African Beats & Books

African culture is rich and diverse, with many different forms of creative arts and music. Though often underestimated due to a lack of written records, the continent actually has a fascinating history. If you want to learn more and bring a bit of Africa to your home, then we have some suggestions for you – books to read, and music to listen to.

“The Scramble for Africa” by Thomas Pakenham describes the race to colonize Africa. This book is a comprehensive and popular history detailing how colonial powers vied with each other to gain control over territories and resources.

Perhaps you like the sound of African music? Here is an album by Ismael Lo, an accomplished singer and artist from Senegal. Click here if you want to buy his album.

“The State of Africa” by Martin Meredith is an intriguing volume that spans Africa’s recent history, in particular the fifty years since independence. The book starts with the story of Kwame Nkrumah and Ghana in the late 1950s and covers the entire continent, following the course of each country as it steers towards independence. Meredith does a superb job of providing convincing information about principal events and key protagonists in recent African history.