88.5FM Ann“the Raven” Talks the Blues Its History and Feelings

Ann ‘the Raven” has been on air with KCSN 88.5FM since the late eighties. Her cool and refreshing take on what the blues is and its reverence in today’s market mimics worldwide concern over rhetorical sounds and all too often ripped off cultural main stays. With the sounds of yore some now reformed and regurgitated on internet-based platforms like Tik-Tok, without being repetitive one would think that one of America’s oldest music forms would be our most beloved. Known as the mother of the blues to most, “Ma Rainey” did a lot to give women with big belting voices a non-threatening and visible platform to express themselves. Blues in the morning, blues in the night. Blues when I ain’t got no money and blues when my man ain’t been treating me right. Everyone women, men and even children can relate to the blues.  The Raven says the one thing that keeps the Blues from keeping its true originality is the lack of feelings and emotions that the new artist who perform it lack. “They can play the licks and the instruments, but they can’t bring out the emotions and the feelings of the music”. If you want to know how the blues are interpreted universally Raven says everyone can play the blues now. The origins of the blues are poorly documented. Blues developed in the southern United States after the American Civil War (1861–65). It was influenced by work songs and field hollers, minstrel show music, ragtime, church music, and the folk and popular music of the white population.

Louis Blues”, written and composed by W.C. Handy, is published. Handy, commonly referred to as the “Father of the Blues”, was inspired to write the song sometime in 1892 or 1893 after hearing a woman distress about hard times between her and her husband. Source: Google

There is pop blues, rock blues, hillbilly blues, country blues, gospel blues and its popularity have never been better, but they just don’t have that same feeling that an Etta James had. When she walked in a room, and opened her mouth to sing, “At Last” everyone knew who she was, and everyone could feel what she was singing about. The KCSN studios are a home that the “Raven” has developed an audience for, and which has given life to a program that carries a message of its own. Her talent is in knowing the good stuff.  Knowing what to open up her ears to hear and when and how to deliver request to an audience eager to use her sultry voice to help to do battle against the darker forces of life. Raven and the blues have a lifetime bond and are now inseparable. In a city with an estimated count of eleven million it’s no wonder that her radio voice offers such comfort in times of need and sheds light on the subject of how music and sound can be used not just to heal people but to act as a bridge when times are too troubled to stay afloat.

Just like all the many genres of music and those cultures devoted enough to listen, dance and sing to the blues will eventually twist, turn and etch its way into the hearts and souls of the many.

Ann “The Raven’s” goal is to form a new kind of band and to gather up new artist that are interested in the blues. Her eyes are set on a particular young male blues singer named, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram who heralds from Clarksdale, Mississippi. He is quite promising and can sing and play the guitar. Ingram rose to fame as a teenager and seems to be one of the best in the blue Ann “The Raven” has frequented such colleges as USC, CSUN and judging from her fiery temperament and determined spirit its just a matter of time before that band manifest.

It’s no wonder that her show is still the number one must have hot and bluesy playlist on a summers evening and a calming soothing wake- up call on a cold wintry day. Either way the blues is as the blues does and ya want to you can whistle Dixie and slap yo mama on dat one.

For more information on Ann “the Raven” 88.5FM  you can hear her every Sunday from 8PM-9PM and or KCSN.org. https://www.allaboutbluesmusic.com/the-origins-of-b

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ANN-The_raven-Blues

Email: anntheraven@aol.com

Twitter: @anntheravenblues