Gabon
Popular music: Rhumba, makossa and soukous. Gabonese folk instruments include the Obala.
History: 1980s saw the formation of Africa No. 1, a radio station devoted to African music and the opening of the first Gabonese recording studio. Most Gabonese music is produced in the diaspora now as production of the music died down in the country towards end of the 80s.
Icons: Patience Dabany, guitarists like Georges Oyendze, La Rose Mbadou and Sylvain Avara, Pierre Akendengue.
Street music: Hip hop, zouk and rhumba.
Artists: Oliver Ngoma.
Ghana
Popular music: Highlife is one of the most popular genres of music across the whole of Africa and the diaspora.
History: Highlife is a hybrid of West African rhythms, especially gombe and ashiko from Sierra Leone. Liberian guitar styles like Dagomba, Mainline and Fireman, Te Osibisaba and European music like brass bands, sea shanties and Christian music are also involved. Ghanaian music grew in profile when afro rock group Osibisa's found success in US and UK in 1970s.
A festival called Soul to Soul was held in the capital Accra in 1971 and raised the status of Ghanian music further. Legendary American musicians like Wilson Pickett, Ike and Tina Turner and Carlos Santana played there.
Icons: By the 1980s, the UK was experiencing a boom in African music as more Ghanaians came here to live. Highlife groups like HighLife International, Jon K, Dade Krama, Orchestra Jazira and Ben Brako were popular.
Street music: In the 1990s Reggie Rockstone created hip-life, mixing hip hop with highlife targeting the African youth.
Current artists: New Hip-life artists are VIP, Tic-Tac, Bollie and Tinny
Ivory Coast
History: There are more than 60 ethnic groups in Côte d'Ivoire which have their own folk music. Talking drums are also common - a music style where the drum is played to convey messages.
Côte d'Ivoire's capital, Abidjan, has more high-tech studios than any other city in Africa excluding Johannesburg.
Icons: Ernesto Djédjé is considered the father of Ivorian popular music.
Street music: Hip hop has been popular in Côte d'Ivoire since the mid-1990s and includes a gangsta rap influenced style called rap dogba.
Artists: Hip hop stars All Mighty, M.C. Claver and Angelo.
Kenya
Popular music: Folk, benga, rumba.
Icons: Fundi Konde, Them Mushrooms.
Street music: Gospel, kapuka, hip hop, genge and the bounce.
Artists:Nazizi, Nonini, Redsun Nameless and Watu Wangu.
A-E | G-K | M-S | U-Z
