How the Wail of the Blues & the Cacophony of Jazz Culminate in the Healing Afro Communal Ritual of "Sinners"

Join us for an interactive workshop titled “How the Wail of the Blues & the Cacophony of Jazz Culminate in the Healing Communal Ritual of ‘Sinners’.” This workshop explores how the powerful themes of intra-communal healing inherent in the musical genres of blues and jazz, emerging from the lived realities of African American communities, have served as powerful vehicles for expressing grief, resistance, resilience, and spiritual renewal.

We will trace these genres back to their roots in African ritual traditions, where music was inseparable from healing, memory, and community. By referencing the film Sinners, we’ll uncover how the raw emotion of Delta blues and the improvisational complexity of jazz reflect a deeper spiritual lineage—connecting Black cultural expression to ancestral practices of collective care and liberation.

Through facilitated dialogue, interactive discussion, curated song and sound examples, participants will experience, explore, and gain a deeper understanding on how these traditional musical forms function…