African music is very diverse and unique and the traditional music of Africa has a distinct “call and response” type of vocal music. This means there is a “lead singer” who sings a particular phrase and this is followed by repetition of this phrase by a group of singers performing too.

Drums alone are so diverse in nature that it can be mind boggling.

Each region of Africa has specific kinds of drums; there are water drums in Western and Central Africa, talking drums are seen in West Africa and Ngoma drums in South Africa.

In North Africa, Folk music abounds despite frequent condemnation and suppression from governments and exists in multiple forms across the region—the Berbers, Sephardic Jews, Tuaregs and Nubians, for example, retain musical traditions with ancient roots.

African music genres range from Ghana’s highlife, Congo’s “Soukous”, “juju” music from Nigeria and “jit” from Zimbabwe to name a few.