Collaborative post :
The continent of Africa has a rich culture behind it with many traditions. From art, music, and fashion, you can learn many interesting things about the people and the vibe. Here are some things to know about African culture and traditions.
Storytelling Is an Oral Tradition
When it comes to Africa culture and traditions, they’ve passed down the art of storytelling for generations to keep their history alive. It’s one of those things that keeps the mind sharp, and they’ve praised members of their tribe who have brilliant orator skills. Of course, listening is equally important.
They chose someone attentive enough to grasp the story and the dances to help keep the tradition going. Many tales and traditional dances have passed through generations because of word-of-mouth.
Music Sends a Message
The Call-and-response form is such an important part of African culture. In fact, it’s still used in modern music today, especially with artists who perform in concert and want to interact with their audience. Singing is important from the melody, rhythm, and how it captivates people.
Not to mention, it’s used as a ritual for birth, marriage, rites of passage, and even hunting. They also used songs to honor good spirits and to ward off evil ones. It helped them to pass down history while understanding the importance of staying on top of current events.
Music is much more than a form of entertainment. It helped to spread political messages and help keep everyone together.
The foundation of the music is the sound of the drum. It’s the heartbeat of the music together, but they also used it to gather people around when something important or fun happened.
Expressing Through Dance
Dance is one of the best expressions to convey emotion, whether it’s sad or happy. Not only is it about the movement, but there’s the symbolism behind it as well.
Different elements used in dance include gestures, costumes, masks, and even body paint. Various traditions pass down through dance. Special garments like handmade dresses show a bit about the fashion from the past.
Even necklaces and beads helped in a traditional African courtingprocess. From the dance to how people wore particular things for ceremonies, everything had meaning.
When it comes to Africa’s culture and traditions, sound and movement meant a lot to pass on information. Take time to get to know the foundation of this beautiful culture.
Sarah x
