afro-latin american music

African music

One of the most influential styles of music in the world, with highly energetic and rhythmically challenging beats that have influenced Contemporary America, Latin America, and European music.

Traditional Music of Africa

Functional in nature, used primarily in ceremonial rites and viewed as a form of entertainment in many traditional societies.

Afrobeat

Fusion of West African with Black American music.

Apala (Akpala)

Musical genre from Nigeria used to wake up worshippers after fasting during Ramadan.

Axe

Popular musical genre from Salvador, Bahia, and Brazil, fusing Afro-Caribbean styles.

Jit

Hard and fast percussive Zimbabwean dance music with guitar accompaniment.

Jive

Popular form of South African music featuring a lively and uninhibited variation of the jitterbug.

Juju

Popular music style from Nigeria relying on traditional Yoruba rhythms.

Kwassa Kwassa

Dance style from Zaire characterized by hip and arm movements.

Marabi

South African three-chord township music of the 1930s-1960s, characterized by simple chords and repetitive harmony.

African-American Music

Music deeply rooted in African culture, expressed through dances, religious practices, and everyday life stories.

African Drums

Considered the "heartbeat of the community" and used for communication, such as alarming tribes during war.

Rain Sticks

Believed to attract water during dry seasons.

Maracatu

Ceremony of the Coronation of the Black Kings in Recife, Brazil, representing African slaves to their masters.

Conversation "Call and Response"

Performance of voice interaction as an answer to the first chant.

Spirituals

Oral songs passed down through generations of slavery.

Dance

African dance with gestures communicating significant meanings.

Blues

Genre of African-American music originating from the deep south of the US.

Soul

Music combining rhythm and blues and gospel, popularized by African-Americans.

Gospel Music

Emerging from African-American churches, characterized by vocal harmony and joyful, upbeat songs.