She was a girl with a violin and a shy voice in a church choir. Years later, she was wearing camo pants and black boots, making music pulled from the red dirt of Africa, home to spirits and ancestors, ...

The aesthetic dimensions of African musical instruments are not only visual, but aural and symbolic as well. As cultural objects, they can represent and reinforce political authority, social ...

The late, great Fela Kuti is known as the "Black President" for his role as both a musical and a political leader. Now he has become the first African artist to get this Grammy honor.

What did acclaimed violinist, singer, songwriter and electronics beat maker Sudan Archives do after having an international breakout year in 2019? “Whoo! I actually just started getting violin lessons ...

African instruments are rich and unique in their sounds. With such uniqueness in sound, they have influenced music from other parts of the world. Here are 7 musical instruments whose origin dates back ...

“People just play by ear,” Sudan Archives‘ mother says on “Do Your Thing (Refreshing Springs),” the 13th track of the stellar new album Natural Brown Prom Queen, arriving Friday, September 9th. “Get ...

The Black Banjo Reclamation Project aims to put banjos into the hands of everyday people. Paul Ruta Of all the melodic musical instruments in the world, perhaps none is more connected to the land it ...

Regina Carter, the jazz violinist and onetime MacArthur Fellow, stopped by NPR headquarters recently to perform and discuss material from her new album, Reverse Thread. The record marks a new ...

HAMBURG, Germany — “Ok, stop the cameras,” the head conservator commanded from the belly of the storage department. “I want to hear what these instruments sound like without Satch wearing the gloves.” ...

Indigenous musical instruments have long been central to cultural expression in South Africa. They carry history, identity and social meaning. Many of these instruments were developed within specific ...

The University of South Africa, Unisa, made history with the inaugural Unisa African Music Festival hosted on 26 and 27 September 2025 at its Muckleneuk Campus in Pretoria. The two-day event brought ...