An Africanized form of brass band music and calypso influenced by Caribbean rhythms and Caribbean songs - the earliest example of what we now call ‘High-life'

Adaha

A South African genre that take its major influence from traditional Dutch music as well as German and French music.

Afrikaans Music

Afro House, a sub-genre of House music, originated primarily in South Africa. It fuses elements of Kwaito, Tribal, Deep, and Soulful House. While in South Africa it's sometimes categorized under Deep House or Soulful House, it possesses a distinctive and unique sound on its own.

Afro House

African pop music that was developed in Nigeria and Ghana. Its major variation is the Pon Pon sound.

Afro Pop

A music genre that is a fusion between soul music and African sound

AfroSoul

Afrobeat was created by Nigerian superstar Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in 1963. The genre will not become popular until his recordings in the 1970s when Afrobeat became popular in Nigeria and the rest of the world. By the ‘80s, his genre became well established, and he became revered for his musical ingenuity and political activism. Afrobeat is primarily rooted in Highlife, synthesized with African American musical forms like funk (particularly that of James Brown) and Jazz.

Afrobeat

Afrobeats music is characterized by melodic hooks that blend pop, hip-hop, and dancehall with traditional African music. Melodies frequently have resonant hooks and promote a positive, energizing environment. Incorporating African traditions with contemporary sounds, afrobeats is continuously evolving and influencing the global music scene.

Afrobeats

A popular Nigerian Genre that was invented by Shina Peters. It combines elements from Afrobeat and Juju music.

Afrojuju

A genre that fuses the historic griot tradition, traditional Gambian music tradition with modern influences.

Afromanding

A Yoruba folk music that takes its name from its predominant instrument, Agidigbo

Agidigbo Music

Al-Bayda music is a genre of music from Mauritania, a country located at the crossroads of North and West Africa. It is one of three major distinct music styles of Mauritania, the other two being Al-Kahla and l'-gnaydiya. Al-Bayda is commonly known as the "white way" because of its delicate and refined sounds, which are in contrast to the more roots-based and masculine sounds of Al-Kahla (the Black way) and l'-gnaydiya (The mixed).

Al-Bayda Music

Alté is known for fusing genres such as R&B, hip-hop, Afrobeat, electronic, and indie influences. It values experimentation and pushes the boundaries of traditional Nigerian music by incorporating elements of alternative pop, lo-fi aesthetics, and distinctive sonic textures.

Alté

A variant of South African house music with sophisticated percussion rhythm and high-pitched piano melodies.

Amapiano

Apala is a socio-religious music style that takes root in Yoruba philosophy and poetry.
Apart from Haruna Ishola who popularized this Yoruba genre of music in the 70’s, Ayinla Omowura made the genre acceptable to the public by loading his lyrics with instructive messages. As a result, Apala became the toast of everyday people— commercial drivers, meat sellers, motor mechanics, etc.

Apala

Arewa music, found among the Hausa people in Nigeria, is characterized by a unique and distinct sound that has been shaped by a rich history and diverse influences. The Arewa music genre draws its roots from traditional Hausa music which were performed during various cultural and social events in the region. These traditional music styles heavily influenced the development of Arewa music and is largely rooted in the Hausa cultural heritage and Islamic traditions.

Arewa

A Cameroonian genre that combines the voice of a vocalist with a guitar accompaniment and a percussionist playing the Assiko rhythm on a bottle with metal. The bottle is an essential element in the Assiko music genre. Assiko music performers use bottles as a creative and expressive tool to add depth and complexity to their music and to help convey the emotions and sentiments of the song.

Assiko

Azonto is a variation of electronic dance music combining African elements with dance music like Tecno music. It is also a dance style.  The music genre originates from the Azonto dance that involves imitating everyday events and activities, washing, driving, boxing, grooming, praying, swimming, etc. using basic knee bending and hip movements. The spread of Azonto was helped by the presence of a large Ghanaian diaspora all over the world and the popularity of social media platforms like YouTube.

Azonto

Baladi can simply be put as the folk solo dance of Egyptian women.

Baladi

A polyrhythmic dance genre of the Cape Verdean people that uses the Call & Response style. It is also the oldest documented musical tradition of the Cape Verdean people.

Batuque

Benga is Kenyan music with intricate bouncy finger-picking guitar technique and a fast-paced rhythmic beat, becoming the defining sound of Kenya during the 60s to the 80s, Benga was born in Western Kenya out of experimentation with traditional Luo songs using the guitar instead of the traditional nyatiti and orutu.

Benga

A Cameroonian genre that was developed from the traditional style of the Beti or Ewondo people.

Bikutsi

Bongo Flava is the popular Tanzanian music. It is a fusion of American Hip-Hop and traditional Tanzanian music styles like Taarab and Dansi. Also, Modern Bongo Flava has heavy Afrobeats influences.

Bongoflava

Also known as Kapuka, is a Kenyan genre that incorporates hip-hop, reggae, and African traditional styles. It is mostly sung in Swahili and Sheng.

Boomba Music

Bubblegum music , a distinct pop genre from South Africa is  characterized by a fusion of vocals, electronic keyboards, and synthesizers, this genre aimed to resonate with urbanized South African youth, featuring lively beats conducive to dancing. Amidst the cultural landscape of black South Africa during the '80s, bridging the gap between the American-influenced jazz and funk of the '70s and the dominance of Kwaito and house music in the '90s, Bubblegum emerged as a local pop phenomenon.

Bubblegum Music

A variant of highlife music that combines highlife with German Funk and Disco style.

Burger Highlife

A Jazz genre that originates from the southern part of Africa, the name being a reference to the South African Capital, Cape Town.

Cape Jazz

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Chaabi

Chimurenga is an essential component of Zimbabwe's cultural heritage; it first appeared there during the country's struggle for independence in the 1960s and 1970s.  Chimurenga's powerful lyrics and upbeat melodies allowed people to express social and political issues during a time of struggle, and it has done so in Zimbabwe ever since independence.

Chimurenga

The coladeira is a music genre from Cape Verde an up-tempo variant of Morna.

Coladeira

Congolese Rumba is a popular music genre that developed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo around the mid-twentieth century. It has a slow to moderate speed and combines elements of swing, blues, and African traditional music.

The origins of Cuban Rumba may be traced back to Congo and the African rhythms carried over by slaves to Havana, Cuba.

Congolese Rumba

Coptic music is a rich tradition popular among the descendants of pre-Islamic era of Christians in Egypt. Coptic music is a form of Christian liturgical music or chant associated with the Coptic Orthodox Church, which has deep historical roots in Egypt. Coptic is a Greek word used in referring to Egyptians.

Coptic Music

Coupe Decale is a music genre and dance style that originated in West Africa, particularly in Ivory Coast. It is a fusion of Ndombolo and pop. It is characterized by its high-energy, high-tempo sound and fast-paced dance moves. It is often accompanied by a call-and-response vocal style with lyrics that are both playful and often humorous. It has become popular in African and African-diasporic communities around the world, and it is often used in celebrations and parties.

Coupe Decale

Dancehall,a popular Jamaica genre, was created in the 1970s. Initially, it was a more sparse version of reggae. Dancehall in Africa is a big deal, with artists blending the genre with their local cultures, language and local music style.

Dancehall

Disco is a music genre that materialized from the discotheque urban culture of the 1970s United States of America. Disco is characterized by simple, repetitive, and predictable rhythms that leave the listener in a dancing mood - hence its popularity with the DJs of the discotheque scene. Key instrumentation features include four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, horns, electric piano, synthesizers, and electric rhythm guitars. In Disco, the instrumentation is often overlayed with repetitive and easy-to-sing-along vocals.

Disco

A combination of Fante percussion and seperewa music with the melodies and finger plucking style of the Kru people.

Fante Osibisaaba

Fuji music is one of the many traditional music genres developed by the Yoruba people of Nigeria. In most Fuji songs, the lead singer sings in an Arabic melismatic style while the backup singers respond in the typical call-and-response fashion common to many African music genres. The rapid polyphonic drumming pattern that is head in most Fuji songs sets it apart from similar genres like Apala and Juju.

Fuji

Funana music is a lively-upbeat popular music genre from Cape Verde, a group of islands off the coast of West Africa. It originated in the mid-20th century and has become an integral part of Cape Verdean culture. The contagious beats, vibrant melodies, and vivacious dance styles that makeup Funaná are its distinguishing features.

Funana

A variation of dancehall music that originates from Nigeria

Galala

Gbema

Genge music, meaning "a group or a mass of people" is a fusion of Kenyan hip hop, dancehall, and African rhythms. Sung in a Swahili slang called Sheng, which was developed by the city's youth and influenced by many local languages.

Genge

Gharnati music traces its roots to the Arab-Andalusian tradition, a vibrant and sophisticated musical style that emerged in the Iberian Peninsula during the Islamic Golden Age. The flourishing of Arab-Andalusian culture in Al-Andalus (Muslim-ruled Spain) during the 9th to 15th centuries served as the crucible for the birth of this exquisite musical form. However, the eventual fall of Al-Andalus in 1492 marked the beginning of a diaspora that spread Arab-Andalusian culture, including its music, across the Mediterranean and North Africa.

Gharnati Music

Gnawa music is a traditional music from Morocco that has its roots in the ancient spiritual and religious practices of the Gnawa people, a group of West Africans brought over as slaves during the 17th and 18th centuries. The use of the guembri, a three-stringed bass instrument, and the qraqeb, metal castanets characterizes the music. The music is typically accompanied by singing. Gnawa has a strong trance-inducing quality. It is a powerful tool for spiritual healing and divine communication.

Gnawa

South African dance music and a variant of house music without the four-on-the-floor rhythm pattern of an electronic dance music. Gqom is known for its beats which have a minimal, raw and repetitive sound with heavy bass.

Gqom

Gumbe, also known as goombay or gumbay, is a distinctive West African musical tradition with roots in countries such as Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau. Its origins trace back to the Sierra Leone Krio community, who inherited it from their Jamaican Maroon ancestors. Gumbe music is characterized by its use of drums, singing, and dancing. It is often performed at social events such as weddings.

Gumbe Music

Heavy Metal

Highlife is a soft and danceable music genre that was created in Ghana. Highlife derives form from Akan traditional music. The use of Western instruments common to the broader Jazz genre gives Highlife a Jazz texture. Indeed, Highlife is a more colorful variant of Jazz. Highlife inspired other genres such as Igbo-highlife, found in Eastern Nigeria, and Bugger-Highlife. Elements of Highlife are also active in Southern African genres like Sungura.

Highlife

HipCo music is a genre of hip hop from Liberia with its stylistic origin from Hip pop, a popular American rap music genre

Hipco

Ghanaian musical style that fuses Ghanaian cultures and hip hop. Recorded predominantly in the Ghanaian Akan language.

Hiplife

A variant of highlife music that infuses Igbo tradition into highlife. A captivating genre that started in the southeastern region of Nigeria. It blends highlife music with a streamlined brass section and Igbo traditional music. The lyrics are sung mostly in the Igbo language with some Pidgin English.

Igbo Highlife

A variant of hip-hop music that infuses Igbo tradition into hip-hop

Igbo Rap

Inkiranya is a popular Ghanaian music genre that blends elements of highlife, hiplife, and reggae, creating a unique sound. It's characterized by its upbeat tempo, catchy melodies, and danceable rhythms. The name "Inkiranya" is derived from the Akan language and means "to be happy" or "to rejoice."

Inkiranya songs typically have a fast-paced tempo that encourages dancing, with memorable and easily recognizable melodies, danceable rhythms that are both energetic and infectious, and positive themes.

Inkiranya

An acapella genre of music sung by an all male South African choir

Isicathamiya

A popular Zimbabwean dance music that features a swift rhythm played on drums and is accompanied by a guitar. It is an electric guitar-driven pop.

A dance music that combines Yoruba percussions with Funk and Reggae, performed mostly in the Yoruba dialect. It is distinguished by the singing of religious and cultural lyrics and the usage of percussion instruments, such as the talking drum. The genre has developed through time to include jazz and Western pop influences. Nigeria and the rest of the African diaspora both appreciate juju music, which is one of the most well-known genres of African music.

Juju

A form of Ugandan music that evolved from Ugandan traditional music, Baganda Music. 'Kadongo Kamu' in itself, means 'One Little Guitar'

Kadongo Kamu

A genre of hip-hop music derived from Boomba music, but replaces reggae with dance-pop, synth-pop and electronic music.

Kapuka Rap

Otherwise known as Qaswidah Music is enjoyed all over Zanzibar with its origins in the Arabian peninsula.

Kaswida

A combination of Kadongo Kamu, Reggaeton and Soukous. Initially classified as Band Music before the evolution of digital production gears, which removed the 'Band' element from the genre and saw solo musicians take the mantle to push the genre.

Kidandali

Kizomba is a popular style of Angolan dance and music that emerged in the early 1990s and has become known for its sensual flow and mix of African and Latin rhythms. 

Although the dance has existed since the 1980s, it wasn’t until Eduardo Paim that the genre emerged as a slowed version of semba and zouk songs.

Kizomba

Described as a “poor man’s version of adaha brass band music”, it surfaced in villages where people could not afford the expensive, imported brass band instruments.

Konkoma

Kora music is a traditional music genre from West Africa, specifically from Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. It is called after the kora, the principal instrument utilized in this genre. The kora is a stringed instrument that resembles a huge harp or lute and is essential to Kora music's tone and performance.

Kora

A variation of House music that combines House, electronic, and traditional carnival music with Angolan cultures.

Kuduro

Kwaito is an electronic music genre that first appeared in Soweto in the 1990s. It combines Western electronic house music and hip hop with African drum loops, samples, and vocals to produce a sound that is both alluring and culturally diverse. Kwaito's popularity has grown exponentially over the years, earning global recognition and leaving an indelible mark on the music scene.

Kwaito

A variant of Soukous that is shorter and a little bit faster. Unlike Soukous, it allows guitar solos after each verse instead of waiting till the end.

Kwassa Kwassa

Kwela, a lively South African urban dance genre, originally referred to Zulu choral responses. It later evolved into street band music featuring pennywhistles at township dances. By the 1950s, it incorporated guitars and a string bass, expanding to include North American swing music. Renowned kwela artists like “Spokes” Mashiyane and Lemmy (“Special”) Mabaso emerged, and the style spread to Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi

Kwela Music

Libyan Reggae music is a distinctive blend of traditional North African melodies and the rhythmic heartbeat of reggae. This unique fusion mirrors the rich cultural tapestry of Libya, producing soulful and thought-provoking tracks. Often carrying messages of unity, social justice, and optimism, Libyan Reggae serves as a powerful medium for artistic expression, reflecting the country's cultural diversity and delivering a message of hope and harmony to its listeners.

Libyan Reggae Music

An Egyptian electronic dance music. Its is the combination of Shaabi music with Electronic music and hip hop.

Mahraganat

Majika

A genre very similar to Soukous with a slight difference. In Makossa, there are more prominent use of brass instrument and a call and response performance style.

Makossa

Maluf music is a genre of music that originated in region of North Africa around Libya, Tunisia & Algeria. It is characterized by its complex rhythms and melodies, as well as its use of traditional instruments such as the oud, the derbouka, and the bendir.
fMaluf music can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire, when it was introduced to Algeria by Turkish musicians.

Maluf Music

Marabi music typically features a piano as the lead instrument, accompanied by percussion instruments such as drums, shakers, and a bass guitar. It is a fusion of traditional African rhythms and melodies with American jazz and ragtime music. The piano playing style in marabi is often characterized by a syncopated rhythm and the use of repetitive, hypnotic patterns.

Marabi

Marrabenta, a renowned Mozambican dance music genre, melds indigenous Mozambican rhythms with elements of Portuguese folk music. Originating in Maputo during the 1930s and 1940s, this vibrant musical form emerged during Mozambique's colonial era and continues to thrive in contemporary culture.

Marrabenta Music

A popular dance music of Sengal and Gambia. Mbalax is a brilliant fusion of traditional griot praise songs and sabar rhythms with modern Western elements.

Mbalax

The term "mbaqanga" loosely translates to "scattered food" in Zulu, and refers to a dish made of various ingredients. This name reflects the wide range of musical elements that comprise the genre. The genre is a South African music style that emerged in the 1960s. Traditional Zulu rhythms and harmonies are blended with Western instruments and influences such as jazz and R&B. Mbaqanga originated in Johannesburg's townships and quickly spread throughout the country.

Mbaqanga

A South African acapella music genre, characterized by loud and powerful capella four-part harmony. The genre is performed  by male groups, and gained international recognition thanks to Solomon Linda, who created both the genre and its namesake song, "Mbube."

Mbube

Morna is a slow dance music that is considered to be the national music of Cape Verde due to its strong association with Cape Verdean identity.

 Morna songs are traditionally about cruel fate, lost love, or blues carried by melancholic guitars and violins. 

Morna's vocals are typically quiet and sensitive, with the main vocalist delivering the words in a very expressive manner.

Morna

A variant of Soukous. It is a slower and more structured version of soukous with a more structured dance step.

Ndombolo

Nigerian Reggae

A Kenyan music style that is influenced by local hip-hop sound, combining it with reggae and dancehall.

Odi Pop

A style of Igbo music that originates from the Ohuhu people of Igbo.

Odumodu

A style of Igbo music that takes its name of its center instrument, the Ogene. The Ogene, on the other hand, is the most important metal instrument of the Igbo people and it has a lot of cultural attachments and is used in both musical and non-musical form amongst the Igbo people.

Ogene

A dance music that combines Liberian local melodies and rhythm with Calypso music. It was originated from the Kru people of Liberia.

Palmwine Music

Pandza is a popular Mozambican music genre born in the 2000s, blending traditional marrabenta with ragga, kwaito, and hip hop. Sung in Portuguese and Shangana, it celebrates youthful energy with relatable lyrics about daily life, and a danceable rhythm that captures the heart of Mozambique’s modern culture.

Pandza

Rababah music is a traditional genre of music from Egypt that is characterized by its use of the rababah, a bowed string instrument. The rababah is a long-necked lute with three strings, and it is played by drawing a bow across the strings. The music is often accompanied by drums and other percussion instruments.
The origins of rababah music are not entirely clear, but it is thought to have developed in the early centuries of Islam.

Rababa

Raglife is a Ghanaian musical genre that blends elements of hiplife, Ghanaian hip hop, highlife, and reggae. It is characterized by its rhythmic dancehall beats, rap vocals, and soulful melodies. The genre was popularized in the early 2000s by artists like Abrewa Nana, 4nky Boy, Waxy Buky, Stonebwoy, and Samini. While its popularity has declined in recent years, raglife continues to be a significant part of Ghanaian music culture.

Raglife

Raï is an Algerian music genre that combines traditional folk sounds with modern elements. Emerging in the 1920s in the city of Oran, Raï was initially a raw expression of urban hardship and rebellion, combining regional music style with Western instruments like guitars and synthesizers.

Rai music is a genre of music that originated in Algeria. It is characterized by its use of traditional Algerian instruments, such as the derbouka, gasba, and oud, as well as its fast tempo and often improvisational nature. Rai cmusic often deals with social and political issues, and has been a powerful tool for expression and resistance in Algeria.
This music  is believed to have developed in the 19th century in the port city of Oran.

Rai Music

Reggae’s origins can be traced back to Ska and Rocksteady, two popular Jamaican music styles before reggae's advent. Emerging in the 1960s, popular Jamaican artists began to switch from rocksteady musicians to Reggae musicians.  

Early reggae songs touched on romance and women, but by the 70s, the genre began touching on more spiritual and political themes due to its association with the Rastafari movement.

Reggae

This is a variant of Boomba music that infuses more reggae (i.e a dominant reggae bassline). The lyrics are more sensual and explicit.

Riftsyde Flava

Sakara is a genre of music that evolved from West African singing styles and Islamic practices amongst the Yoruba Muslims of South West Nigeria. The genre’s name was gotten from the Sakara drum, one of the genre’s primary instruments, and is often used to refer to a dance. Plaintive and melancholic with philosophical lyrics, Sakara evolved in the 1920s and was led by singers like Yusuf Olatunji and Sanusi Aka.

Sakara

The popular musical style of the Malagasy people that takes influence from their folk style of music.

Salegy

Is a variation of Sega music, infusing reggae into the genre

Seegae

Sega is a polymorphous performing art form – dance, music, rhythms, story-telling, and song in the Creole language – rooted in the creative practices of African and Malagasy people who either were enslaved under French colonialism on the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius or came after the abolition of slavery. 

Sega refers to the indigenized or Africanized songs and dances performed by enslaved Africans in the French colony of Mauritius in the eighteenth century.

Sega

Semba is both a genre of music and dance, and is a distinctive and unique style of music and dance that originated and was created in Angola by Angolans. The genre gave rise to a variety of music styles that originated from Angola like Kizomba and Kuduro.

Semba

Shaabi is used as a broad term for something that isn't extremely complex because the word Shaab meaning "people," refers to something that comes from the people. 

 The popular Baladi music that was prevalent in Egypt from the 1920s through the 1940s served as the inspiration for the genre. Shaabi started to develop and take shape in the 1970s.

 It is a genre that evolved from Cario's streets and depicts lower-class Egyptians' tribulations and way of life.

Shaabi

Shangaan Electro is a fast-paced South African music genre blending Tsonga Disco, Kwaito, and electronic beats. Created by Nozinja, it features high tempos (up to 190 BPM), vibrant rhythms, and innovative production, becoming an energetic icon of Afro-futurism.

Shangaan Electro

Singeli, also referred to as Sengeli, is a Tanzanian musical genre that first emerged in the mid-2000s within the Mtogole neighborhood of the Tandale ward in Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam Region, with its roots attributed to the Zaramo community.  This distinctive music style gained significant momentum from the late 2010s, extending its influence throughout Tanzania, and by 2020, it began to resonate beyond, encompassing the Great Lakes region.

Singeli Music

Soukous is a popular dance music from Central and East Africa. It is characterized by a strong, syncopated rhythm guitar, polyrhythmic percussion, and a smooth, sensual feel. Soukous typically features electric guitar improvisation, lively vocal harmonies, and intricate horn sections. Common instrumentation includes drums, bass, guitar, accordion, and saxophone. Soukous is a great choice for dancing, parties, and social gatherings of all kinds.

Soukous

Stambeli music, rooted in Tunisia's cultural tapestry, is a captivating fusion of North African, Sub-Saharan, and spiritual elements. This unique genre emerged from the historical connections between enslaved Africans and local traditions. Marked by rhythmic drumming, soulful chants, and trance-inducing melodies, Stambeli serves as a powerful celebration of spirituality and communal bonding. Its dynamic rhythms and evocative vocals create an immersive experience, reflecting both ancestral heritage and contemporary Tunisian identity.

Stambeli Music

Sudanese jazz, a captivating fusion of traditional Sudanese music and Western jazz elements, has a rich history that dates back to the mid-20th century. Emerging from the vibrant cultural exchange at the crossroads of Africa and the Middle East, Sudanese jazz incorporated indigenous rhythms, melodies, and instruments with improvisational jazz techniques. Pioneering artists like Sharhabil Ahmed and Ibrahim El Kashif played pivotal roles in shaping this unique musical genre, reflecting Sudan's diverse heritage.