Spiritual (music)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

A Spiritual is a African-American song with a religious text. Traditionally monophonic and a cappella, these songs are antecedents of the blues. They began on Southern slave plantations as work songs, sometimes with hidden messages of rebellion and escape from the slaves' owners.

Samples

• Listen to "Pharoah's Army Got Drowned," artists unknown (1.2 MB)
• Download recording of "My Good Lord Done Been Here" spiritual song from the Library of Congress' John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip; performed by Aunt Florida Hampton on May 29, 1939 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. P.W. Tartt in Livingston, Alabama

The original article can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_(music).
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