The folk music of slaves brought to Latin America and the Caribbean islands is closer in sound to its African roots because of two reasons. First, the cultural practices of the slaves brought to North America were suppressed. Second, slaves in Latin America and the Caribbean were allowed to play drums.
In New Orleans, black performers such Louis ARMSTRONG completed the transition from ragtime to jazz, creating a style known as "Dixieland" Jazz or "Hot" Jazz, as improvised over standard blues patterns.