African American History is unusual in many respects, but one of its most unique aspects is that it comes with a soundtrack. Floating across the Atlantic the music of African was dispersed through all parts of the diaspora in the Americas. Through the triumphs and tragedies, the singers sang, the drummers drummed, in short, the band played on nurturing and sustaining the people.
In the United States and across both continents this African original music morphed, modified and diffused its way into all the components of “American” music—folk, blues, country and western, gospel, jazz, classical, rhythm and blues, opera and more. Sometimes whispering and sometimes roaring, but always making its presence felt. The music and the people are one and separable.