MichealR - What do I think the roots of American music are? Well, they're partly British and Irish, but they've also been influenced by Hispanic and African cultures, not to mention other European influences. African-influenced Blues, in particular, is a recognisably American sound that permeates much US popular music in both folk and pop. The guitar (Hispanic) and the banjo (African), and also the dulcimer (European)in the Appalachians, have all made contributions to the distinctive sounds of American music.

Add to this the fact that the US has been developing in its own way for the last couple of centuries or so, while British and Irish cultures have developed in theirs, and it becomes clear that the cultures and the music are now, although related, quite distinct.

It's paralleled, in a way, by the use of the English language, which has evolved into two (more or less) mutually intelligible forms, now quite different although both spring from the same roots.

Marje