There was once a time when new, soulful music could often be heard in taverns and clubs in Baton Rouge as musicians crafted innovative songs and styles that weren’t heard anywhere else in the country.

The music was dubbed swamp blues, and the style is unique to the Baton Rouge area. The music served as inspiration for artists such as Eric Clapton and helped inspire some of the musicians that came to the United States during the British Invasion in the 1960s.

This weekend’s Baton Rouge Blues Festival seeks to reconnect with the city and younger generations about the unique history of swamp blues in the region that was once almost forgotten, said Festival Chair Chris Brooks.

The festival began in 1981 and was held on Southern University’s campus, but has since been moved downtown. This year, it will be held from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.

“Baton Rouge birthed its own kind of blues, and it birthed it the same way other areas did,” said Maxine Crump, emeritus member of the Baton Rouge Blues Foundation.

Hearing authentic swamp blues is different than Memphis blues or Chicago blues, Crump said, and the sound is a “combination of a rocking sound and a wailing country sound.”

Blues in Louisiana began with poor African-Americans living in rural areas playing music as an outlet to express themselves in the segregated South, Crump said. The music was authentic and spontaneous, played not in a recording studio or to garner fame, but to express hard times of being black in the South.

“You just kind of have to leave your nice understanding of what blues was started from and know that it started from really tough times, really toiling and really, really struggling with living a substandard life and not having enough,” she said.

Crump said one of the reasons many may not know that Baton Rouge has such a rich history with blues music is because at one point, the city wasn’t proud of the music, or people may have wanted to forget it because of who actually created the music.

“There were hard times here for people that were black and I think at one time Baton Rouge kind of pulled away from that because in order to say that they would have to admit to a history, but it’s a true history,” she said. “You can’t be ashamed of your past – you have to own it all.”

The festival features several renowned blues artists, young and old, who will perform throughout the day. Some artists will also participate in Q-and-A sessions in the Old State Capitol, giving participants a more in-depth look into the history of swamp blues and the lives of the musicians who created the music.

“I really think that this festival can grow. We always want to keep it free and open to the public,” Brooks said. “Last year we had over 10,000 people; we’re expecting with this year’s lineup to have even more.”

Brooks said every artist performing except one has a connection to Louisiana, making the line-up at the festival one of the most authentic yet.

“Everyone except for Robert Randolph is either one or two generations removed from being residents of the state of Louisiana,” he said.

The festival acts as an outlet for people to connect and now preserve the history of swamp blues in Baton Rouge, and it’s something the city should be proud of, Brooks said.

Food and refreshments will be served and those interested in attending can visit the Baton Rouge Blues Festival website for a full lineup of artists and events.

“You just kind of have to leave your nice understanding of what blues was started from and know that it started from really tough times, really toiling and really really struggling with living a substandard life and not having enough.”