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Olaudah Equiano

It was not just foreigners, though, who described the West African musical scene. One of the first Africans to write a book in the English language was Olaudah Equiano, whose autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa the African - Written by Himself, was published in 1789. In it he describes in detail the role of music in a West African society he describes as "a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets." On the integral role of music in African culture, he notes:

"Thus every great event, such as a triumphant return from battle or other cause of public rejoicing, is celebrated in public dances, which are accompanied with songs and music suited to the occasion. The assembly is separated into four divisions...each with a character peculiar to itself....Each represents some interesting scene of real life, such as a great achievement, domestic employment, a pathetic story, or some rural sport; and as the subject is generally founded on some recent event, it is therefor ever new. This gives our dances a spirit and variety which I have scarcely seen elsewhere."

In the West African songs about real life, about "domestic employment" and "pathetic stories," Equiano is describing the ancestral origins of the blues.

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