The extreme diversity of musical genres covered by Affrilachian musicians often leads to most, even their own fans, not realizing the Appalachian roots of the music. As shown on the previous page, while much of the influence Black Appalachians had on the regions musical history has been whitewashed and disregarded this fact is changing as more and more information is becoming accessible which allows for an appreciation of the racially and ethnically diverse history of much of Appalachia's music. As more and more Affrilachian musicians recorded rich and diverse catalogs of music, it begs the question of what truly makes up Appalachian culture? This page concludes with a mish-mash of songs and videos which can barely brush the surface of what Affrilachian music is.
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The selection above highlights just some of the diverse musicians that came out of Appalachia. Artists like James Brown, whose unique brand of funk music and over-the-top showmanship has influenced generations of musicians and artists the world over, allow for an opportunity to view "Appalachia" as not just a region of banjos and moonshine but a region capable of rich and varied arts and culture. "When A Man Loves A Woman," became a number one hit on the Billboard Top 100 and R&B charts, and even reached number four on the British charts and is just another example of a song from Appalachia breaking stereotypes of what it means to play Appalachian music. The eccentric musician Sun-Ra takes Appalachian music to new intergalactic heights with his Avante-garde jazz. More recently, rappers like Sheisty Khrist and 6'6 240 have been creating hip-hop music which brings Appalachian music to an all new generation who could care less for string band and bluegrass music.