I have just finished watching the Scorsese blues programme, which, in many ways, I loved. It is so wonderful listening to the music of Son House, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and Charlie Patton and then to listen to people who use to know them. No complaints there.

Then the film went to Africa to show the African connection to the blues. Trouble is: The African music I heard sounded nothing like the blues. It was very lovely in some parts - but the blues? No way. If anything, some of it sounded more Spanish. It got me thinking. It is assumed that American black music is derived, not unnaturally, from Africa. But how and to what extent. When the blues appeared in the 20s and 30s, how much of it is African, how much of it is an innovation of black americans, and did they take influences from other musics? It should be remembered that there is a big gap (over a 100 years) between the ending of the slave trade (as against slavery) and the 1920s and 30s. What musical development happened in that period? Can we ever know, I wonder.