Running head: MUSIC ETHOGRAPHY 1

Music ethnography

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Muddy Waters is a dynamic American blues singer, whose official name is McKinley

Morganfield. His childhood background played a vital role in creating the legendary musician he

would be in the future. Some of the experiences that helped included his time in church and the

music played in the streets and parties in the neighborhood. All this exposure to music allowed

him to develop an interest in the guitar and harmonica, which would be an essential part of his

skills and artistry in the Blues genre (Wadham, 2018). As he started off his career, Muddy’s

major influencers were the local blues artists Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, and Son House.

In return, Muddy has made some significant contributions to the musical world by inventing the

Chicago blues, also referred to as the post-World War II electric blues. It is a musical style that

fuses the sounds of the electric guitar, and the rural acoustic Mississippi Delta blues.

Muddy Waters entered the music scene during a period of great strife and uncertainty for

the black Americans in the country. He was singing and playing his music during an era of racial

discrimination and segregation in most of the American states. His confidence in his musical

ability helped pave the way for other black American musicians to participate in the music

industry, which was not as lucrative for them during that time (Bean-Folkes, 2019). Additionally,

it helped address the unfairness in pay since the music industry managers more commercially

favored the White. However, Muddy Waters's continual insistence on expressing himself played

a significant role in ensuring that more black Americans could join the music industry and

experience the profits and joys that come with it, just like the other American communities at the

time.

The concert Muddy performed in Montreal in the year 1980, features several of his band

members, who play a wide range of instruments. Jimmy Rogers played the guitar Elgin Evans

was on the drums, Little Walter Jacobs on the harmonica and Otis Spann on the piano (Cardany,
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2018). All the band members helped make the musical experience a memorable one for the

audiences in the Montreal Concert hall. Additionally, their expertise in their instrument was

responsible for the added depth witnessed in his music. The band and their main singer's input

helped create a sensational performance that was enjoyed by both the audience and the band

throughout the concert (GwasH, 2016). When performing in this concert, Muddy Waters

featured several hits over the years, such as Rollin' and Tumblin'. The show allowed Muddy

Waters to share his musical capabilities with an audience of approximately two million people.

Muddy Waters' music still holds great significance today because his musical style and

influence on the Blues genre are still relevant (Martic, 2019). His music traversed a wide range

of emotion and style, while also covering the critical messages of love, money, longing for a

better life and the injustice experienced in the world, especially during the era of racial

discrimination and segregation in America. Due to the challenges he faced as a black man and as

a musician, Muddy Waters inspired a whole generation of black Americans to believe that they

can be a success in the music industry.

References
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Bean-Folkes, J. (2019). Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters. Language

Arts, 96(4), 260-264.

Cardany, A. B. (2018). Muddy Waters: His Life and Music. General Music Today, 31(3), 73-79.

GwasH. (2016, August 5). Muddy Waters • Live In Montreal 1980 [Video].

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSx1Ar0rkk

Martin, N. J. (2019). Reimagining The Blues: A New Narrative for 21st Century Blues Music.

Wadham, R. (2018). Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters. Children's Book and

Media Review, 39(5), 51.