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The things you mentioned are a good starting point. For starters, we are more American than anything else. While the African in us may not be as apparent as blacks in the Caribbean, it has definitely played a role in, not just Black American culture, but American culture as a whole. For example, the banjo, so stereotypical of American folk and country music, was invented by slaves. A lot of " Black English" eventually becomes part os standard American and at times may even become international within the Anglophone world. Now some take exception when the black influence on modern music is mentioned but, most modern forms of music are descendant from the original blues. This gave rise to jazz, rock n roll, Soul, Disco, House, Hip-Hip Tehcno and so on.
I think another question might be, how African is America?
Exactly its like how Irish is America?
African to me would be following the customs of countries in Africa, religion, dress etc.
The Amish comes to mind as they have kept to their culture in dress, transportation.
Now days it seems to me anything goes and people are strange, some must sit there and have nothing to do, they start on some kind of rule that they think should be and try to make the rest of us adhere to their rules, usually people with no minds follow that and its absorbed into society, nobody speaks up
Why do people think that all Black Africans are dark or don't vary in color as well? There is variation within all races in terms of skin tone. So, that isn't exclusive to just Black people and African Americans can vary in terms of skin tone as well.
True but if I was to say who's darker in general blacks of Africa or blacks of America, I would say that the blacks of Africa are DARKER!
There is zero African about any early form of jazz. And I mean zero. Blues is a very distant similarity with some of Africa, but also has unmistakable similarities with Irish folk.
I think this overlooks the fact that several aspects of African heritage are present in the culture of slave descendants and have been since the beginning. The "Africanness" of American born blacks is not some wholly contrived additive designed just for the purpose to make us different. It has its roots; in some ways that I'm sure even many blacks aren't aware of.
Initially slaves came from Senegal, The Gambia and Ivory Coast. This region also had a long history of supplying slaves to the Arab World. A large number of slaves came from the so-called Gold Coast of Ghana in West Africa.
Nigeria and Gabon dominated trans-Atlantic slave trade from the middle of the 18th century until slavery was abolished.
Angola would dominate slave trade for the Portuguese to Brazil.
I don't mean to diminish your observations. I simply meant that the terms Portuguese American and Italian American were two very different things. At the time if you mean European-American you simply said "white".
The social equal of "white American" is "black American". Since Gambians, Ghanians, Nigerians, Gabons, and Angolans are all very different cultures, and those countries represent a huge amalgamation of cultures, the term African American superficially lumps them all together, in an effort to create a style that was developed for various immigrant groups that came after 1845.
There is zero African about any early form of jazz. And I mean zero. Blues is a very distant similarity with some of Africa, but also has unmistakable similarities with Irish folk.
Maybe the Irish went to Africa ,influenced the African musicians before 1600, and when the Africans came to the south they were already playing this Irish African music, or perhaps Ali doesn't sound like Lighting Hopkins ,Lighting hopkins sounds like Ali.
Initially slaves came from Senegal, The Gambia and Ivory Coast. This region also had a long history of supplying slaves to the Arab World. A large number of slaves came from the so-called Gold Coast of Ghana in West Africa.
Nigeria and Gabon dominated trans-Atlantic slave trade from the middle of the 18th century until slavery was abolished.
Angola would dominate slave trade for the Portuguese to Brazil.
I don't mean to diminish your observations. I simply meant that the terms Portuguese American and Italian American were two very different things. At the time if you mean European-American you simply said "white".
The social equal of "white American" is "black American". Since Gambians, Ghanians, Nigerians, Gabons, and Angolans are all very different cultures, and those countries represent a huge amalgamation of cultures, the term African American superficially lumps them all together, in an effort to create a style that was developed for various immigrant groups that came after 1845.
I assumed you were talking about the culture and not just the title in particular. As far as that goes, I would think it had more to do with the fact that the national origins of many blacks was simply unknown. You can't exactly use the terms Ghanaian-American or Senegalese-American if you don't know who they can be applied to. "African-American" was a safe umbrella term.
Does it matter though? Besides, to deny the African cultural influence still present in African American society doesn't make sense.
Nobody said that it matters it was just an observation and leads to the conclusion that black Americans have been mixed through the decades much like the rest of Americans. After any type of 2nd generation in America there's very influence left of the homeland.
Please give me a logical connection between African descent and African-American music? You can't. There's no cultural connection! It sounds like you are just trying to make a connection between the two to justify something... As an African-American, I don't see the connection.
Black Americans of course use western music theory, developed in Europe to write music. However, the rhythmic patterns did not exist prior to their introduction by us Black Americans. Think of the older forms of music prior to the 19th century. All modern music genres are basically evolved blues rhythms and riffs. Rhythms that were African built on western music theory.
Now if you look at my previous posts, you'll see that I'm not one to attempt to make it look like we are very African. We are today, a western people as much as that pains some to read. However, our African roots, if they've left their mark anywhere, it's on western music.
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