Involves drums and singing, and such instruments as the thumb piano accompaniedīy rattles made from some dried fruit or vegetable with seeds inside. Traditional music in southern Africa usually On which part of the continent you are eating it.Īfrican music is as diverse as the people, and has also been influenced by Nsima, nchima, chima, poshto, tuozafi, ubgali, bugali, sokoro, sokora, depending ForĮxample, a very common maize/corn-based dish is pap, also named ugali, sadza, Number of cultural groups have very similar foods in their cuisines. MostĬuisines include fruit, grain, vegetables, milk and meat products. The environment plays a huge part in what kinds ofįoods are consumed in different parts of the African continent. While others wear less colour but include shiny threads in their dressing with Arabs began crossing into North Africa from the Middle East in the 7th century, A.D., bringing with them the religion of Islam. Religious beliefs and traditional customs. The vast majority of people living in Africa are indigenous however, people from all over the world have migrated to Africa for hundreds of years. The type of clothing worn across Africa varies from north to south, and by They are used for traditional ceremonies to Themes found in art include women, couples, children, animals, man with a Art from particular regions haveĭistinct characteristics depending on beliefs, values and customs, but common African ArtĪfrican arts and craft include sculpture, weaving, beading, painting, The customs and traditions of each group have been woven into a tapestry as colourful and diverse as the people of Africa themselves. Traditional African homestead (Ndebele village in Zimbabwe)Įthnic groups and African tribes have customs that are unique to their culture. Over the centuries, African culture has meshed with cultures from around the world, although much of traditional African customs have remained throughout. Europeans began settling in the southern portion of the continent in the mid-17th century, as did South Asians, who settled in the areas of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. The vast majority of people living in Africa are indigenous however, people from all over the world have migrated to Africa for hundreds of years. Throughout Africa, the people speak a variety of languages, practice numerous religions and reside in various types of dwellings. The culture of each ethnic groupĬentres on family and can be found in each group’s art, music and oral literature.
The rich and diverse African culture varies not only from one country to another, but within each country as well. There is a Xhosa proverb that is common to all AfricanĬultures and languages, “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu,” (“A person is a person through persons”).
It is through relations with one’s community and surroundings that an individual becomes a person of volition, whose actions and decisions affect the entire group rather than just oneself. In African culture, the “self” is not separate from the world, it is united and intermingled with the natural and social environment.