FESTIVAL AND RITUAL

The impulse for public expression in African-American art has deep roots in African tradition. The call-and-response structure of religious ceremonies, as well as those communal cultural experiences involving music, drama, costume, and the visual arts and crafts, were fundamental aspects of African life, represented, for example, in the Yoruba eshu festival and the Bambara tyiwara harvest dance.

In the New World, these African traditions manifest themselves in Caribbean and American festivals such as Junkanoo, Mardi Gras, and Kwanzaa. Art produced for these festivals is regarded as simply one of a number of artistic components which combine to create an exciting public ritual.