What is distinctive about African jazz?
Generally, African jazz is much more closely related to African folk/classical music than African American jazz. In particular the geographical diversity in African jazz reflects the enormous range of African folk/classical styles which in turn reflects the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of a continent which is more than three times the size of the United States Similarly, in vocal music there is enormous diversity in the language used reflecting the linguistic diversity of the continent. The harsh economic realities of urban life in Sub Saharan Africa mean that African jazz tends to be populist and is generally geared to performance in dance venues where alcohol is served. Africa s economics are also evident in the fact that generally only the very largest cities, such as Kinshasa, Lagos, Johannesburg and Cape Town, have a big enough market to support many African jazz musicians. Other ways in which economics have influenced African jazz include the following: The relative smallne
