African Culture (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain everything about African culture, what religion and music are like. Also, what are their characteristics, clothing and more.

What is the culture of Africa?

The culture of Africa includes a wide variety of artistic expressions, beliefs, rituals and customs of various cultures. Both in ancient times and today, on this vast continent great powerful civilizations existed simultaneously and innovative together with small traditional tribes.

In Africa the first civilizations in the world were bornso its cultural background is of utmost importance for all humanity.

Although various powerful kingdoms expanded throughout various territories of the continent, In the 18th century, Africa began to receive the colonizing influence of Europe. This phenomenon meant that certain elements (such as a second language or a religion) became homogeneous across several different cultures.

However, the particularities of various groups survived colonization and still survive, giving this continent a wide variety of forms of expression and thought.

Ancient civilizations of Africa

hieroglyph - african culture — African culture was the creator of one of the first forms of writing.

One of the main cultures of the Ancient Age developed in Africa: Ancient Egypt, on the banks of the Nile River (northeast Africa).

It was this culture creator of one of the first forms of writing in the history of humanity, as well as muralism and monumental architecture generally associated with mortuary art that continues to be studied to this day by scientists from around the world. An example of this is its famous pyramids.

African indigenous religions

Since the appearance of the first African civilizations, polytheistic religions (several gods) developed and animists (soul and consciousness are attributed to objects, mainly coming from nature).

Currently more than 100 million Africans They follow beliefs passed down through many generations. which are based on ancestor worship and animism.

In general, these religions They have a conception of the spiritual as a divided world. On the one hand, what is beneficial and benevolent is usually composed of the spirits of ancestors and certain forces of nature.

On the other hand, the harmful and hostile, is composed of spirits that they are not only to be feared but can also be requested, through offerings, to harm enemies.

Islam and Christianity in Africa

Both Christianity and Islam came to Africa from other continents.

Christianity. It arrived in Africa in the 1st century AD and has existed in Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan since the 4th century. The largest number of conversions occurred during the colonial period.
Islam. It arrived on the continent from the Mediterranean in the 7th century, thanks to the Muslim conquests that expanded throughout North Africa. Currently there are more than 290 million followers of Islam in Africa.

African music

Traditional African music is performed in groups, in some cases for ritual purposes. In many African languages, tone gives a particular meaning to what is said. Therefore, both singing and music with instruments can transmit meanings beyond words.

African dance

In African cultures, dance It is always associated with music. It can also have a ritual function.

In those cases, dancers include masks, costumes, body paint and many other visual means to convey a mood or the representation of a mythological fact.

In some types of dances, gestures also have meaning through complex coding.

African languages

In Africa there are more than 1,300 different languagessome of which can be grouped into linguistic families that have diversified over the centuries.

However, There were uniformization processes like the Bantuwhich expanded throughout sub-Saharan Africa and imposed their language, or like the English and French colonizations that imposed a second language.

At the moment, The most spoken languages are Arabic and Swahiliused by 120 million speakers. Even by those who do not speak it as their mother tongue, it is used as a “lingua franca” to communicate with inhabitants of other regions.

African clothing

In general, traditional African peoples They use cotton as a textile fiber. Cotton thread is used on wooden looms.

Some textile artisans, such as those in Nigeria, the colors of the threads alternate and achieve geometric designs in their garments. In other regions such as the Ivory Coast, strips of fabric are joined together and then painted with pigments obtained from plants.

In different cultures, the shape and color of clothing marks group membership or to a social class. In addition, certain garments are used for special events. In all cases, bright colors such as red, yellow and green are used.

cave paintings

In Africa there are cave paintings (painted on rocks), some 12 thousand years old. The earliest paintings are found in southern Algeria and show hunting scenes with wild animals, while more recent paintings, from times between 5,000 and 3,000 BC, can be found in Somalia, Namibia and South Africa. c.

body paint

Some African cultures decorate their bodies and faces with paintings in bright and striking colors. For this they use various pigments obtained from the earth and plants.

Despite the numerous details, his technique aims at speedsince it is an ephemeral art that can be erased in a short time. Therefore, they can decorate the entire face and body in a few minutes.

Tattoos

The tattoos They are another way to decorate the body but permanently. The first record of a tattoo comes from Egypt, on the mummy of Amunet. These ancient tattoos were done with ink and represented a characteristic of the wearer.

At the moment various African ethnicities use ornamental scarsmeaning that the design is made through a cut in the skin deep enough to leave a lasting scar. In other cases, an object is also introduced to give volume to the skin.