African Americans have developed an independent culture that sees little need to go back to historical roots, if that means West African tribal music. Jazz has successfully harnessed the 'serious' role wthin the diaspora and other musics have taken the popular forms. There's no equivalence in the English position, with the possible exception of Australian music and that's forcing a point.

I'm prepared to believe there's a single English style, instumentation or vocal if someone shows it to me, until then I'll believe there are lots of regional forms, plus some that have hybrid vigour (Scots/English, Welsh/English, etc). We can chase an illusory definite English form that has currency in Hamphire, Lancashire and Norfolk till the cows come home but, to harness a quote from a radio show last week 'I'd rather Liverpool win a throw in than England win the world cup'. We are people of the region, nothing wrong with that.