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How Gertrude Ma Rainey Sang Black Rural Southerners Into Popular American Culture

1655 Words7 Pages

Post-Reconstruction Blues: How Gertrude “Ma” Rainey Sang Black Rural Southerners into Popular American Culture. Legendary blues vocalist and Harlem Renaissance artist Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, known as the “Mother of Blues,” introduced blues music to a mainstream audience, transforming the genre and expanding opportunities for African-American artists. Through lyrical depictions of black Southern life and the complex experiences of African-American women, Rainey’s music increased the visibility of a people silenced in popular culture. While less well-known today, Rainey left a legacy that continues to influence musicians and broaden our knowledge of life for African-Americans in the post-Reconstruction era. Ma Rainey was born Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett on April 26, 1886, in Columbus, Georgia. Rainey possessed musical talent from a young age and performed in public for the first time at age 14 at the Springer Opera House in Columbus. Soon after, she found her calling singing on tour in vaudeville and African-American minstrel shows. …show more content…

Originating from minstrel shows, vaudeville became popular at the turn of the century and featured unrelated acts such as singing, dancing, comedy, acrobatics, and magic. While no video recordings of Ma Rainey exist, the memory of her vibrant performances has been passed down through written reviews. According to critic Mary L. Bogumil in Understanding August Wilson, Rainey wore “flamboyant” jewelry and costumes and performed in front of a backdrop that featured a large gramophone design, “which gave the appearance of Ma emerging right from the speaker, issuing from and manifesting the music itself" (qtd. in Timmel. Such extravagant details exemplify the sensational nature of vaudeville shows. Rainey’s bold and brilliant stage persona was magnetic. She forced the audience, who were often men, to listen to what she had to

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