Sub-Saharan Africa Honors Black Music
This year, in honor of Black Music Month, we’re exploring the undeniable impact of Black music and musicians around the world. African music is as diverse as the topography of the land itself and comprises literally thousands of different styles of music. Africa has, over many decades, hugely contributed to music-making in many other areas of the world too, most significantly in genres including jazz, rock ’n’ roll, blues, salsa, and samba. From West African Afrobeat and highlife to the rumba sounds of Central Africa to the modern sounds of Afropop which have gone mainstream with the likes of Beyoncé paying homage to the genre, the music from the continent is some of the most influential in the world. This collection of songs marks some of the biggest artists and most promising acts the continent has seen, with tracks including Nigerian legend Wizkid and rising singer Tems’ “Essence,” a beautiful fusion of Afrobeats and R&B; Yaw Tog’s “Sore” remix, which highlights Ghana’s take on the drill music scene; and “Doudou” by Aya Nakamura, the French Malian artist whose R&B style is influenced by sounds all over Africa. Dive into our Black Music Month playlist, and if you hear something you like, save it to your library.