African Music

African music

Index

Songs

dance

instruments

Sección I

Songs & styles

Tuareg Music

Traditional from the Saharan trib of the Tuaregs.

Kabylean music

Traditional from Argelia, the tratidional style is the Achewiq

Raï

From Argelia it started in the XX century.

South African Music

It is a fusion of rythms and local sounds

Senegal Music

It's among the most popular african music specially thanks to the Mbalax

Equatorial Guinea Music

This type of music is one of the most documented in Africa

Nigerian Music

Called "the heart of Africa" it has had a very important role in the development of african music

Egiptian Music

It's a mixture of egiptian, arab, african and occidental music. They started playing music around 4000 bC.

Saudi Arabian Music

This type of music has been in contact with other cultures like the persian, turkish, indian, suajili or andalusí music.

Coupé-Decalé

Traditional in Ivory Coast this a very percusive and minimalistic style.

Sección I

Dances

Agbadza

It comes from and ancient war dance called Atrikpui. It is usually dances in funerals, weddings and parties.

Muwogola

The origin of the dance com from the Ugandan tribe Baganda.

Pat Pat

Traditional in Senegal and Gambia.

Eskista

From Ethiopia, this dance is recongnizable because of its intense movement of the shoulders.

Adowa

Extended through most of Ghana, this is a popular dance from the Akan tribe danced in funerals and social events.

Bikutsi

Dance from Cameroon

Sección I

Instruments

Kora

Used in West Africa, it has been in existence for more than 5000 years.

Udu

Popular amongst the Igbo tribe in southeast Nigeria.

Algaita

Double reed instrument. Used by the Hausa and Kanuri tribe in North Nigeria.

Ekwe

There are variants of this insturment in Zaire, Igbo, Congo and Guinea.

Djembe

West African instrument, it became popular around 1230 AD in the Mali Empire.

Bendir

A northern African instrument similar to a tambourine.

Mbira

It is an African instrument but you can find all around the world variants of this instrument as early as the 16th century in Siberia.

Balafon

Similar to a xylohpone. It's use began in the 14th century. It can be found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso.

Akoting

Instrument from Senegal, Gambia and Guinea Bisau. It's thought to have given birth to the banjo.