African Music and Poetry

Africa is the oldest continent in the world. Scientists believe that every civilization originated from Africa, which means that music came from there as well. As such, Africa has a very rich musical history, which is also very diverse. Each region has its own unique sounds just like each African tribe has its own language. African poetry is also distinctive. Just like music, it has a detailed history and it’s unique from region to region. Here is more information about African music and poetry.

Poetry

• Black Poetry: Dedicated to African-American poetry with information about the history of African poetry.
• Francophone African Poetry: Discusses Francophone African poetry, one of the most well-known types of poetry.
• Ingrid de Kok: A biography of one of South Africa’s most famous poets.
• Poems for African Children: A few African poems for children.
• Analysis of Poems of Black Africa: Essay that examines African poems.
• African Poems: A listing of African poems.
• African Praise Poems: A listing of common African praise poems.

Music

• African Music and Dance: Provides information pertaining to African music with pictures.
• Styles of Music: Defines the different styles of African music.
• African Music: A look at different types of African music.
• Influence of Africa: A discussion of how African music has influenced other music styles.
• The Reach of African Music: Another page that discusses the impact of African music styles.
• African Instruments: A look at African instruments by type. 

Regions of Africa

• West African Music: A compilation of links to other sites with information about West African music.
• Explore the Regions: Provides details on different regions of Africa.
• African Music Diversity: Explains the diversity of African music in different areas.
• Resources: A list of links to other sites relating to regional African music.
• North Africa: Discusses different aspects of North African culture.
• The World of South African Music: Provides information on the music in South Africa.

History and General Information

• Benin: Discusses the musical history of the kingdom of Benin.