Does the duration of a song matter?By Josplay | 4/27/2026 | GenresIn African music, duration is often tied to function. Call-and-response is not just a technique. It is participation. The lead sings or chants, the chorus responds, and the audience joins.
Yoruba Migration, War, And Language Development In West AfricaBy Josplay | 4/24/2026 | PeopleHow the collapse of the Oyo Empire and the wars of the nineteenth century scattered Yoruba speakers across West Africa and permanently altered how they speak, drum, and worship.
Gatekeeping African MusicBy Josplay | 4/22/2026 | GeneralGatekeeping doesn’t protect African music. Documentation does. Credit does. Let the sound travel.
Hidden Voices: African Women Who Shaped Jazz And BluesBy Josplay | 4/15/2026 | PeopleBefore jazz had a name, African women were already creating music through ritual, community, and survival. History handed us Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, but it quietly buried the women whose rhythms, voices, and traditions formed the very soul of the music we call jazz. This is the story history forgot to tell — and the one we can no longer afford to ignore.
FROM RESONANCE TO ELECTRICITY: Reimagining Traditional Instruments in the Modern AgeBy Josplay | 4/13/2026 | InstrumentTraditional musical instruments have always been more than just tools for making sound, they are vital important parts of culture, identity, and history of a people... They carried stories and sounds from one generation to the next.
The Music That Makes the PartyBy Josplay | 3/20/2026 | GeneralAt an African party, the music is never background. From juju and fuji to highlife, these sounds organize the room—guiding when people dance, honor elders, spray money, and remember where they come from
Transforming Lives through Music EducationBy Josplay | 3/18/2026 | FosterThe Foster initiative by African Music Library is not just another program or music education. It is not a rehearsal for a performance, but the slower, less visible rehearsal for life for these pupils.
The Bridge Between African Music and FashionBy Josplay | 3/12/2026 | GeneralAcross Africa, music and clothing have always worked together as powerful cultural languages. From sacred ceremonies to global music stages, rhythm and cloth continue to express identity, heritage, and creativity across the continent.
Celebrating African Women in MusicBy Josplay | 3/9/2026 | GeneralFrom Bikutsi gatherings in Cameroon to the global stages of today’s Afrobeats stars, African women have shaped the sound and story of the music of the continent. This International Women Day, the African Music Library celebrates their enduring influence.
Ogene Music: The Sound of Igbo HeritageBy Josplay | 3/6/2026 | InstrumentOgene is backed up by some other instruments, Ichaka, Oyo, Olu, Oja, Udu, and Takuro or Mpokoro. The lead instrument is determined by which eastern part it is played
Cameroon, Where Language Shapes the RhythmBy Josplay | 3/4/2026 | PeopleCameroon is a country divided by language and held together by sound. English and French mark its geography, but it is the balafon, the hoddu, and the insistent roll of bikutsi that mark its people. But how does its two tongues influence the music?
When Mother Tongue Shapes the Nigerian SoundBy Josplay | 2/27/2026 | GeneralWhy do Nigerian artists instinctively switch between English and indigenous languages mid-song? From Afrobeats to gospel, the blend feels effortless yet intentional. Is it tonal instinct, cultural identity, or commercial strategy at play? This week, we explore how language does not just carry lyrics in Nigerian music — it shapes melody, authenticity and market reach.
Josplay awards $1,000 in artist development grants to emerging African actsBy Josplay | 2/23/2026 | Company NewsThe initiative highlights the commitment of Josplay to empowering emerging African musicians through structured funding and platform visibility.
Do You need to Learn Music Theory to Excel in Music?By Josplay | 2/18/2026 | GeneralDo you need music theory to excel in music? From Fela Kuti taking classical training at Trinity College to Salif Keita teaching himself in secret, the stories of the greatest African musicians suggest that theory is a tool — not a requirement. The real question is not whether to learn it, but when it becomes useful.
