1. Ritual and Ceremonial Music: Music associated with religious ceremonies, rites of passage, and communal rituals.
2. Work and Labor Songs: Songs sung during agricultural activities, mining, hunting, and other manual labor.
3. Narrative and Historical Songs: Songs that recount stories, folklore, and historical events.
4. Praise and Worship Songs: Songs performed in praise of deities, ancestors, or significant individuals.
5. Lullabies and Children's Songs: Music created to entertain, educate, and soothe children.
Contemporary African Music:
1. Popular and Urban Music: Includes various genres like Afrobeats, Afropop, Highlife, Hiplife, Soukous, and Kwaito.
2. Jazz, Blues, and Funk-Inspired Music: African artists incorporating jazz, blues, and funk elements into their compositions.
3. Traditional Fusion Music: Blends of contemporary and traditional African sounds.
4. Reggae and Dancehall Music: Popular in many African countries, especially in the Caribbean diaspora.
5. Gospel Music: African interpretations of Christian hymns and worship songs.
Folk and Ethnic Music:
1. Griot Music: West African music performed by traditional storytellers and musicians known as griots.
2. Pygmy Music: Polyphonic vocal and percussive music from the Central African rainforest regions.
3. Maqam and Sufi Music: North African music influenced by Islamic traditions and mysticism.
4. Ethiopian Sacred Music: Traditional religious music of Ethiopia, particularly the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
5. Mbaqanga and Marabi Music: South African township and urban music genres that emerged during apartheid.
Regional and Cultural Music:
1. North African Music: Classical Arabic music, Berber folk music, and Algerian Rai.
2. West African Music: Afrobeat, Highlife, Juju music, Mbalax, and Mandinka music.
3. East African Music: Taarab, Benga music, and Eritrean Tigrinya music.
4. Southern African Music: Marabi, Kwela, Mbaqanga, and Zimbabwean Mbira music.
5. Central African Music: Pygmy music, Congolese Rumba, and Makossa.