There is not time – and I don’t have the requisite expertise – for a broad survey of African music, but we can share some examples that you might enjoy listening to, and which give you a taste for the variety of traditions and styles.
From South Africa, the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. They have been recording for more than fifty years, winning awards around the world and collaborating with everyone from Paul Simon to Dolly Parton…
From Algeria, the master of Raï, Khaled. His 1996 megahit, Aicha…
From Mali, one of my favorite guitarists and performers, Habib Koité…
Or from Nigeria, the hugely popular Wizkid