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The German Harmonica and African-American Blues

Lecture by Herbert Quelle, German Consul General in Chicago

Event Details

Date
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Time
7 p.m.
Location
Auditorium , Pyle Center
Description
For a century, starting in the late 1800s, the German harmonica was one of the most popular musical instruments in the U.S. Cheap and portable, it was the pocket-sized companion of European immigrants, and—once introduced to the American South—became the instrument of choice for many African-American musicians, who developed a new way of playing it, ‘bending’ the harmonica’s notes to fit a traditional musical scale and making the little instrument an integral part of the emerging ‘blues.’
Cost
Free and open to the public

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