What was the music before early 20th century Blues?
because the music wasnt written or recorded, we dont really know. this is why you will get a very wide range of speculative dates for when blues music started. that being said, the banjo wasnt used to play blues in africa and we cant assume that just because the music centered around the banjo that it was blues, however it is assumed that because of the limited availability of instruments for southern blacks, the repression of some forms of black music during slavery, and the somewhat limited spread of musical ideas because of slavery, that blues didnt properly start until after the civil war. great question.
