Conclusion

Since the landing of enslaved Africans to the North American continent, the unique musical genres that have been spawned in the Americas have come about through many trials and hardships. Although there are many speculations that Africans arrived to these shores having no past history or traditions, scholarship suggests otherwise; the Africans not only brought their rich cultural and musical traditions, but they also came with their own stories and skills. In this lesson we identified several characteristics of African music and culture and how are retained in African American music's history and its emergent significance. Finally, we presented the outstanding African musical styles and forms throughout the lesson that identify significant periods in African American music and expression.