Passionately opinionated and overly ambitious, this odd compendium of
history, hoodoosp according to websters spells and song lyrics
nevertheless achieves some success in its goal of tracing the roots of
the blues beyond American slavery. The first few chapters outline voodoo
rituals and religious traditions in Africa and their importation to
Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, Brazil and the U.S. Cliches clutter the text
throughout, and the author damages his credibility with careless
generalizations such as "Blacks see God in their image, and whites in
theirs; the devil, naturally, being imagined as his opposite." But
sometimes Finn's palpable frustration with a racist society produces
fresh insights: Jesus walking on water is readily accepted, but "that . .
. blacks should believe in miraculous charms, sends the world off into
peals of laughter." These clever quips, however, are perhaps off the
point. Despite his thesis that the blues are the direct offshoot of
black religion, Finn (himself a bluesman) only implies the effects of
voodoo and other beliefs on the blues. Artwork includes photos and
attractive sketches of musicians and other figures.
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