Popular Music in the African Diaspora
The old concept of who or what is African American in the United States is no longer limited to those people who are the descendants of slaves brought to the United States between 1620 and 1808. It goes way beyond the experience of those people whose cultural heritage is distinctly shaped by the legacies of chattel slavery, the Civil War and Emancipation, Jim Crow and the Great Migration to the North, the Civil Rights Movement, and Black Nationalism. Under these criteria the description of African American music starts with work songs and spirituals that evolved from African traditions and continue with the evolution of secular styles of music in the late 19th century that came to be known as Jazz and Blues and Ragtime, along with the spiritual component of Gospel music. But the modern concept of who is African American has expanded to include people from all over the continent of Africa who have migrated to the United States as well as the descendants of enslaved Africans who have made their way to North America from places in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. They brought with them new musical styles and techniques that would influence the development of popular music all over the world by the end of the 20th century. Write short answers, [3-5 sentences] for each of the questions below. Each answer is worth 25 points toward a maximum score of 125 points. A well-written short answer should identify significant themes addressed in each lesson. Paste your responses in the assignment submission box by the date listed above, but also attach a document file for security and formatting purposes.
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