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David Sylvian - The First Day

When the story of Blues is told to the world, the small town Holly Springs, Mississippi and the North Mississippi region as a whole, is often left out. But, those who know, know that this region is the Hill Country, and it is the home of a style of blues unlike others and continuing to shape popular music culture. Mississippi Hill Country Blues, like all forms of the blues, is deeply rooted in the cultural memories and experiences of those who first performed it. It builds upon the African and diasporic emphasis upon rhythm as not just beats and timing, but giving syncopation and polyrhythm both rhythmic elements, an elevated role in music much like that of the melody. The driving rhythm and aggressive groove, established primarily by sitting on one chord for long phrases, set Hill Country Blues apart from other forms like Delta Blues. Hill Country Blues is the soundscape of the region that includes several counties and towns around Holly Spring, Senatobia, and Como, Mississippi. The rich but difficult culture and soil of the area... continue to influence rock, country, and other forms of American popular music.

Like other forms of blues, artists of the Hill Country genre were known throughout the region and performed often in juke joints, clubs, at picnics or in any gathering where it was possible in North Mississippi and neighboring Memphis, Tennessee before being introduced to the rest of the world... The music, most often played on guitar and sung but also using harmonica and related to Mississippi fife and drum music, features a drone guitar picking style, driving rhythm in the guitar or other lead instrument, and singing that was a blend of speech and song. The style was and most often still is, dance music. It is meant to make a crowd move and this feature is heard even in the ballads. It has always featured characteristics of blues from other areas, as well as gospel and it continues to evolve and incorporate the sounds of other genres.


David Sylvian - The First Day
  • Released on: August 10, 1993
  • Genre: Art Rock
  • Produced by: David Sylvian and David Bottrill

"David Sylvian staked out a far ranging and esoteric career that encompassed not only solo projects but also a series of fascinating collaborative efforts and forays into filmmaking, photography, and modern art."

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