▁ 1 7 , 4 0 0 ▁of ▁L om ax ' s ▁record ings ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁and ▁later ▁have ▁been ▁made ▁available ▁free ▁online . ▁This ▁material ▁from ▁Alan ▁L om ax ' s ▁independent ▁archive , ▁begun ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁digit ized ▁and ▁offered ▁by ▁the ▁Association ▁for ▁Cultural ▁Equ ity , ▁is ▁" dist inct ▁from ▁the ▁thousands ▁of ▁earlier ▁record ings ▁on ▁ac et ate ▁and ▁al umin um ▁disc s ▁he ▁made ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁under ▁the ▁aus p ices ▁of ▁the ▁Library ▁of ▁Congress . ▁This ▁earlier ▁collection — which ▁includes ▁the ▁famous ▁J elly ▁Roll ▁Mort on , ▁Wo ody ▁Gut hr ie , ▁Le ad ▁Bel ly , ▁and ▁M ud dy ▁W aters ▁sessions , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁L om ax ' s ▁pro dig ious ▁collections ▁made ▁in ▁H ait i ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Kentucky ▁( 1 9 3 7 )   — ▁is ▁the ▁proven ance ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Fol kl ife ▁Center " ▁at ▁the ▁library ▁of ▁Congress . ▁ ▁National ▁and ▁regional ▁forms ▁ ▁Africa ▁▁ ▁Africa ▁is ▁a ▁vast ▁continent ▁and ▁its ▁regions ▁and ▁nations ▁have ▁distinct ▁musical ▁trad itions . ▁The ▁music ▁of ▁North ▁Africa ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁part ▁has ▁a ▁different ▁history ▁from ▁Sub - S ah aran ▁African ▁music ▁trad itions . ▁ ▁The ▁music ▁and ▁dance ▁forms ▁of ▁the ▁African ▁di as por a , ▁including