Wild Women of the Blues: The Origins of American Popular Music

The true pioneers of American music were women! Against a backdrop of oppression and segregation in the post slavery era, musical artists Ida Cox, Ma Rainey, Alberta Hunter, Billie Holliday, and Bessie Smith , to name a few— were not just great entertainers. Their unapologetically honest and sometimes bawdy or controversial lyrics, inspired fearlessness and authenticity, while thrilling crowds across America. 

In this program, Kirsten and Erik perform select songs from these ladies’ 1920s and 30's catalogs, and they'll talk about and demonstrate some of their original styles. They'll also touch on the conditions and lifestyle that these women endured in order to bring the Blues to the greater public, and how, as the music genre caught on, it would significantly evolve both musically and culturally while retaining elements of the original styles. The Duo also share a few of their own original contemporary Blues songs and discuss how the early Blues women still inspire music today—almost 100 years later!