Afro-Caribbean music is a far world apart from the British pop, rock and classical music and through the ages it has consisted of jazz, R&B reggae, blues, calypso etc.

If you go as far back as slavery, songs were sung with great emphasis and soul lifting spirit to motivate and encourage workers throughout the day. Two important features of African music are the intricate rhythms and call and response compositions, where the leader sings, and then the chorus sings back. Slavery destroyed the wealth and property in African societies, but those who were taken to America brought with them their culture.

Rob Allen - X-factor performing at an event

Take into account the influence on the UK music industry, music from the sub-continent and the classical music of North India in particular. Although attempts to fuse Indian music with jazz, it took the Beatles to catapult Indian music to the forefront of public awareness, and make the sitar a common feature of popular culture in the West.

During 1992 the emergence of Indian music took place on the UK scene and a number of Asian bands and musicians attracted attention on a national scale. Asian music is now widely accepted and there are now Asian artists, Asian music, Asian music charts and Asian radio stations BBC radio Asian Network.

The Dholka - An Indian Musical Instrument

Hip Hop originated from New York City, we now have rappers in the UK who have developed their own style without rapping in an American accent. Rappers in the UK now rap about the ghetto, known as council estates and use street talk to engage listeners.

Breakbeat - UK Rappers who have worked with atists like John

Legend, Kanye West plus others Breakbeat and UKSP have also been special support guests for the likes of Montell Jordon, SWV, UK soul diva Terri Walker and Black-eyed Peas.

Street talk is a language used amongst young people and features words such as;

• Beef to fight
• Wha a gwan what is going on
• Chung nice
• Buff good looking
• Bredren friends

Worldwide, individuals, organisations, parents and some young people believe that the negative language used in rapping is to blame for the gangs and gang related crimes.

In the UK there has been a spree of stabbings and murders amongst black young men, to the extent that a special police department has been created to deal with black on black killings, and this department is called Trident.

Nowadays there is public consensus that you can’t stop young people froml istening to “Young music”, however “young music” should promote positively and not negativity.