Field Recordings of Black Singers and Musicians

A Discography bringing together recordings that could be considered part of the African-American musical experience and that played some part in the emergence of blues and jazz music. African musical forms have been considered of primarily importance yet there has been little attempt to bring together the recorded evidence from West Africa that might provide the necessary background for the development of African-American musical forms. In addition, once in the United States the recordings of former slaves giving their views and singing their songs have been included to add to this account. Amazingly, it was not until the 1930s that it was thought important enough to record their voices for posterity. Furthermore, there are field recordings from the Caribbean basin, and especially, those related to the religious rituals of Voodoo with its undoubted connection to Africa and its transmission to the United States. All of these features give a more complete view of the African American musical experience.