African Music
May 26, 2008 by Jerry
Africa has contributed to and influenced many a popular western genre. There are several ways travelers to Africa are exposed to the sounds of Africa and often you don’t necessarily have to go clubbing to hear it because many are times when it will be all around you.
Music is likely to be your constant companion. Whether it be underground rap “genge” as it is Known in Kenya or “bongo flava” in Tanzania. Or even R&B blaring from public service vehicles popular with the locals or the rhythmical chanting and shaking of percussion instruments of street hawkers.
Clubbing is a great way to experience the latest local sounds. Nearly all cities in Africa have got great nightlife, especially in capital cities or coast towns and tourist areas.
Nairobi for example Kenya’s capital has a great night life followed closely by mombasa it’s coastal city.
If you fancy Rock and Soul then a great place to be while in Nairobi would be the Carnivore.
Popular music in Kenya and especially with the young is ‘genge’ which is a genre of hip hop music in sheng (a corrupted version of swahili popular with the youth) Genge music means music for the people. Genge in Swahili means a large crowd of people.
“Bongo Flava” is music from Tanzania. It is not a specific style or genre of music but represents a variety of music that have been created and are popular with the youth of Tanzania especially in Dar Es Salaam. It is a mixture of hip hop, R&B, Rap and Swahili music done in Swahili.
This song is Bongo Flava in this song young man expresses his love to a deaf girl.
Comments
Feel free to leave a comment...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!