as human life or human suffering. There are four types of egoism (ETHICAL EGOISM). The first is Psychological egoism and it is the view that humans are always motivated by self-interest. An example of this is †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. The second is Ethical egoism. This is when you should do something that is in your own self-interest. An example of this is performing a task for someone because you are getting paid to do it. Third is Individual ethical egoism. It states that everyone should act in their own best self-interest. An example of this is a policeman. He/she believes that they should do what is in their best interest just because of their role in society. Finally there is Universal ethical egoism. It states that everyone should always act in their own best self-interest, regardless of the interests of others, unless their interests