Afro-soul
Afro-soul is a genre of music that blends elements of soul music with African rhythms and instrumentation.[1] It combines emotive vocal styles and lyrical themes characteristic of soul with traditional African musical elements, including indigenous rhythms, percussion instruments such as drums and shakers, and local languages or dialects.
While artists such as South African singer Miriam Makeba helped popularize soul-influenced African music in the 1950s and 1960s, the term "Afro-soul" has been more commonly used in later decades to describe a range of contemporary artists across Africa. The genre has since grown in popularity across the continent and internationally, often overlapping with styles like Afrobeat, neo-soul, and R&B.
| Afro-soul | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Typical instruments | |
| Derivative forms | Afro-pop[citation needed] |
| Local scenes | |
Notable musicians
[edit]- Brymo, Nigerian singer[2]
- Miriam Makeba,[3] a Grammy Award-winning South African singer and civil rights activist[4]
- Zahara, South African singer[5]
- Efya, Ghanaian singer
- Amanda Black,[6] multi award-winning songstress from South Africa
- Simphiwe Dana,[7] praised as "the best thing to happen to Afro-soul music since Miriam Makeba"[3]
- Nathi Mankayi[8]
- Libianca, Cameroonian-American singer[9]
- Lira (singer)[10]
- Muma Gee, Nigerian singer
- Scelo Gowane, South African singer
- Siphokazi, a South African artist[11]
- Les Nubians, the French born sisters who are Afropean music singers[12]
- The Budos Band[13]
- K'naan[citation needed]
- Ginger Johnson[citation needed]
- Doug Kazé, Nigerian singer-songwriter[14]
- Manu Dibango, from Cameroon[citation needed]
- Nomfusi, South African artist[15]
- Lekan Babalola[citation needed]
- Grace Matata, Tanzanian afro-soul singer[16]
- Kumbie, Zimbabwean Singer/Songwriter
- Joe Nina,South Africa
Singer/Songwriter
References
[edit]- ^ "AfroSoul Music Genre History and Style Description| African Music Library". africanmusiclibrary.org. Retrieved 2025-07-19.
- ^ "Annotations on Brymo's "Yellow' – Dami Ajayi". The Lagos Review. 12 April 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ a b Robin Denselow (May 17, 2007). "Simphiwe Dana, Zandisile". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 3, 2014. Retrieved Feb 2, 2015.
- ^ "Miriam Makeba". sahistory.org.za. Retrieved Feb 2, 2015.
- ^ Alex Rigotti (12 December 2023). "Afro-soul icon Zahara has died, age 36". NME. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "Amanda Black: Music lives in me and takes over when I perform". Retrieved 2018-02-26.
- ^ "ListeningTo: Renowned South African Afro-soul singer Simphiwe Dana". 98.4 Capital FM. Oct 28, 2014. Retrieved Feb 2, 2015.
- ^ Nontsele, Chuma (12 October 2023). "Pollsmoor Prison Blues — Afro-soul singer and former convict Nathi Mankayi gives inmates a boost". Daily Maverick. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ Mankaprr Conteh (January 20, 2023). "Libianca Is the Afro Soul Siren Who Can Do Everything". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "For artist Lira, South Africa is all Soul". NPR. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ "Siphokazi with her golden voice". Music Industry Online. Jul 1, 2009. Archived from the original on 2015-02-02. Retrieved Feb 2, 2015.
- ^ "New world news". CMJ New Music Report. Jun 21, 1999. p. 38. Retrieved Feb 2, 2015.
- ^ Blistein, John (12 February 2019). "Budos Band Preview New Album With Rumbling 'Old Engine Oil'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ "Success for me aren't the toys and awards - Kaze". February 11, 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-13 – via PressReader.
- ^ "Nomfusi (South Africa)". music.org.za. Retrieved Feb 2, 2015.
- ^ Matata, Grace (8 January 2020). "Learning And Relearning What Love Is Over Time". TEDx. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
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