Musik im transatlantischen Sklavenhandel. Der Einfluss von Musik auf das Gemeinschaftsgefühl versklavter Personen

Abstract

Music in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The Influence of Music on Enslaved People’s Sense of Community

The following paper examines the impact that music had on enslaved people’s sense of community in the context of the transatlantic slave trade. Based on various academic papers and books as well as one autobiography published by a former slave and a travel report by a British author, this paper infers that enslaved people either voluntarily utilized music in various contexts, or they were coerced to do so on request of their slave holders. However, the latter hardly affects the fact that music positively influenced the enslaved people’s sense of belonging to the group.