Influence of African Music in North American and Latin American Music

It is not possible for cultures to develop in a vacuum. Each culture is actually an amalgamation of the many cultures that have come before them. Sometimes the roots of certain traits are easily identified; other times the culture has to be stripped down to find them. Regardless, all cultures develop from something else. This can be especially true in the case of music. Many of the dominate traits found in North American and Latin American music can actually be traced back many generations to the African slaves brought to those countries. Bruno Nettl and Gerard Behague discussed the significant influence of African music in their essay “Afro-American Folk Music in North and Latin America.” They said, “One of the truly important developments in the history of word music was initiated by the forced migration of great numbers of Africans, as slaves, to various parts of the Americas” (229). Many people believe that North American music displays the most African traits outside of Africa; however, it is in Latin America that the cultural impact of Africa is most prevalent and well defined.

When Africans were brought to North and Latin America in the 18th and 19th centuries, they brought their music with them. At that time, slave owners and colonial authorities were largely against allowing slaves to partake in song and dance. Many considered it “heathen” music that was akin to religious blasphemy. Their efforts, however, did not dissuade Africans from protecting their music and clinging to their heritage. For the most part, their heritage was all the slaves had to hold onto. Their existence was often as unbearable as their future was bleak. Song and dance was their only way to express themselves and hold on to some semblance of cultura...

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...a would not be the same if it weren’t for its African influence.

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