Blues, brought over in shackles and chains from mainland Africa to cotton fields and Christian churches along the Mississippi River, took hold in the hot and humid lowlands of states like Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. From the confluence of European instruments and African expression would be birthed sexy saxophone solos of New Orleans Jazz. Louisiana’s twin offspring Cajun and Creole and the twangs of Hillbilly banjos and American folk fiddles migrated to cities during urbanisation and soon Rock ‘n’ Roll had all the crossovers and hybrids it needed to rouse the young generation into a frenzy. Drive the rhythms of the south trail in the USA and catch gigs at venues like Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame where Johnny Cash once played, take a tour of Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis or head through Chattanooga towards Atlanta – hip-hop’s ‘centre of gravity’. Wind up swilling bourbon in New Orleans dive bars in the Gulf of Mexico.
Tender jazz motifs and bluesy boozers, way down south on the tail end of the Mississippi River. Here in The Big Easy, music is in the air that you breathe – sultry sax solos serenade the rise and fall of whisky glasses and passersby abandon their errands to groove to street side rag timers. Rappers keep things real and tell it how it is from a backdrop of whimsical porches and doorsteps of French era colonial architecture. Nothing is as important as a good time here. Like the music, cuisine is constantly rearranging French, Cubano and African flavours, making it up as they go along in a blur of cocktails. Add orange juice to your coffee, dunk deep fried prawns into a Bloody Mary and grab a Po’ Boy sandwich when time is tight between gigs.
Crisp steel drum tempos and finger breaking fiddle rhythms, Tennessee’s Music City is home to honky-tonk and country music. Here is the unlikely confluence of African blues and the folky elements of Scots-Irish reels and jigs. The legacy of major influencers like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson can be explored in museums and the extensive collection of the Country Music Hall of Fame. The “Songwriting Capital of the World” isn’t all about reading up on has-beens Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton and you needn’t blow the holiday budget on headliners of the Ryman Auditorium either. Some of the best nights just sort of happen when you’re taking a bourbon infused walk of Music Row, stopping in wherever takes your fancy.
A mere 250 miles away from Nashville, Atlanta Georgia is best known for the resounding speeches of Martin L. King. But spoken words are nothing without musical input; they need pitch, pace, timbre and well – rhythm. Atlanta’s outspoken voice and all its artistic faculties have their centre of gravity here, especially music. Neighbourhood names like Cabbagetown and Kirkland and Druid Hills giveaway a Celtic heritage but that’s neither the scene nor genre that made Atlanta what it is. Nowadays it’s better known as the capital of hip-hop, R&B and Indie scene. Its gospel heritage from Christian churches along the Mississippi River are best felt in The Tabernacle – a church turned music venue – and also speaks volumes of the capital of Georgia’s devout devotion to music.
The best time to visit America’s Deep South is the shoulder seasons from September to October and March and April, when days are warm and nights are cool. This is also a good time of year for cheap flights and good deals on accommodation. The summers are hot and wet and prone to hurricanes from July to November along the coast, this is also the insect season. Winters are fairly mild near the gulf of Mexico but in the more northerly reaches like Nashville, snow is not unheard of. This is also the best time of year for cheap flights and good deals on accommodation. Bear major festivals in mind at the point of booking, they’re widespread and can have a major impact on prices.
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Read about the highlights of the Deep South above and browse the package holiday deals to find great deals on flights and accommodation for your trip.
Make your Deep South getaway a road trip and rent a car with Travelbag. Here at Travelbag, we’ve been curating American holiday packages to fit our customer’s needs since 1979. By arranging flights, accommodation and extras like car hire in one place, you can save money and condense your holiday arrangements into one easy to manage place.
Call our customer services team on 0203 139 7074 or visit us at one of our branches to book your Qatar getaway today. Our phone lines are open from 9am until 9pm Monday to Friday, 9am until 6pm on Saturday and 10am until 5pm on Sundays.
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