African music is more intrinsic. Western jazz and rock music, both only recently studied from an academic perspective, may be more approachable. However, Sunkett says these forms of music are largely entertainment offered through concert events which people attend and then leave. African music, on the other hand, is integrated into the lives of the people it represents. Sunkett has traveled to the West African country of Senegal five times in the past decade.
African music is so much a part of social involvement in the community.
This really appeals to me because it addresses things that go beyond African music and links me more directly to what I consider a part of my African heritage. One of Sunkett's first and more painful adjustments were the bleeding hands and calluses needed to play African drums. You must fight to maintain the right balance. A second obstacle was Sunkett's African-American birthright, which equipped him with Western sensibilities and perceptions of intangibles such as rhythm. If you know the rules, you can pretty much understand exactly what's supposed to happen.