West African music

Burna Boy performs at State Farm Arena on Sunday, July 31, 2022, in Atlanta.

‘Afrobeats is the party’: The rise of African beats in global music

September 6, 2022Arts, Culture & Media

Afrobeats has soared in popularity, from Lagos to New York, and even Seoul, South Korea.

The return of Senegal’s Orchestra Baobab

May 8, 2017Music

JuJu is made up of Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara, the band's founding members.

The music of JuJu is where West African tradition meets English punk

November 6, 2014Music

Afro Celt Sound System, a band known for their unique blend of traditional West African and Irish music.

This band created a ‘tripped out’ musical mix of Ireland and West Africa

November 4, 2014Music

Reuben Koroma, a founding member of the band Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars, at his temporary home in Providence, Rhode Island.

A band of Sierra Leonean war refugees is trapped outside their country — again

October 31, 2014Music

Tell us about your experience accessing The World

We want to hear your feedback so we can keep improving our website, theworld.org. Please fill out this quick survey and let us know your thoughts (your answers will be anonymous). Thanks for your time!

Analog Africa owner Samy Ben Redjeb (Photo: Caitlan Carroll)

Flight attendant turned record label owner spins songs of 1970s Ghana

October 3, 2013Arts, Culture & Media

Samy Ben Redjeb is a former flight attendant in Frankfurt who spent years flying to African countries, collecting music. That collection forms the basis of his record label, Analog Africa. His latest compilation CD is “Afrobeat Airways 2.”

Azonto: A Dance Craze from Ghana Taking Over the World

August 15, 2013Arts, Culture & Media

The dance form, which has popped onto the Ghanaian music scene in the past year, calls for dancers to sort of act out their occupation.

We respect your time, attention and privacy

This is a news website, not a click casino. We do NOT employ deceptive behaviors, display annoying ads or use third party cookies and trackers to monetize your visit or help advertisers track you across the internet.

Simply, we ask that you would consider a donation to support the journalism we produce every weekday. Thank you.

This is The World

The World is a public radio program and podcast that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter.

Follow The World

Subscribe to The World’s Latest Edition podcast for free using your favorite podcast player: