African Culture

The Culture of Africa is varied and manifold, consisting of a mixture of countries with various tribes that each have their own unique characteristic from the continent of Africa. It is a product of the diverse populations that inhabit the continent of Africa and the African Diaspora. Culture, in a general sense, is defined as a collective mass of distinctive qualities belonging to a certain group of people. These qualities include laws, morals, beliefs, knowledge, art, customs, and any other attributes belonging to a member of that society. Africa has numerous ethnic nationalities all with varying qualities such as language, dishes, greetings, and dances. However, all African peoples share a series of dominant cultural traits which distinguish African Culture from the rest of the world. For example, social values, religion, morals, political values, economics and aesthetic values all contribute to African Culture. Expressions of culture are abundant within Africa, with large amounts of cultural diversity being found not only across different countries but also within single countries. Even though African cultures are widely diverse, they are also, when closely studied, seen to have many similarities; for example, the morals they uphold, their love and respect for their culture, as well as the strong respect they hold for the aged and the important, i.e. kings and chiefs. African Traditions These seven tribal traditions are just a small part of what makes the people of Africa so spellbindingly colourful. 1. The courtship dance of the Wodaabe. Birds do it. Bees do it. We’re talking, of course, about a courtship dance. In the Wodaabe tribe of Niger, the human mating ritual takes a page from nature’s book. The Guérewol is an annual ritual and competition that sees young men dress up in elaborate ornamentation and traditional face paint and gather in lines to dance and sing. The goal? To get the attention of one of the judges – a marriageable young woman. In this particular tribe, the male beauty ideal is all about bright eyes and teeth, so men will often roll their eyes and bare their teeth to show off their sex appeal. 2. The lip plates of the Mursi. The Mursi tribe of Ethiopia is one of the last tribes in Africa where it’s the norm for women to wear large pottery or wooden plates in their lower lips. When a Mursi girl reaches the age of 15 or 16, her lower lip is cut by her mother or another older woman in the settlement. The cut is held open by a wooden plug for about three months while it heals. Mursi members are rather egalitarian – girls are never forced to have their lip pierced; it’s a totally personal choice. (Of course, 16 is the prime age for peer pressure no matter your culture, and this is often the reason girls opt for the lip plate.) 3. The bull jumping of the Hamar. Ethiopia’s Hamar tribe (also known as the Hamer tribe), made up mostly of pastoralists who respect and treasure their cattle, has a rather… athletic initiation ritual. Forget cow tipping – this tradition is all about the art of bull jumping. Bull jumping is a three-day rite of passage that all boys must partake in, and it’s extremely important for the dignity of both the initiate and his family. The initiate must walk over 15 castrated bulls that have been rubbed in dung to make their backs slippery (and the task that much tougher). If he fails, he’ll have to wait a whole year to try again. And if he succeeds? It means he’s ready to marry a girl of his parents’ choosing, and to raise his own children and cattle. 4. The red ochre of the Himba. The women of this iconic Namibian tribe are known for their beautiful, red-tinged skin and hair. The reason for the rich colour? A homemade paste of butter, fat and red ochre known as otjize. Girls in the tribe start using otjize as soon as they’re old enough to care for their own hygiene. There has long been speculation around exact origins of the practice, with many people claiming it acts as sun protection or insect repellent. But the Himba tribe says it’s purely for aesthetic reasons – effectively a traditional make-up they apply every morning in the same way we’d slap on a lick of mascara and lipstick. 5. The spitting of the Maasai. The Maasai people of Kenya and Northern Tanzania view spitting as a form of blessing and a sign of respect. Tribespeople use spitting to greet or say goodbye to friends, clinch a bargain or to wish someone good luck. Two friends greeting each other will spit in their palms before shaking hands. When a baby is born, family members will spit on the child to wish him or her a long life and good luck. Spitting is also customary on a daughter’s wedding day, where her father will spit on her forehead to wish her a blessed union. 6. The healing dance of the San. Of all the tribal traditions, this one is arguably the most magical. For the San people of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Angola, dance is considered a sacred power. One of their most integral tribal traditions is the trance dance (also known as the healing dance). The whole community comes together around a fire for several hours or even an entire night, led by healers and elders. The healers dance around the fire, chant and hyperventilate until they induce a powerful trance-like state. In this state, they are granted access to the spirit world (and are often able to walk over fire). The San healers aren’t just doing this to cure physical illnesses in their community – they also attempt to expel what they call “star sickness”, a force that causes jealousy, anger and arguments. 7. The wedding ceremony of the Ndebele. The Ndebele wedding ceremony is all about the bride – and her attire puts western white dresses to shame. This, in most part, is thanks to her future mother-in-law and the prettiest of all the tribal traditions. The groom’s mother creates a Jocolo for the bride – an apron made of goatskin and decorated with gorgeous, colourful beads. The Jocolo is worn by all married women at the wedding ceremony, and is representative of a mother surrounded by children. On their wedding day, the groom performs a ceremony in honour of his new wife, giving her thanks and credit for everything she’s done for him in their time together. If you want to know more about African tribes and their tribal traditions, take a look Step back in Time with the Zu/’hoasi Bushmen of Botswana before planning your trip to see these incredible sights with your own eyes. African Clothing African clothing is the traditional clothing worn by the peoples of Africa. African clothing and fashion is a diverse topic that is able to provide a look into different African cultures. Clothing varies from brightly colored textiles, to abstractly embroidered robes, to colorful beaded bracelets and necklaces. Since Africa is such a large and diverse continent, traditional clothing differs throughout each country. For example, many countries in West Africa have a "distinct regional dress styles that are the products of long-standing textile crafts in weaving, dyeing, and printing", but these traditions are still able to coexist with western styles. A large contrast in African fashion is between rural and urban societies. Urban societies typically are exposed more to trade and the changing world, while it takes more time for new western trends to get to rural areas. European influence is commonly found in African fashion as well. For example, Ugandan men have started to wear "full length trousers and long-sleeved shirts". On the other hand, women have started to adapt influences from "nineteenth-century Victorian dress". These styles include: "long sleeves and puffed shoulders, a full skirt, and commonly a colorful bow tied around the waist". This style of dress is called a busuti. Another popular trend is to pair a piece of modern western clothing, such as T-shirts, with traditional wraps. Rural communities have also started to incorporate secondhand clothing/western clothing into their everyday style too. For example, rural Zambian women have started to combine "secondhand clothing with a single two-yard length of chitengi that was used as a wrapper over the dress". With the globalization of western clothing influence from urban to rural areas, it has now become more common to find people wearing a variety of styles of clothes. The languages of Africa are divided into several major language families: Niger–Congo or perhaps Atlantic–Congo languages (includes Bantu and non-Bantu, and possibly Mande and others) are spoken in West, Central, Southeast and Southern Africa. Afroasiatic languages are spread throughout Western Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa and parts of the Sahel. Indo-European languages are spoken in South Africa and Namibia (Afrikaans, English, German) and are used as lingua francas in the former colonies of Britain and Liberia that was part of American Colonization Society (English), former colonies of France and of Belgium (French), former colonies of Portugal (Portuguese), former colonies of Italy (Italian), former colonies of Spain (Spanish) and the current Spanish territories of Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands (Spanish) and the current French territories of Mayotte and La Réunion. Various families of Nilo-Saharan languages (unity debated) are spoken from Tanzania to Eritrea and Sudan and from Chad to Mali. Austronesian languages are spoken in Madagascar. Khoe–Kwadi languages are spoken principally in Namibia and Botswana. A simplistic view of language families spoken in Africa: Afroasiatic Nilo-Saharan (possibly a family) Niger–Congo (some areas may not belong) Bantu Khoisan (not a family) Indo-European Austronesian There are several other small up and language isolates, as well as creoles and languages that have yet to be classified. In addition, Africa has a wide variety of sign languages, many of which are language isolates (see below). The total number of languages natively spoken in Africa is variously estimated (depending on the delineation of language vs. dialect) at between 1,250 and 2,100,[1] and by some counts at "over 3,000".[2]Nigeria alone has over 500 languages (according to SIL Ethnologue),[3] one of the greatest concentrations of linguistic diversity in the world. However, "One of the notable differences between Africa and most other linguistic areas is its relative uniformity. With few exceptions, all of Africa’s languages have been gathered into four major phyla." Around a hundred languages are widely used for inter-ethnic communication. Arabic, Somali, Berber, Amharic, Oromo, Igbo, Swahili, Hausa, Manding, Fulani and Yoruba are spoken by tens of millions of people. Twelve dialect clusters (which may group up to a hundred linguistic varieties) are spoken by 75 percent, and fifteen by 85 percent, of Africans as a first or additional language.[5] Although many mid-sized languages are used on the radio, in newspapers and in primary-school education, and some of the larger ones are considered national languages, only a few are official at the national level. The African Union declared 2006 the "Year of African Languages".[6] African social habits 1. Greeting – Hello and a Handshake Greeting people in Africa is one of the most important things you can do. A quick “hello,” paired with a handshake is a sufficient way to make a positive first impression with anyone. 2. Show Respect to EldersAfrican Cultural Customs African cultural values are based on a foundation of the past and present, a leading reason why elders are so well respected. Always acknowledge an elder, let them ask questions, and during mealtime elders should be served first. 3. Pointing At Things Pointing at something or someone with the index finger is usually considered rude or just straight offensive – it’s not something you want to do. Different ethnic groups have different ways of pointing, but the method I usually employ is poking my chin in the right direction and widening my eyes. 4. Overhand Motion Calling Avoid motioning to call a person with an upwards palm. The preferred method is to call someone over with the palm faced down and pulling the fingers inwards. 5. Sole of the Foot Just like in many cultures around the world, the very bottom of your foot is the very dirtiest part of your body. Try not to directly point your foot sole towards anyone. 6. Eat with the Right HandUgali, Tanzanian Food You might have heard this before, the right hand is for eating food and the left hand is reserved for the unsanitary task of what happens afterward. Whatever you do, don’t touch African food with your left hand! 7. Hissing and Kissing Sounds To call the attention of someone is often performed with a hissing or loud smack of the lips. If you are not expecting it, the sounds might come as a surprise, but it’s totally acceptable and very common. 8. Silence is an African Value Don’t be alarmed or nervous with spans of silence during African conversation. When there’s something to be said, it will be said; when there’s nothing to be said, silence is perfectly fine. There’s no need to feel uneasy during a period of silence in Africa, take the time just to enjoy the presence of others. 9. Time – A Little Less Important Visiting Family in Tanzania Despite the use of clocks to tell “what time it is,” African clocks work differently; things fall into place as they unfold. An African worldview does not focus far into the future, but dwells more on past events and whatever is happening currently. Future scheduled times can’t be rushed and thinking so will only make one more and more frustrated. 10. Use Flexibility Africa will teach you to be flexible. Closely relating to how future-time is of less importance, schedules aren’t always at the forefront of lifestyle. If a plan gets shut down or changes drastically, there’s not always something you can do besides accept it and continue with a positive attitude. 11. Do NOT Publicly Show Anger, Frustration, or Impatience Though circumstances have potential to become frustrating, it’s highly important to NOT publicly display any sort of negative feeling in public. Africans have incredible self control, being careful not to offend or shame anyone in public. 12. Positive CommunicationAfrican Smile Positive communication is a key African cultural value. Along with not displaying public negativity there are countless ways to express “good,” or “ok.” Don’t immediately get into a discussion about a hardship or struggle, these topics can be gradually be brought forth. 13. Relationships Matter With future-time a little less important, current time is of extreme value. Meeting people and spending time with others to develop lasting relationships is an aspect of African culture that is truly cherished. 14. Don’t Talk Too Much During a Meal Simple small talk is permissible, but don’t try to talk too much business or seriousness during a meal. Serious issues are handled after the meal. 15. Receive a Gift With Both Hands If someone graciously gives you a gift, a non-verbal way to show extreme thankfulness is to accept it with both hands outstretched. 16. The Un-Stated – “Sorry We’re Out” There will inevitably be a circumstance in Africa where you go to a restaurant, order a dish, and a totally different dish is served to you – no questions asked. You will naturally complain, saying “this is not the dish I ordered.” The waiter will shyly back away and simply tell you that what you ordered was not available. It can be a bit frustrating to say the least (remember #10, 11, and 12, and that African flexibility!). 17. Personal Space It might seem odd (or even drive you crazy) when you are the only person on an empty bus and another person gets on and sits down right next to you. Imagine growing up in a single room with 10 people living together, or living with a clan of extended family; your idea of personal space might be a little different thinking in African terms. African Cultural Values AFRICAN CULTURAL VALUES - RWANDA In the end, remember that Africans are extremely gracious and caring people, ready to go the extra mile to respect and service others. Hopefully if we can understand a bit of African cultural values when we travel to Africa, we can make a positive impression; showing respect that will leave lasting memories! Music of Africa Given the vastness of the African continent, its music is diverse, with regions and nations having many distinct musical traditions. African music includes the genres Jùjú, Fuji, Highlife, Makossa, Kizomba, Afrobeat and others. The music and dance of the African diaspora, formed to varying degrees on African musical traditions, include American music like Dixieland, the blues, jazz, old-time, and bluegrass and many Caribbean genres, such as calypso (see kaiso) and soca. Latin American music genres such as zouk, bomba, conga, rumba, son, salsa, cumbia and samba, were founded on the music of enslaved Africans, and have in turn influenced African popular music. Like the music of Asia, India and the Middle East, it is a highly rhythmic music. The complex rhythmic patterns often involving one rhythm played against another to create a polyrhythm. The most common polyrhythm plays three beats on top of two, like a triplet played against straight notes. Sub-Saharan African music traditions frequently rely on percussion instruments of many varieties, including xylophones, djembes, drums, and tone-producing instruments such as the mbira or "thumb piano. Another distinguishing form of African music is its call-and-response nature: one voice or instrument plays a short melodic phrase, and that phrase is echoed by another voice or instrument. The call-and-response nature extends to the rhythm, where one drum will play a rhythmic pattern, echoed by another drum playing the same pattern. African music is also highly improvised. A core rhythmic pattern is typically played, with drummers then improvising new patterns over the static original patterns. Traditional music in most of the continent is passed down orally (or aurally) and is not written. There are subtle differences in pitch and intonation that do not easily translate to Western notation. African music most closely adheres to Western tetratonic (four-note), pentatonic (five-note), hexatonic (six-note), and heptatonic (seven-note) scales. Harmonization of the melody is accomplished by singing in parallel thirds, fourths, or fifths (see Traditional sub-Saharan African harmony). Music is important to religion in Africa, where rituals and religious ceremonies use music to pass down stories from generation to generation as well as to sing and dance to. African Cuisine Traditionally, the various cuisines of Africa use a combination of plant and seed based, and do not usually have food imported. In some parts of the continent, the traditional diet features an abundance of root tuber products. Central Africa, East Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa and West Africa each have distinctive dishes, preparation techniques, and consumption mores. African Religion Religion in Africa is multifaceted and has been a major influence on art, culture and philosophy. Today, the continent's various populations and individuals are mostly adherents of Christianity, Islam, and to a lesser extent several traditional African religions. In Christian or Islamic communities, religious beliefs are also sometimes characterized with syncretism with the beliefs and practices of traditional religions. Religion in Africa, 2020 Christianity (49%) Islam (42%) Traditional faiths (8%) Others (1%)