Enslaved Africans seeking to reconnect with their lost cultural traditions brought African concepts to instruments in the American musical mainstream, creating popular new American music genres ...

Describing the African-American influence on American music in all of its glory an d variety is an intimidating—if not impossible—task. African American influences are so fundamental to American music ...

White minstrels would perform these songs using banjos, fiddles, tambourines, and even animal jaw rattles — instruments popular with African American players. In turn, white music influenced ...