1. What are the three main sources of popular music? What did each contribute to the sound and style of popular music?
2. Which style had the most influence initially? Which has the most influence now?
3. In what ways might classical and folk performances of a nineteenth-century song differ?
4. Compare European and African approaches to speech and song.
5. Listen to any contemporary rap song. How does this song combine spoken and sung lirics? What are the similarities
between modern rap songs and traditional African songs?
6. Choose two examples of "endless-loop" songs from the pop charts. Describe why they fit into this category.
7. Choose any two examples of current pop songs. Identify the European and African elements in each. Be sure to explain
what makes these elements "European" or "African", as these terms are described in this chapter.