About The EBA

A brief history

Throughout Europe and the United Kingdom there is a healthy interest in the performance of African-American music. Monthly magazines are published in: France, Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. National and international performers and a European–wide audience travel widely to celebrate the common ground they share in their love of the music.

A number of enthusiasts, including Dr Paul Oliver MBE, a leading world authority in the field of academic research on blues music and African-American culture for the past 50 years, believed there was a need to form an organisation that would provide a major resource to foster understanding of the African-American culture from which blues and all related African American music (spiritual and secular) originated. The group believed that such a project would provide a resource for study, research and live musical activities. Regarding music as an international language strengthened the resolve to promote a greater understanding of all the musics of the African Diaspora in the New World.

In 1999 the decision was taken to form the 'European Blues Foundation' and in 2001 the name was changed to ‘The European Blues Association.' On the 18th January 2002, the European Blues Association was confirmed as a Registered Charity by the United Kingdom Charities Commission and entered in the Central Register of Charities. The EBA is administered by a Board of Trustees, currently including Paul Oliver. Past trustees have included: noted academics, well-known musicians, local broadcasters and politicians. The Development Officer, Michael Roach, is the former President of the DC Blues Society, Washington DC, USA.

Our mission:

"… to be the resource for our members and the general public who are interested in the historical past and the modern progression of  African American music.  We are dedicated to the appreciation and understanding of all aspects of the music and the African-American culture from which it evolved.”

In furtherance of our objective to advance the education of the general public in the history and appreciation of African American music and culture the Association will make provisions for:

• the protection and preservation of an archive of material related to the music of peoples of African descent, including African American music and culture in general and Blues in particular; to make this accessible for the public benefit in a resource centre.

• the presentation of public recitals and lectures featuring African American music

Working with performance

Participation through performance can be one of the key factors in the development and maintenance of a life-long enthusiasm for music making. This in turn can lead to the desire for deeper understanding of the cultural history and context that formed the music.

Since 2000, The EBA has promoted and organised a range of workshops held at varied locations in the UK and an annual residential programme, ‘Blues Week’. Participants in EBA tuition residential programmes (now over 1500) have been drawn from the United Kingdom, Eire, Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Australia, Eygpt, Israel and the USA. We are particularly pleased to see an increasing proportion of younger and female participants. Tuition offered covers all levels of fingerstyle and slide guitar, harmonica, vocals and keyboard, and has been provided by over 50 internationally respected artists from the USA and Europe.

The EBA now has a YouTube channel. It is called euroblues2010 and has been launched as an addition to the website. It hosts 'taster' lessons from Michael Roach and Michael Messer, with other lessons in the pipeline. It also has a 'favourites' listing of some classic blues and music videos....essential stuff! We will add to these as we go, so mark it as your favourites. Click here to visit: The EBA YouTube Channel

Stefan Grossman, Blues Week 2007

Working with young people

From its foundation, the EBA has been engaged in educational activities with primary and secondary schools. We have donated musical instruments and we offer performance seminar-workshops demonstrating the African-American underpinnings of 20th Century popular music. 

The 2001 Blues Week class initiated The John Jackson Youth Scholarship Fund to enable young people to attend EBA tuition events. We have awarded over £15,000 in scholarships for young people between the ages of 14-21 to attend our residential programmes for guitar, harmonica, vocals and keyboard classes. Students benefit from spending time with internationally known performers and tutors.  

Working with the local community

EBA members are frequent broadcasters on national and local UK radio, for example presenting regular programmes on African American music on local community radio and Michael Roach's three-part series ‘Deep Blue’ on BBC's Radio 4.

The EBA has been pleased to work in partnership with Gloucestershire Library Services since 2003, presenting concerts and events in local libraries. Talks have been given to local community groups and a regular Black Music study group is being developed.

 Working with the Academic Community

The EBA is working in partnership with the University of Gloucestershire to encourage the use of the Archive of American Music for graduate and post-graduate students and academic researchers. Part of the Archive is housed in the University of Gloucestershire Study and Archives Centre.

EBA members regularly present papers on African American music themes at national and international music conferences. Since 2002, the EBA has hosted and participated in national and international conferences on African American music, for example, at the Universities of Metz, Gloucestershire, Mississippi, Worcester and Nottingham.

Working with the Music Industry

Since 2000, the EBA has been actively involved in Gloucester International Rhythm & Blues Festival promoting concerts and seminars. Local events are held regularly, such as the 'Jug Band Weekend' in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in 2009.

Each year the EBA sponsors and promotes an increasing number of concerts and tours to further our aim of ‘education through appreciation of performance'. We have featured noted African-American performers such as John Jackson, Ethel Caffie-Austin, Louisiana Red, Lazy Lester,  Cephas and Wiggins and Philadelphia Jerry Ricks.

Louisiana Red, Blues Week 2002