About African popular music
African popular music is a music genre. It is usually classed as a form of music of Africa and popular music.
Among the best-known names in the style are Miriam Makeba, Salif Keita, Brenda Fassie, Ayra Starr, Yemi Alade and Davido.
African popular music has given rise to 2 subgenres on this site, such as Bolojo and Kidandali.
From Wikipedia
African popular music (also styled Afropop, Afro-pop, Afro pop or African pop) can be defined as any African music, regardless of genre, that uses Western pop musical instruments, such as the guitar, piano, trumpet, etc. Afropop is a genre of music that combines elements from both African traditional music with Western pop music, characterized by the use of African rhythms and melodies, as well as western instrumentation and production techniques. Like African traditional music, Afropop is vast and varied. Most contemporary genres of western popular music build on cross-pollination with traditional African American and African popular music. Many genres in popular music of rock, metal, pop, blues, jazz, salsa, zouk, and rumba derive, of varying degrees, musical traditions from Africa cultured to the Americas, by enslaved Africans. These rhythms and sounds have subsequently been adapted by newer genres like hip-hop, and R&B. Likewise, African popular music have adopted Western music industry recording studio techniques. The term does not refer to a specific style or sound but is used as a general term for African popular music.
Genre family tree
Parent genres (↑) and subgenres (↓) of African popular music.
Key artists
- Miriam Makeba
- Salif Keita
- Brenda Fassie
- Ayra Starr
- Yemi Alade
- Davido
- Amadou & Mariam
- Mohombi
Related genres
Frequently asked questions
What is African popular music?
African popular music is a music genre. It is usually classed as a form of music of Africa and popular music.
Who are famous African popular music artists?
Miriam Makeba, Salif Keita, Brenda Fassie, Ayra Starr, Yemi Alade and Davido.