One Sound Two Worlds

Download or read book One Sound, Two Worlds written by Michael Rauhut and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2019-05-14 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For all of its apparent simplicity—a few chords, twelve bars, and a supposedly straightforward American character—blues music is a complex phenomenon with cultural significance that has varied greatly across different historical contexts. One Sound, Two Worlds examines the development of the blues in East and West Germany, demonstrating the multiple ways social and political conditions can shape the meaning of music. Based on new archival research and conversations with key figures, this comparative study provides a cultural, historical, and musicological account of the blues and the impact of the genre not only in the two Germanys, but also in debates about the history of globalization.