Music

The music culture of South Africa is made up of diverse genres, from hip hop, kwaito and gospel to pop and alternative rock. The jazz genre has a special place in South Africa. In South Africa music is every aspect of their lives. The contemporary music reflects a long and colorful history that saw African, American and European music forms mix and it entertains diverse groups of South Africans over the years.

Kwaito is a uniquely South African sound, it is based on house music beats and it has a slower tempo it is often lead by a male singer. It often contains a catchy melodic and percussive loop samples. Kwaito is the manner in which the lyrics are sung and shouted. It is most popular around the black youth. The word itself traditionally means strict or angry. When it is translated to English it means cool.

One of the first Kwaito singles that became a hit was the song titled Kaffir and it illustrates the freedom of expression from the results of the political liberation in South Africa.

References: http://www.southafrica.net/za/en/articles/entry/article-southafrica.net-south-african-music-culture