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Large parts of Latin music is African in origin to. Salsa dancing/music is African and came over via slavery to Cuba, Puerto rico and other Hispanic islands. Bomba is African to.
At this point there's very few examples of music styles in the US that are only influenced by African or only influenced by European styles. In the South especially, there's always been whites and blacks living in close proximity to each other. African music styles influenced many if not most American music genres, but the end result is a hodgepodge that mixed styles from different regions. Jazz is the result of African-Americans playing European marching band styles with the addition of syncopation and improvisation from their own African musical roots. The end result doesn't sound African at all however.. When Chuck Berry wrote "Johnny Be Goode" and other early rock 'n roll songs he was being influenced by the country music that he heard growing up in addition to the blues.
I've always found it interesting how musical influences get blended together to create new genres and styles. Jimmy Rodgers, one of the pioneers of country music, had a vocal style that was influenced by a group of Swiss yodelers he saw perform once--which became a popular element of country music later on. The lap steel guitar popular in country music had it's roots from a Hawaiian musician. Likewise the ukulele's of Hawaiian music were brought over by Portuguese immigrants. Tex-Mex music was influenced by polkas brought over by Czech/Polish/German immigrants. Scott Joplin, the black pioneer of ragtime music--was trained in music by a classically trained German-Jewish immigrant. And so on...
Although I tend to agree with the theory that the first homo sapiens sapiens originated in Africa, it is not FACT.
I don't think scientists will ever have the answer and making statements like "early man was from Africa" is fallacious. You don't know, I don't know, and most likely, scientists will never know either.
Well, Non Africans are part Neanderthal, that has been proven with DNA testing...So if modern humans were able to breed with Neanderthals then that leads to other questions as to where "humans" originated.
Interesting question. I remember when I was in the Army that some black guys used to make fun of Elvis Presley and it was pretty obvious they thought he stole his sound from the African American music community, and I wouldn't doubt if he did. Not that i really care but he surely was influenced, as all musical artists are inspired and influenced by others.
As does all invention and technology. Without Africans, there would be no car, electricity for your home, computers, modern medicine, etc.
Not to diminish the admiration of I have for those greats of African heritage who embrace Reason and further science, imagine my surprise to learn that Jean Joseph Lenoir, Henry Ford, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Andreas Vesalius, Louis Pasteur and Jonas Salk were black.
You know, not only is this thread needlessly divisive, it is lacking in historical clarity, nuance, understanding of cultural evolution. In short, its a really ****ing stupid thread that can only bring out the worst of either side of the debate.
You know, not only is this thread needlessly divisive, it is lacking in historical clarity, nuance, understanding of cultural evolution. In short, its a really ****ing stupid thread that can only bring out the worst of either side of the debate.
You are absolutely right however classical music is not considered American music it's European music.
An intellectually honest person will tend to agree that many musical genres actually create here were influence by African music or musical influences of African slaves.
Most rock and rolls legends guys like Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The Who directly credit the Blues with heavily influencing their musical styles.
Can you point out who my favorite musicians of the past 100 years were affected by black musicians. Oh yeah, I forgot, Marty Robbins and Willie Nelson.
In case you don't know neither of them were part of the country music scene. Nope they were Country and Western before the southern people took it over.
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