Five things white people should know about cultural appropriation

[cemaphonic]

93. And even the early Blues was a sort of cultural melding between racial groups.

Post-Reconstruction black musicians were still able to draw on some of the old African musical traditions, as well as the work songs of slavery. But they also were familiar with white people's music - church hymn's, parlor music, music hall and vaudeville songs, etc. They threw all those influences together to create a new kind of music, and one that has influenced pretty much all forms of Western music since, hip-hop included. And a lot of what we consider folk music in the US comes from white musicians in the post-WWII era embracing a strain of the Blues that had pretty much died out among black audiences and performers a decade earlier (and like you say, very respectfully - folks like Pete Seeger and Merle Travis did their best to draw recognition to Leadbelly, and Mississippi John Hurt and others). And a lot of rock and country music flows directly from that wellspring.

I understand being upset about when things like minstrel shows where cultural traditions are used to mock or belittle, but the blending of musical, artistic, culinary traditions has been going on since prehistory, and enriches everybody. Music, in particular has a long history of helping different cultures to relate to and respect one another.