As early as the sixteenth century, African slaves were brought to the islands of the Caribbean to replace the dwindling aboriginal population in agricultural activities. Go to the Myztek site to explore the regions from which slaves were brought to the Americas and the beginning of the process through which they became adapted to their new lives.

The African Musical Tradition

1. Why were slaves brought from West Africa and not from other African regions?

2. What musical instruments from West Africa were used almost uniformly?

3. What was the basic structure of the African chants you heard in the site?