Azizi,

I decided this would be a good spot to answer some of your more off topic comments, which were given on the "Gospel Music is Gailic?" thread:

**Furthermore, my reading indicates that most of the African ancesters of black Americans came from cultural areas that had rich drumming traditions.See this excerpt from this article:Melt Press & the Origin of Jazz.**

I read the article and the excerpt that you gave me concerning where most of the black slaves come from.While I do have some major issues with alot of the article, I have no disagreement with this excerpt.If you look closely at the context of the excerpt, it's refering to the three places of Africa where most slaves in North & South America came (hence the use of the term "Americas").It isn't saying most slaves in the United States came from all these areas.Infact after this excerpt it inicates that different areas of the new world, took slaves from different parts of Africa.While it doesn't directly specify which of the three areas of Africa most U.S. slaves came from, it does give some clues by saying what areas the British and english focused on (Keeping in mind that people of this cultural background made up a major part of slave masters in the U.S.).

**Blind Will, re-reading your comments I note that you said that "drums were rare amongst black Americans prior to the 20th Century, and quite often banned."I concur with that statement."Rare" doesn't mean it never happened.**

Yes you understand correctly.I was going to quote a part of the Melt Press article you gave me which helps to support this position.But now that I've re-read your words I see that isn't necessary.

Continued later,