It's another sponsored episode! Anna takes Amber through a short history of the blues, specifically as one of the many musical genres to come out of the African diaspora. We start by learning about the clave, which is both an instrument and a rhythm. Then, we wander through a little history, before Anna hauls out a guitar and tries to remember how scales work. What is a blue note? Was there really a deal with the devil at a crossroads? Is a hotdog without a bun just a hotdog? All this and more!

Subscribe to our back catalog of bonus content (fresh helpings coming January 2024) for $5 a month after a one-week free trial at: https://the-dirt-podcast.captivate.fm/support

Learn more at:

The Story of Claves– from Spanish Ships to Today's Cuban bands (KCRW)

Son Clave 3-2 & 2-3 (watch & learn) (via Youtube)

What Is A Griot? (America’s Black Holocaust Museum)

The Language of the Blues: GRIOT (American Blues Scene)

Muslim roots of the blues: The music of famous American blues singers reaches back through the South to the culture of West Africa (SFGate)

Roots of African American Music (Smithsonian)

Blues (Britannica)

What is the blues? (PBS)

The Painful Birth of Blues and Jazz (Library of Congress)

The Livelihoods of Traditional Griots in Modern Senegal (Africa: Journal of the International African Institute)

The Music of West Africa