Arts and crafts A large part of the traditional arts and crafts in Gabon is linked to secret societies. The ancestral cult is important and is reflected in the sculptures, masks and shrines of the folk groups. Many folk groups usually store revered ancestors’ relics in special containers usually with a figurine placed on top.… Read More »
Music Despite its small size, Gambia has rich music traditions. For a long time, most of the population has been Islamized, which is why Arab music impulses are noticeable along with African styles. Griots dominate the traditional music offering. Along with drums of various kinds and sizes, the string instruments are dominant. Kora, a 21-string… Read More »
Literature Contrary to the oral tradition of the native languages, the written English-language literature in Ghana is of late date. Its growth is strongly influenced by political factors. Dramat received special support after the country’s independence in 1957. Mention should be made of Efua Sutherland’s experiment to combine classical literary themes with both folk storytelling… Read More »
Literature Modern fiction, written in French, first began to gain attention at the time of independence (1958) but is based on an old and rich oral storytelling tradition. West Africa’s griots, professional storytellers, are well known as mediators of oral heritage. The two most renowned authors, Camara Laye and DT Niane, have used the stories… Read More »
Arts and crafts In Guinea-Bissau’s art history, the folk group Bidyogo’s arts and crafts have been particularly noted, among others. anthropomorphic wooden sculptures, characterized by the lower part of the sculpture forming a pallet. Bidyogo also produces zoomorfa wooden masks that depict e.g. oxen, sharks and swordfish in a mainly naturalistic form. The masks, which… Read More »
Literature Cameroon is one of the few countries in the former French Africa that produced literature in native languages (beti, bulu, douala). Two significant French-speaking authors appeared before independence: Mongo Beti, whose work contains staggering settlements with the mission and the Western contempt for African traditions, and Ferdinand Oyono, who shows the black man’s “hopeless”… Read More »
Music The majority of the population of Cape Verde, which remained uninhabited until the second half of the 15th century, are Creole of mixed European (mainly Portuguese) and African origin. This is reflected in the music, which has elements from both Portuguese and Brazilian as well as African music and is usually sung in the… Read More »
Literature Literature in Algeria was part of the Arabic right up to the French conquest of the country in 1830. But only during World War II did the Algerians begin to produce their own French literature. The so-called Algiers school, with Albert Camus at the head, grew strongly during the 1940’s, and in the 1950’s… Read More »
Literature, drama and theater Alongside an oral tradition in native languages such as kikuyu and Swahili, English-language literature has emerged, initiated by Jomo Kenyatta’s polemical and didactic “Facing Mount Kenya” (1938), which challenged the white man’s history writing. Over the years surrounding Kenya’s political liberation, several autobiographies strengthened national identity in opposition to colonial oppression.… Read More »
Literature The great emphasis placed on schooling in the independent Congo has undoubtedly contributed to a remarkably vital and dynamic French-language literature, which gained momentum during the 1960’s. The prose’s representatives, not least Henri Lopes and Guy Menga, have often portrayed the problems and conflicts of the new African society. Menga has also played a… Read More »