Ma Rainey藍調歌曲研究：性別、社會與自由

Abstract

藍調音樂的結構、形式，除了作為一種樂曲種類的表徵，更同時體現了歷史洪流與情感組成，承載了無數的脈絡與血淚。縱觀藍調音樂的歷史軌跡，展露頭角的男性歌手不勝枚舉，卻少有女性成名。然而Ma Rainey以女性的身份，在1920年代風靡一時，受到唱片公司的重視，以及觀眾的喜愛，成為藍調音樂發展中重要的角色。 本文採歷史結構的研究途徑，以樂曲分析為研究觀點，針對Ma Rainey的藍調歌曲，從性別的影響、社會事件的組成與歷史脈絡，以及在1920年代的背景之下，女性個人自由的體現程度，探討Ma Rainey在1920年代崛起的原因，以及其藍調歌曲所呈現的特殊性。挑選Ma Rainey歌唱作品中，最膾炙人口的六首歌曲，作為樂曲分析的材料，以期能對於Ma Rainey的歌曲、唱腔、個人特色，有更深入的認識與了解，進而統整出Ma Rainey在藍調音樂的貢獻，提供有價值的研究參考資料。 研究發現，Ma Rainey的藍調歌曲，並非侷限於傳統12小節的框架之中，而是保留了原有的框架之外，在歌曲之中呈現不同的差異，使用和絃的轉換、配器旋律演奏不和諧的音高、小節之中跨越拍號的限制，甚至不使用12小節的歌曲架構，打破藍調音樂原有的曲式標準，主導藍調音樂的組成與表演方式，展現個人的創意性，大大提升女性身份的權力與自由。 本研究經綜合探討的結果，得知Ma Rainey在藍調音樂的特殊性。歌曲音域的呈現，趨向以男性嗓音的演唱方式，低沉的音質，加上吼叫、低吟的技巧，與女性慣用的美聲唱法區隔。歌曲中歌者與配器的互動，相互的烘托之下，浮現Ma Rainey的主導性，能自由的控制歌曲的速度、和絃的使用，以及個人意志的展現。Ma Rainey的出現，成為女性歌手進入藍調音樂領域的契機，為女性開啟成功的大門，使得女性受到社會上的重視，以及擴大了女性體現自由的權力。

The structure and form of blues, in addition to being a representation of a variety of genres, at the same time embody the composition of historical floods and emotions, and carries historical contexts, blood and tears. There are too many male singers appeared in the history of blues, but few women become famous. However, as a woman, Ma Rainey became popular in the 1920s. She was valued by the record companies and loved by the audience and became an important role in the development of blues. This paper adopts historical structure research methods, takes music analysis as the research method, focuses on Ma Rainey's blues songs, influences from gender, historical context of social events, and the background of female personal freedom in the context of the 1920s. Investigate the reasons for the rise of Ma Rainey in the 1920s and the particularity of her blues songs. The six songs of Ma Rainey's blues were chosen as material for music analysis in order to have a deeper understanding of Ma Rainey's songs, singing style, and characteristics. The study shows that Ma Rainey's blues songs are not confined to the traditional 12-bar framework, instead retain the framework. Use chord conversions, dissonant melodies, restrictions on spanning beats in the sections, and even not using 12-bar structure to present differences in the songs. Breaking the standards of blues, leading the composition and performance of blues, demonstrating personal creativity, greatly improving Female identity and freedom. Based on the results of the comprehensive investigation, this study finds out the specificity of Ma Rainey's music in blues. The presentation of the vocal range of the song tends to be performed in the form of male vocal, low sound quality, and buzzing and shouting skills, which are different from the female. The interaction between the singer and the instruments in the song, under the mutual sympathy, emerged Ma Rainey's dominance, the ability to freely control the speed of the song, the use of chords, and the display of personal will. The emergence of Ma Rainey has become an opportunity for female singers to enter the field of blues. It has opened the door for women's success. Women have received social attention, and expanded the power of women to express freedom.