The Africans

Who are these people?

Africa, the second-largest continent, is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the
Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. It is divided in half almost equally by the Equator. The
continent includes the islands of Cape Verde, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Comoros.

Africa’s physical geography, environment and resources, and human geography can be considered
separately.
Language
About 1.2 billion people live in Africa although about 2000 indigenous languages
exist, English, French or Arabic are spoken officially in many places. The most
widely spoken languages in Africa are:
Language
The Bantu language Swahili is spoken by about 150 million people in Central and Southern Africa in the Great Lakes region. The origin
of the word Swahili comes from Arabic and means coast. For the inhabitants along the coast from Somalia to Mozambique, Swahili is
the mother tongue.

More than 100 million Africans speak Arabic, illustrating the external influences that have shaped life on the continent for many
centuries. In Ethiopia, Niger, Senegal, and also in Tanzania, Arabic is spoken mainly on official occasions.

The French language came to the African continent with colonisation and now about 90 million people speak French in 26 countries.
The language is mostly spoken in Mauritius, Côte d'Ivoire, and Gabon.

Hausa, an Afro-African language, is taught in Nigeria and Niger alongside their respective official languages. About 80 million Africans
speak Hausa and in France, in Issoudun, there is a radio station broadcasting in Hausa. Hausa is playing a growing role in West
African regions, especially in trade and business, and the language is also taught at international universities.

30 million people in Africa speak Yoruba. It is spoken in everyday life especially in Nigeria, Togo and Benin, but also in Ghana, the Ivory
Coast, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Just as many people in Africa speak Oromo. Oromo is especially widespread in Kenya, Ethiopia,
Egypt, and Somalia.
Customs and festivals
African Tradition is expressed through many different art forms, such as music, dance, art, sculpture and beadwork.

These traditions are deeply ingrained into the whole African culture.

Oral tradition is very important in African culture, as it insures the passage of cultural practices from one generation
to another.

Listening is an equally important skill, which has been perfected by the traditional oral practices. Numerous songs
and dances have been transmitted by word of mouth.
Traditional African Mask
The African masks that are used in dances have religious, ceremonial and functional origins. The artist who carves
the mask will ceremonially purify himself and offer prayers to his ancestors for guidance before he begins the actual
carving of the mask.

The African mask represents a spirit and it is believed that the spirit possesses the dancer as they wear the mask.
The chosen dancer goes into a trance-like state in order to receive guidance and wisdom from the ancestors. The
dancer will utter and moan the messages received and a wise man, who accompanies the dancer will translate the
message.
Art
The Zulu people are well known for their intricate beadwork. The colour of each bead carries a specific meaning. The beads have been used to carry messages known as “ucu,” a Zulu
term loosely translated as “love letters”.

It is an African tradition for young girls to send a boy a beaded bracelet of different colours. The boy will court her for a while and at the appropriate time, he will ask her the meaning of
the beads.

Art sculpture are prevalent in African culture, and the most common themes depict a couple, a woman and child, a male with a weapon or animal, or a “stranger.”

Couples are usually freestanding figures of the same size, representing the importance of “two as one.” A male and female couple in African art usually depicts strength and honour
rather than love and intimacy, as it is uncommon for African men and women to publicly display their affection.

A mother and child couple can represent “mother earth” and her people or the strong bond between mother and child.

The male figure with a weapon or animal, represent honour to departed ancestors. African men are often honoured in warfare and there is a great emphasis on weaponry in African art,
as it depicts survival and power.

When the stranger is represented in African art, it usually depicts someone from a foreign country or tribe that is not welcomed.
Festivals
Ouidah Voodoo Festival
The complicated religion of Voodoo was born between Abomey and Ouidah in Benin. Today nearly 80% of the nation claim Voodoo
as their religion and the Feticheur of the country are potent and respected. The Temple of the Pythons in Ouidah is only small but is
one of the most revered places hosting a very powerful fetish. Here, the celebrations of the Festival of the Voodoo takes place in
January every year. The procession carries along the slave road and reaches the beach. Here they perform dances, trances, fetishes,
and sacrifices (usually chickens and also goats)in devotion to the Voodoo gods.
Festivals
Timkat
It is the biggest festival in Ethiopia with an origin that dates back over 1000 years. Visit Gondar, Lalibela and Addis Ababa in January
to see the biggest of the ceremonies and join in the vigorous dancing that commences soon after the official part of this African
celebration is complete.
Festivals
Lake of Stars Festival
A three-day event on the sandy shores of Lake Malawi, the feel-good Lake of Stars festival embraces African music and the arts. It is
a truly international festival with visitors from over 30 countries flocking the ‘warm heart of Africa’ to enjoy events, workshops,
theatre, acrobatics, and film screenings.
Religion
Christianity, islam and hinduism have very large following in Africa

.Africa is home to thousands of different ethnic groups. Each ethnic group has its own unique spiritual beliefs and practices. Traditional indigenous African religions are
lived religions, meaning they are not based on faith or a spiritual text. Instead, they center around rituals, traditions, and practices passed down via oral tradition.
Religion influences all aspects of daily life, such as diet, healthcare, work schedule, and dress. Some characteristics of traditional African religions include:

● Monotheistic: Traditional African religions tend to be monotheistic, meaning they believe in one creator god. However, that god may rule over numerous
lesser gods or semi-divine figures.
● Ancestor worship: Many religions place a strong emphasis on ancestor worship and the spiritual connection between the living and the deceased.
● Existence of spirits: African indigenous religions also often support a belief in the existence of both positive and negative spirits. These may be seen as the
spirits of deceased ancestors who can either help or hinder the living, depending on how they are treated and honored. In this way, the idea of good and bad
spirits in African indigenous religions is similar to the concept of angels and demons in Christianity.
● Food: Certain foods may be avoided or consumed in certain ways as a form of spiritual ritual or to honor the ancestors. For example, the Maasai people
participate in the ritual slaughter of a goat. This is typically done by a Maasai elder who suffocates the goat and then meticulously skins it, using all its organs.
Goat blood is also consumed as a part of the ritual, sometimes mixed with milk.
● Healthcare: In some African indigenous religions, the use of traditional medicines and healing practices is also common, and these practices may be guided
by spiritual leaders.
● Work schedule: Similar to some Western religions, some African people observe a holy day (African Sabbath) at the end of the work week. For example, the
Bangwa people have an eight-day week. The eighth day is the Sabbath day during which people worship and offer sacrifices to their gods and ancestors.
● Dress: Clothing is also often influenced by spiritual beliefs, such as the need to avoid certain activities or wear specific items as a form of spiritual protection.
For example, a pregnant woman may wear specific charms around her neck to ensure the safe delivery of her baby.
Dress
The people of Africa would have started wearing clothing around 180 000 years ago, most likely due to an Ice Age that gripped the world at that point
and developed a need in the people to cover themselves for warmth. These first clothes were made out of animal skins, and took the form of leather
coverings and furs, as well as jewellery adornments made from seashells, ostrich shell pieces and feathers.

It is likely that the first kind of cloth on the continent was made from pounded bark fibres. People would peel bark from the trees and pound it with a
rock until it was thin and bendable. This produced small pieces of cloth that could be sewn together to produce a bigger cloth to cover the body. This
was a widely used practice, and different regions made use of different trees for the bark, with people in Uganda using the bark from fig trees for
example. Eventually, they began to dye the bark fibre cloth to produce patterns on it, giving birth to the renowned tradition of vibrant colours and
patterns in traditional clothing in almost every part of Africa.

Eventually, by 2000 BC, people have become to weave cloth instead of pounding down the bark fibres. Some wove linen, whereas others wove
specific kinds of tall grass. Changes in rulers, access to foreigners and international trade all influenced a number of African countries’ cultures, and by
association, their clothes. No matter where on the continent you travelled, however, one thing remained the same: traditional African clothing almost
always comes in a variety of styles and vibrant colours and prints. With a history broadly explored, we can now look at a more specific example of
different types of traditional clothing in different African countries.
Egyptians
Unlike the other people of the Mediterranean, who traditionally wore one or two big pieces of cloth wrapped around themselves in a number of ways,
the Egyptians traditional clothes were nearly always white linen tunics that were sewn to fit them. Barefoot or wearing straw or leather sandals, both
men and women wore eyeshadow and lined their eyes with black kohl. The black kohl served to protect their eyes from the glare of the sun. Another
important aspect of their dress was gold jewellery, and those with access to it and who could afford it, never went a day without it.
Maasi
The traditional dress of the Maasai varies both by the age of the person wearing it and by their location. Young men, for example, wear black for
several months after their circumcision. In the Maasai tribe, red is a favoured colour. Prior to 1960, the members of the Maasai tribe wore calf hides and
sheepskins. Thereafter, these animal skin clothes were traded with commercial cotton known as Shúka, which are traditionally worn wrapped around
the body. Wooden bracelets are worn by both the men and the women. Wooden weaving and beaded jewellery are an important part of
ornamentation for the women in the Maasai tribe, with variations in the colours of the beads holding different meanings: for examples, white signifies
peace, blue signifies water, and red signifies bravery/warrior/blood. This beadwork has held a prominent place in the culture of the Maasai, as a means
through which they can articulate their identities and position in society.
Maasi Dress code
Zimbabwe
The traditional dress of Zimbabwe is colourful and consists of wraparound dresses and headdresses for women. Men don a breastplate made from
animal skin. As an added detail, women’s dresses are decked up with beads, and they themselves wear largely sized ornaments – an integral part of
their traditional wear which demonstrates the age the status of the woman in her community. Married women wear a blanket, called a Nguba, over
their shoulders and a lot of thick beaded hoops of twisted grass called Isigolwani.

They also wear copper or brass rings around their arms, necks and legs, called Idzilla. The animal skin breastplate for men is known as the Iporiyana.
They also wear animal skin headbands, ankle bands and a Karos around their shoulders. The animal skin is important in Zimbabwean traditional dress
as each Ndebele group associated with a different animal, allowing individuals to outwardly convey their allegiance to their own group.
Zimbabwe Dress Code
Mozambique
In Mozambique, the way people dress reflects the confluence of different cultures that are found there, as well as the different economic standing of
its individuals. In the cities, men wear Western-style suits for work, while women retain the brightly coloured fabrics of traditional wear, albeit in more
Western-style designed dresses. In the rural areas of the country, women retain the wearing of traditions, which consists of long strips of fabric
wrapped around the body and over one shoulder. The young people in Mozambique almost exclusively wear western clothing styles, although despite
this some popular pieces of American and European have not been adopted, including blue jeans and short skirts. Clothing in Mozambique doubles as
a market of ethnic identity, with the Muslims in the North wearing traditional long white robes and head coverings, for example.
Mozambique Dress Code
Madagascar
Traditional wear on this island off the eastern coast of Africa involves wearing the Lamba, which directly translated, means cloth or clothing. This
normally consists of two matching pieces of fabric in the women’s case, and just one for the men. In yesteryear, the Lamba was all that was worn, but
nowadays it has been coupled with Western clothing.

Nearly all women in Madagascar will wear a Lamba in the event of a death or another occasion for prayers to the ancestors. This includes during visits
to the hospital or doctor, where it is believed that good fortune with the ancestors will have a direct impact upon their lives. The Lamba is an important
piece of traditional wear due to its capability of fulfilling a myriad of functions throughout day-to-day island life.
Madagascar Dress Code
Food
The African continent is home to people form hundreds of different tribes, ethnic and social groups. No wonder all this
variety shows in African cuisine all the way through the ingredient used to the preparation and cooking techniques.

Here are some examples:

Jollof rice and egusi soup
It’s not easy pinning down a national favorite dish for Nigeria, because this is a vast country with many distinct regional cuisines.

But one dish you shouldn’t leave Nigeria without eating is jollof rice, a great favorite all over West Africa, and one that is thought may
be the origin of the Cajun dish jambalaya.

A simple, spicy one-pot dish comprising, at its most basic, rice, tomatoes, onions and pepper, it’s often served at parties and other
festive gatherings, along with other Nigerian favorites such as egusi soup (made with ground melon seeds and bitter leaf), fried
plantains and pounded yam (iyan or fufu).
Piri Piri chicken
Mozambique’s cuisine is a heady blend of African, Portuguese, oriental and Arab flavors – think fragrant spices, hot piri piri and creamy
coconut sauces, with hints of cashews and peanuts.

Sizzling, spicy prawns and seafood are often a first choice for visitors to Maputo, but don’t miss the iconic Mozambican dish Galinha à
Zambeziana, a succulent feast of chicken cooked with lime, pepper, garlic, coconut milk and piri piri sauce.

It’s generally known simply as grilled chicken piri piri by tourists, and is traditionally served with matapa, a dish of cassava leaves
cooked in a peanut sauce.
Bunny Chow
No one’s quite sure how bunny chow came to be named, but what is certain is that this hollowed-out half- or quarter-loaf of white bread
filled with a blistering-hot curry is one of South Africa’s most treasured street foods.

The meat and vegetable curries that fill bunny chows were bought to South Africa by Indian indentured laborers who came to South
Africa in the 19th century to work on the sugar-cane fields.
Pap en vleis
Barbecued meat and maize porridge is a combination dearly beloved across many cultures in Southern Africa, and particularly in South
Africa, where the braaivleis is a treasured institution and practically a national sport.

“Pap en vleis” (literally, “maize porridge and meat”) is a colorful umbrella of a term that encompasses virtually any combination of starch
and braaied or stewed meat, with an obligatory side-serving of spicy gravy, relish or chakalaka.

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Shisa nyama, meaning “burn the meat” in Zulu, has come to refer to a festive “bring-and-braai” gathering; Shisa nyama restaurants are
often located next to butchers’ shops so patrons can select their own meats and have them cooked to order over fiercely hot wood
fires.

Chops, steak, chicken, kebabs and boerewors – a spicy farmer’s sausage – are accompanied by maize porridges in many different
forms including phuthu and stywe pap, krummelpap (crumbly porridge), and suurpap (soured pap).

Add a local beer, and there you have South Africa on a plate.
Music and dance
It is widely acknowledged that African music has undergone frequent and decisive changes throughout the
centuries. What is termed traditional music today is probably very different from African music in former
times. Nor has African music in the past been rigidly linked to specific ethnic groups. The individual musician,
his style and creativity, have always played an important role.

African dance, performing art deeply woven into the social fabric of Africa and generally involving aspects of
music and theatre as well as rhythmic bodily movement.

Dance is used as therapy by ritual societies in many cultures. Hausa women, for example, find healing through
dance and spirit possession in the Bori cult.
Dance
Dance is the most popular form of recreation in Africa. In towns, men and women of all ages meet informally
in dance clubs to dance to the rhythms of popular musicians. In villages there may be opportunities in the
evenings for informal dancing, but relations between the sexes there are more tightly controlled.

Men who work together often celebrate a successful project with beer drinking and vigorous dances expressing
their occupational skills.

Although often similar in social purpose, dances are realized in radically different styles in the multitude of
diverse cultures of Africa. Movement patterns vary greatly from one culture to another, depending upon the
way in which environmental, historical, and social circumstances have been articulated in working, social, and
recreational movements.
Masquerade dance

Masquerade dancers are a feature of religious societies in many areas. Four main types of masquerader are
identified by the roles they play: those who embody deities or nature spirits and to whom sacrifice is made to
assure the fertility of land and people, those who embody the ancestral spirits, those who placate the spirits
through their dance, and those who perform principally as entertainers.
Musical Instruments
Outsiders have often overlooked the enormous variety of musical instruments in Africa in the mistaken belief
that Africans play only drums.

Besides the percussion and wind instruments there are also stringed instruments of many kinds, ranging from
the simple mouth bow to more complex varieties of zithers, harps, lutes, and lyres
Afrobeats
From Lagos to London to Los Angeles, a new style is taking dance clubs and music charts by storm. Chances are,
you’re already familiar with the sound, even if you haven’t heard the name.
Afrobeats, a music genre from Nigeria, is shaking up the global music industry. Growing since the early 90s, the genre
really took off in the international music scene with Drake’s 2016 hit “One Dance,” featuring Nigerian artist Wizkid. Other
US artists, including Ciara and Major Lazer, have incorporated Afrobeats sounds and featured African artists in their
music.
There are plenty of artists creating hip-shaking hits, so it’d be hard to list every artist out there. If you’re just getting into
Afrobeats, there are a few acclaimed artists to start with, and plenty more to discover from there!
Wizkid became internationally known with “One Dance,” but his success as an artist goes far beyond that hit. His 2011
debut album Superstar earned him immediate recognition, with several singles coming from that album. His rise in
popularity was clear in 2014 when he became the first Nigerian musician to get over a million followers on Twitter. To
date, he is one of the most recognizable Afrobeats artists, earning him the nickname “Star Boy.”

Davido quickly rose to popularity in 2011 with his debut album Omo Baba Owolo, continuing his success with his
second album, The Baddest. He won Best International Act at the BET Awards in both 2018 and 2014, and was the first
African artist to receive his award in person on the BET stage.
Other popular artists include Burna Boy, Mr. Eazi, Tekno, and 2baba. You can find all of these artists and more on
Quartz’s Afrobeats playlist on Spotify.
Afrobeats artist