WEEK 8: MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT

Art by Winfred Rembert

Mississippi John Hurt is an inspiration and testament to the power of culture in connecting and healing people and the role that music has in keeping culture present and relevant. It's apparent in his name (Mississippi John Hurt) that the place he was born and raised played a tremendous part in his music. His tumultuous history with music and the fact that he was self-taught makes his story even more heartfelt. Making music was a way for people in rural areas to express themselves, pass the time, grieve, and celebrate. Music was an integral part of John Hurt's everyday life and a very personal thing for people of the time. I've been talking with my friends recently about the personal role of music in our lives. I remember being 11 years old and recording covers of songs with my brother. I think about the times I've gone karaoke singing with my friends and how the communal energy felt. Songs have an inherent history that can connect you with other people almost instantaneously. It saddens me that in many places, music (and art in general) has become something to be commodified and gate-kept, only afforded to those who conform to the society's standards of what is "good" (technically proficient, academically trained, etc.). The fact that the art realm has become so classist is a topic of conversation that gets my blood boiling every time. Not only that, the appropriation and imitation of "poor culture" is something that also happens frequently in the art world. People who have the privilege to artificially construct struggle for themselves in order to generate art are taking attention away from those who are also making art  from that struggle but actively living and working close to the poverty line. This is why I find Mississippi John Hurt's story so compelling, because he was an example of a genuine artist creating art through his experiences. Many times the world never gets to hear artists like him, and I'm sure there are still many people as talented as he was waiting to be discovered.

(side note, John Hurt's story reminds me a lot of Winfred Rembert)