Blues is one of the only genres in the world that independently re-emerged in multiple countries before those cultures had much contact with American blues itself. When early blues recordings finally made their way overseas in the 1920s and ’30s, musicians in places like West Africa, Brazil, and the Caribbean were stunned to hear something that felt familiar. Many cultures already had traditions built on: \t•\tcall-and-response vocals \t•\tbent or “worried” notes \t•\trepetitive, cyclical chord

How a blind guy plays the blues