Traditional music has a strong presence in Senegal’s mainstream music scene.
Ragnar Hatlo/Getty Images
Combining elements of traditional and modern music has created rhythms that are unique to Senegalese music.
Miriam Makeba was the first African to win a Grammy, but only when she partnered with a US star, Harry Belafonte.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
African artists with major US industry support have the advantage - now more than ever.
Nigerian 80s artist William Onyeabor.
Luaka Bop
The search for old or new African sounds is based around a nostalgia culture that is endemic to Anglo-American popular music.
Ivorians attend a memorial service for the late Congolese singer Papa Wemba in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, 27 April 2016.
EPA/Legnan Koula
Congolese singer Papa Wemba might have been one of Africa’s best loved musicians - but his politics wasn’t popular with all his compatriots.