This was very true with the musical activities of the tribe. No one sat back and just listened. African music was very functional and tied to everyday events in the village. They did not build concert halls, but rather, gathered wherever music was needed. There are songs for every type of occassion from births to deaths, from marriages to clearing a path to chopping down a tree.
Music serves as a kind of social glue that binds people together.
The participatory nature of the African culture can be seen today in Black churches and Pentecostal churches throughout the United States. It involves the body. Clapping, swaying to the beat, pounding a stick on the ground, dancing, etc. are all examples of how people participated. And remember everyone joined in, not just the musicians. This is also another manifestation of using the body.