With countless ethnic groups and cultures, Africa boasts a vast array of traditional and modern musical genres. Exploring Africa’s cities offers the chance to immerse yourself in captivating rhythms and melodies. From Highlife in Accra to Mbqanga in Johannesburg, here is an introduction to Africa’s diverse music landscape and top destinations to experience it live.
West African Music Styles
West Africa has heavily influenced music across the continent and globe, noted for complex polyrhythmic beats.
Highlife
Emerging in Ghana in the 20th century, Highlife combines traditional Akan music with jazz and brass band instruments, creating an uptempo and optimistic sound.
Afrobeat
Created by Nigerian legend Fela Kuti, Afrobeat fuses funk, jazz, traditional rhythms, and call-and-response vocals into extended groove-oriented songs.
Mbalax
Originating in Senegal, Mbalax features rapid dance rhythms played on sabar drums and traditional tama talking drums, woven with Wolof-language singing.
Fuji
Fuji rose out of Muslim communities in Yoruba, Nigeria as a percussive and improvisational vocal style often featuring accordion and guitars.
North African Music Styles
The music of North Africa retains strong Arabic and Amazigh influences:
Raï
A pop-focused genre from Algeria, Raï typically pairs rhythmic synth beats with minor-key melodies and sentimental lyrics. Cheb Khaled helped popularize the genre.
Chaabi
Meaning “popular” in Arabic dialects, Chaabi encompasses various folk styles like sung poetry and lively improvised orchestras from Morocco and beyond using oud, violin, and percussion.
Gnawa
Gnawa origins likely date back centuries, fusing North and West African traditions into spiritual trance music traditionally played on bass lute gimbri, castanets, and hand drums.
East African Music Styles
East Africa’s coastal communities created unique hybrid sounds:
Taarab
Taarab combines African, Arabic, and Indian influences into melodic poetic songs laid over intricate rhythms from instruments like accordion, violin, oud, and percussion.
Benga
Emerging from Kenya’s Luo people, Benga couples electric guitars and drums with local rhythms and languages, inspiring joyful, uptempo dance music across East and Central Africa.
Chakacha
Originating among the Swahili of Kenya and Tanzania, Chakacha features driving rhythms, call-and-response singing, and left-hand finger piano lines.
Southern African Music Styles
Southern regions like South Africa and Zimbabwe contributed their own distinct genres:
Mbqanga
Mbqanga combines traditional Zulu jive dance music with American jazz into propulsive, mining-inspired songs using electric guitar, bass, and percussion.
Marabi
Marabi developed in early 20th century urban slums as a fusion of African and American jazz influenced styles into soulful, melancholy piano-based tunes.
Kwela
Kwela emerged in 1950s South Africa, using improvised pennywhistles and street percussion to create light, bluesy melodies over bouncing rhythms.
Central African Music Styles
Finally, Central Africa has rich musical traditions like:
Soukous
Soukous rose to popularity across Central Africa starting in the 1930s Congo, noted for its driving dance rhythms, clean electric guitar licks, and lyrics sung in regional languages.
Makossa
From Cameroon, Makossa combines elegant Latin jazz arrangements with funk bass and rhythms from indigenous Duala music into smooth, sensual dance tracks.
Musical Hubs to Visit
Each region holds iconic cities to experience Africa’s music culture:
Accra, Ghana
Accra buzzes with Highlife clubs, local concerts, and buskers. Visit venues like +233 Jazz Bar and Alliance Francaise for live music.
Fes, Morocco
In Fes, take in hypnotic Sufi Nights or energetic Arab-Andalusian orchestras at Dar Tazi Palace. Wander the medina’s squares.
Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi is East Africa’s musical hotspot. Catch Benga and hip hop at clubs like Florida 2000 or outdoor events like Safaricom Jazz Festival.
Johannesburg, South Africa
Jo’burg’s lively music scene encompasses jazz, house, Mbqanga, and more. Hit up the area around Vilakazi Street, including Backstage in Soweto.
Conclusion
From Highlife’s buoyant grooves to Gnawa’s mesmerizing trance music, Africa’s expansive diversity translates into captivating genres. Exploring cities like Accra, Fes, Nairobi and Johannesburg offers immersion into each region’s musical heritage and contemporary scenes. Let the complex rhythms and melodies of Africa inspire your travels.