With over 3,000 ethnic groups that have unique identities and more than 2,000 spoken languages, Africa is a melting pot of cultural diversity with its unique heritage spanning fashion, crafts, literature, culinary arts, design, music, festivals and film among others.
That rich cocktail of vibrant cultures has transcended boundaries and received global admiration with the continent’s literary giants, fashion designers, filmmakers and musicians exporting that culture and identity across the world while shaping how the world understands Africa. For Black History Month, it is critical to not only acknowledge these advances in global culture, but to celebrate the contributions of Black artists.
Beyond the continent, African and Afro-descendant music has played a pivotal role in the explosion of some of the leading global music genres by borrowing heavily from African tunes, such as reggae, jazz and R&B.
One of the genres causing ripples across the continent, and globally as well, is the West African Afrobeat - a combination of soul, R&B, reggae, dancehall and highlife musics - as top artists like Burna Boy and Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour promote this culture with international performances. The number of African nominees to the Grammy awards has also grown in recent years as the continent’s music continues to appeal to a global audience.
The film industry has grown in leaps and bounds as Nollywood - a moniker for the Nigerian film sector - has become the world’s number two film industry. The low-budget films have not only been identified as one of the top job creators in the West African nation but they are credited with projecting, selling and marketing African cultures internationally. Other films from South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Namibia have similarly attracted global acclaim and admiration.
Unforgettably, the Black Panther franchise captured the spirit and identity of the black people in the film industry by featuring African artists. It has been one of the highest earning films, bringing in more than $1.3 billion in box office sales.
The African fashion industry, driven by innovative designers and a growing appetite for African apparel and fabric, has taken over the global market by storm with fashion weeks in Addis Ababa, Kampala and Dakar attracting top global players in the fashion business and appearing in global catwalks. Designers like Ethiopian Abai Schulze who make leather bags and purses for the ZAAF Collection continue to push the envelope on authentic African craft while propelling the industry to international stardom.
The top league of African writers like Kenya’s Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Nigeria’s Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi and Ghanaian Ayi Kwei Armah have used their literary prowess to pass knowledge about African traditions, cultures, beliefs and lifestyles across continental borders. Their work has not only received global acclaim, but has shaped discussions and global policy on the role of African culture in international discourse.
Aware of the importance of culture to the African people and the world, the African Union, in its development blueprint Agenda 2063, has committed to ensuring a continent guided by common heritage, shared ethics and values and a strong cultural identity.
As Africa, and by extension Black people, strives to make its presence and influence felt around the world, its rich culture and heritage are contributing to shaping the space of the continent in the global cultural economy.
Image by Lee Pigott