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The Republic of South Africa is a country in Southern Africa that enjoys a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It is famed for its diversity in cultures and languages, including those of native African and European origin, and therefore also for its diverse musical offerings. The music created and enjoyed here is of both popular and folk forms. This article is a short description of the music of South Africa.

The local talent of South Africa was first brought to the world’s attention by the Christian missionaries, who also first brought formal musical training to the country. The musician that wrote the national anthem ‘Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika’ (“God Bless Africa”) was one of these first musicians. By the turn of the 20th century South African cities like Cape Town became bug enough to attract foreign musicians, such as the American ragtime players.

Jazz plays a big part in South African musical history, with musicians such as Hugh Masekela, Jonathan Butler and Jonas Gwangwa being some of the great musicians produced. The Jazz of the 1960s can be categorised as two kinds. There were the popular dance bands like the Elite Swingsters, and then the more experimental jazz that took people like John Coltrane as influence. John Mehegan, the American pianist organised a session in a recording studio in 1959 with some of the best musicians in South Africa at the time, and what resulted was Africa’s first two jazz LPs.

Among the other popular forms of South African music is Kwaito. This was developed in Johannesburg in the 1990s. It is a kind of dance music which is very popular among the black youth of South Africa. A form of house music, it combines distinctively African sounds with a uniquely slow tempo that has been described by the famous music producer Diplo as “slowed-down garage music”.

Afrikaans music has seen a return to popularity in South Africa over the last ten years or so, and it is though that this is due in some way to freedom from Apartheid. There are clearly too many influences in South African music to account for them all, so it will have to do to just say that the music scene there is rich and varied.

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