Blues: Teufelsmusik, die das Leben beschreibt

Explore the history of blues in words and music with Adam Sikora and Axel Küstner. Born among the Black population of the American South, blues music is intimately connected with the harmonica, an affordable instrument that replaced the fiddle in early community music. The program examines how early players like Sonny Boy Williamson, James Cotton, and Sonny Terry shaped generations of musicians. Musically, gospel and blues share deep similarities, often distinguished only by their lyrics—earthly life versus spiritual praise. Adam Sikora is an internationally renowned virtuoso of the country hill blues style on the harmonica. Axel Küstner is a dedicated blues researcher, journalist, and photographer whose field recordings for the “Living Country Blues U.S.A.” box set are considered among the finest in the genre's history.