What Makes African Music Unique?

Music is a universal aspect of human existence and found in all cultures in the history of mankind. It is widely believed that Africa is the cradle of humanity, so it seems quite obvious that the music became a part of African life long before any other civilization on the planet.

Fostering Unity in Diversity:-

The African music is ancient, culturally rich, vast and varied like the continent itself. African music is very rhythmic, expressing all aspects of life through the medium of sounds. Whether it is religious ceremonies, social rituals or festivals, music is an integral part of everyone’s life in Africa. Every important occasion like birth, marriage and death is incomplete without music. For many people in the continent, music acts a link to the spiritual world. Mostly, the traditional music in the continent is passed down orally, not in written form.

Bringing People Together:-

Every part of African continent contributes to the music of this land in their own unique way. This continent is a home to many cultures, regions, nations and ethnic groups. The styles of music vary across the northern, southern and western Africa. From simple melodies of South African ethnic groups to complex singing and instrumental music of Central Africans- there is a huge diversity of music styles.

Many languages spoken in Africa are tonal languages, bringing about a close connection between music and languages in some communities. Music has also been an instrument of conveying important messages and ideals that bring about social and political change.

There are many factors that had influenced and contributed to the traditional music of Africa. A wide variety of cultures and environments, different dialects and languages, and population movement greatly influenced music over a period of time.

The African Beats:-

African songs can be solos, duets or choruses, and the most basic type of songs is ‘call and response’. In call and response type of songs a lead singer sings a line (the call), which is answered by a chorus (the response). African singers use a wide variety of sounds. The melodies are short, repeated over and over, also include whistles and yodels which is peculiar to African style of music. Soloist often improvises new melodies while the chorus continuous with the original melody creating a polyphonic structure. Rhythmic and percussive sounds are highly accentuated. Another important feature of this type of music is body percussion, such as hand clapping, foot stamping and dance.

Africa has a great influence on world music today. Almost all popular music genres ranging from Rock and Roll, Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, Salsa – African music has traces in all kinds of music. Musical instruments have always been universal components of human culture. Drums are the most iconic instruments of Africa and have been an integral part of African life for countless generations. Drums are inseparable from African culture and are played to communicate, celebrate, mourn and inspire. While there are a wide variety of drums used in Africa, some of the popular drums are Djembe, the dundun (the talking drum), bougarabou, sabar etc. Other than these ever-popular drums, there are many other well-known music instruments like xylophone, slit gongs, the mbira, rattles and shakers, many of which are crafted from natural materials using age-old methods. There are many prominent African musicians whose mastery of these musical instruments have won them many laurels and are appreciated on and off the continent.

A Blend of African and World Music:-

It is widely accepted that African music has undergone significant changes throughout the centuries. In today’s world, African music has evolved further and new music genres have emerged throughout the continent. Almost all of the popular music genres of the world have influenced the music of this land and vice-versa. Many innovative artists and musicians have successfully blended the world-favourite music genres with the traditional music of the region.

Music - A Universal Language:-

Music is a universal language that transcends all boundaries. There is no better way to communicate across cultural and linguistic barriers other than a soulful music. And today, especially in the era of digital music, African music is touching the hearts of millions of people worldwide. Mdundo is one such platform bringing the best of African music and globally renowned artists to the music lovers around the world. It is Africa’s leading mobile-web service providing streaming service and free music downloads. From big metropolitan cities to the remote villages, dry deserts to wet rainforests, snowy mountains to sandy beaches-wherever you are from, come and explore Mdundo for some truly unique African music!