The Cultural Legacy of West Africa

Which of the following is one effect of African slaves bringing their music to the Americas?

• The balafon is a popular instrument in South America.

• Their music has influenced jazz, rock, and rap music.

• The griots’ songs continue to be sung in North America.

What does the following proverb reveal about the West African society? Every time an old man dies, it is as if a library has burnt down.

• The importance of visual arts.

• The value placed on books.

• The importance of oral tradition.

What did folktales and proverbs have in common?

• Both were presented musically

• Both were written in Arabic

• Both were part of an oral tradition.

Which of the following best describes what griots did?

• record keeping

• ruling

• exploring

What is one function the visual arts served in West Africa?

• They were put in museums.

• They were used in rituals.

• They were sold at auctions.

You read the following passage in Chapter 15: Among forest people, dancers move as if they are finding their way through forest undergrowth .It suggests that...

• A people’s arts reveal a lot about where they live.

• The only Africans who danced were forest people.

• A people’s arts are more important than their government.

What was one important function of the oral tradition in Africa?

• extending leaders’ influence

• entertaining visitors to Africa

• preserving people’s history