of slavery opened the door for previously enslaved Africans to participate more freely in music again, leading to further development of afro-Caribbean music. Stylistic influences Afro-Caribbean music is characterised by the combined influence of African, European and indigenous Caribbean cultures. African music Many rhythms, song styles and vocal characteristics used in afro-Caribbean music are reflective of traditional African music. Examples of African vocal characteristics include call-and-response invocations and textually repetitious, simple lyrics. Afro-Caribbean music places a strong emphasis on rhythm, or a series of repeated pulses, this is also reflective of the influence of African music. Dominant African influences include those from the Bantu, Kongo, Fon and Yoruba peoples. This is largely reflective of the fact that many slaves were from Western or Central Africa due to their proximity to the Atlantic seaboard. European music The European influence seen in afro-Caribbean music stems from music that was popular in the colonial era such as classical, folk and dance music. Popular dance music at the time included the contradance and quadrille. Elements of the contradance have been incorporated into afro-Caribbean sub-genres such as the Merengue. Due to the large numbers of Spanish settlers compared to English settlers in Caribbean colonies, the European influence on afro-Caribbean music is more strongly Spanish. Examples of European influence in afro-Caribbean music include the presence of tonal harmonies, melodies and instruments of European origin. The lyrics of afro-Caribbean music are most commonly in European languages such as Spanish, English or French. The presence of European instruments and elements in afro-Caribbean music is reflective of the European music that slaves were forced to play for their masters. Over time, African elements, such as percussion and call-and-response invocations, were combined with traditional European elements. This led to the creation of a new hybrid genre, afro-Caribbean music. Indigenous Caribbean and American music Afro-Caribbean music was influenced by the ceremonial-style, religious music of the native American people (including indigenous Caribbean people). Traditional elements such as call-and-response style singing and the use of percussive instruments (such as Güiros and Maracas) are reflected in afro-Caribbean music. Musical characteristics Components Polyrhythms The combination of multiple series of pulses is referred to as a polyrhythm. These rhythms are often created using drums such as the batá. This rhythm is used as a base, to which vocals and other instruments can be added to. The Polyrhythm pattern is common in music derived from Western and