Azizi has hit on what I've been led to believe trditional music, song and dance is:-

Traditional African music is as historically ancient, rich, and diverse as the continent itself. Traditional African music is passed down orally (or aurally) and is not written......Traditional African music is generally performed with functional intent in celebrations, festivals, and story-telling.

So, the source cannot be attributed and it is passed from one generation to the next orally, aurally or in the case of dance, by example.

Does this mean that trad stuff has any more merit than contemporary? I don't think so. Time has it's way of sustaining what seems to be of value or use to us and the rest is left behind, maybe to be rediscovered much later. Does traditional stuff have anything of relevance to today or to to teach us? I think so. History often repeats itself, with both good and bad consequences.