50 favourite African songs
The list below was published in January 2008. I still feel it’s an excellent introduction to African music, but for more recent (and better informed) selections, please see my African music playlists. This one published in October 2010 features some of the best new releases from 2009 and 2010, while this one from 2012 covers releases from February 2011 to April 2012.
African music is an incredibly rich and fertile ground. The different regions produce their own distinctive musical styles (west, east, central and southern Africa), with the music of the Arabic countries in north Africa so different again that it’s more commonly classified as Middle Eastern rather than African music. But also within any one country there are usually several different musical traditions, often reflecting the varied tribal origins of the inhabitants. On top of that, each country’s music is imbued with a complex patchwork of influences from Europe and the Americas.
This is not a definitive list. It reflects not just my own ignorance and prejudices, but also the fact that no videos have yet been created for many classic African recordings. I have tended to select tracks which are at least partly grounded in African musical traditions, because I like them, but also because I want to highlight what is unique and valuable in African music. My usual rule applies of only one song per artist.
An honorary mention goes to Lucky Dube, the much loved South African reggae artist, who was shot dead on 18th October 2007 in the streets of Johannesburg as part of a random carjacking. Peace be with him.
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50 Madala Kunene (SA) – Martha gotta free
49 Sekouba Bambino (Guinea) – Jolie Den
48 Nancy Ajram (Algeria) – Ol Tany Kedah
47 Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi (Zimbabwe) – Ndakuvara
46 King Mensah (Togo) – Mawuena
45 Penny penny (SA) – Makantja jive
44 Binti Cumar Gacal (Somalia) – (title unknown)
43 Project Monkz feat Maulana (Ghana) – Once a slave
42 Brenda Fassie (SA) 1964-2004 Nomakhanjani
41 Issa Bagayogo (Mali) – Dambalou
40 Ayub Ogada (Kenya) – wa winjigo ero
39 Rachid Taha (Algeria) – Ya Rayah
38 Ismaël Lô (Senegal) – la femme sans haine
37 Lankandia Cissoko (Senegal) – (title unknown)
36 Boubacar Traoré (Mali) – KarKar
35 Souad Massi (Algeria) – Raoui
34 Tinariwen (Mali) – Chet Boghassa
33 Kanda Bongo Man (DR Congo) – monie
32 Juldeh Camara (Gambia) and Justin Adams – Soul Science
31 Lura (Cape Verde) – Ponciana
30 Angelique Kidjo (Benin) – Voodoo Child
29 Shiyani Ngcobo (SA) – Izinyembezi
28 Oumou Sangare (Mali) – la voix du Mali
27 Alick Macheso (Zimbabwe) – madhawu
26 Orchestra Baobab (Senegal) – Ndéleng Ndéleng
25 Ba Cissoko (Guinea) – Yele
23 Djelimady Tounkara (Mali) – Fanta Bourama
22 Saida Karoli (Tanzania) – Maria salome
21 Salif Keita (Mali) – Katolon
20 Mohamed Wardi (Sudan) – Faghon Wengi
19 Ali Farka Toure (Mali) 1939-2006 – Diaraby
18 Cesaria Evora (Cape Verde) – Angola
17 Waayaha Cusub (Somalia) – Somalaay Dirira
16 Miriam Makeba (SA) – Soweto Blues
15 Habib Koité (Mali) – Batoumambé
14 Amadou & Mariam (Senegal) – Senegal Fast Food
13 Mory Kante (Guinea) – Ye’ke’ ye’ke’
12 Sambou Suso (Gambia) – Kaira
11 Tilahun Gessesse (Ethiopia) – yehiwote hiwet
10 Prince Nico Mbarga (SA) 1950-1997 – Sweet Mother
9 Aster Aweke (Ethiopia) – mezez alew
8 Rokia Traorè (Mali) – Mbifo
7 Thione Seck (Senegal) – Mathiou
6 Femi Kuti (Nigeria) – If them want to hear
5 Vieux Farka Toure (Mali) – Ana
4 Youssou N’Dour (Senegal) – Moor Ndaje
3 Fela Kuti (Nigeria) – Sorrow Tears & Blood
2 Toumani Diabate (Mali) – nene koita
1 Baaba Maal (Senegal) – Taara
Very interesting and impressive list. Minor quibble: Nancy Ajram is Lebanese and so not really African. But you do hear her music everywhere in North Africa.
nice list man, would love to link this to museke.com in some way.
check it out, loads of African music there…. need to get some of these selections there as well
i don’t think Aster Awokes “Mezez Alew”can be 9th.it’s one of her weak song.i thing you need to listen to all her albums
sorry for the typing mistakes on the top.i think the truck shoud not be listed here.here in Ethiopia only educational radio programs play it because it talks about HIV aids but she got some other nice tunes.i don’t know how you measure it any way
where African queen in this list. if there is no African queen, then this dumb.
African queen by 2face from Nigeria the is a cheat
Hi, pliz if anyone can assist, m lookin for the title to mayweh’s(forgive the spelling) hit song
dont forget sobngs like coupe bimbaba by awilo and also premier gaou by magic system
Really, this is an interesting list but I think you need listen to the song ”AFRICAN QUEEN” by 2face
send for me music best 50 songs
No Johnny Clegg = List FAIL
BORN IN AFRICA by Philly Bongole Lutaaya IS ALL TIME AFRICAN SONG ESPECIALLY IN EAST AFRICA YOU SHOULD CHECK IT OUT IN YOUTUBE.
you left leonard Dembo-chitekete which was played in Nambia at the Miss Universe
letta mbulu noe yet uhuru was one of the finest songs of africa
ena poy legete ye ye baleo?
where is youssour ndou…best african musician
Nancy Arjam is African by nation but Arabic by culture………
nancy ajram is from lebanon and for black music from north africa listen “gnawa” from morroco a real african music
where is ismael lo jammu africa
waht u africans saying
obed shit the fuck up man plz
where is east africa? you mean no good song has ever come out of Uganda, kenya or tanzania?
Joe, Tanzania, Kenya and other east African countries are represented. But I admit I still have much to learn about east African music. I see that you’re from Uganda : can you recommend any traditional music from Uganda ?
am not tabula, but am also from Uganda, i can do what u guys , Afro beat z wat most Ugandans do such as the likes of chameleon..
I don’t think it’s possible to get a list like this right. Each country prefers it’s own musicians and genres?
I’m a South African, let me correct your list. Only Marriam Makeba, Brenda Fassie, Lucky Dube, deserve to be on the list, but the songs featured are not their best. And where is Abdullah Ibrahim, Hugh Masekela. Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Johnny Glegg?
Please remove Penny Penny, Shiyani Ncobo, Prince Nico Mbarga, no one ever hear of this people, maybe they are popular in their villages.
Just because a CD states ‘The best of SA musicians’, does not mean that every clown listed deserves to be there.
WAT ABOUT THE VALU VALU HIT BY CHAMELEON, IT BROKE RECORD FRM OLIVER NGOMA FOR BEING MOST DOWNLOADED SONG 2012
Why not put Corneille Nyungura of Rwanda! He is the best ever !
african queen by 2face should be on this list. if its not, then the list is not complete and those who created it do not know the worldwide african most popular songs.
For those intrigued by all the plugs for African Queen by 2Face Idibia, here’s the song : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByRTMxl_DAU .
Nothing wrong with the song, but it’s one for a different kind of list. it’s a Nigerian take on American r&b, and isn’t rooted in traditional African music.