How do migrations and trade routes spread African dance and musical influences?

Migrations and trade routes have played a fundamental role in the dissemination and evolution of African dance and musical traditions. These historical movements, often driven by environmental changes, wars, and the transatlantic slave trade, have displaced populations and facilitated cultural contact across vast distances.12

Mechanisms of Spread

• Migrations: As groups moved across the continent, they carried musical styles and instruments to new regions. For example, the migration of Bantu-speaking peoples helped spread iron bells and specific time-line patterns, while the movement of porters and colonial servants facilitated the distribution of the likembe (a type of lamellaphone) across Central and East Africa.1
• Trade Routes: Trade networks introduced influences from Arabic and other cultures, which, alongside internal exchanges, contributed to the development of new dance styles and musical fashions. The ivory and slave trades of the 19th century, in particular, acted as agents of cultural contact, spreading instruments like the zeze zither into the African interior.12
• Forced Displacement: The slave trade forcibly transported millions of Africans to the New World. In regions like Latin America and the Caribbean, these populations maintained and adapted their ancestral dance and musical traits—such as polyrhythmic movement and hip flexion—which eventually infused local social dances and religious practices like Candomblé and Vodou.13

These interactions often resulted in a blend of local and foreign ingredients, leading to the emergence of diverse regional styles and the transformation of traditional practices into new, resilient forms of expression.12