{{Short description|Music genre}} {{Infobox music genre | name = Afro-soul | stylistic_origins = {{hlist|Jazz|soul|african music|folk gospel|reggae{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}}}
| instruments = {{hlist|Drums|guitar|vocals|background vocals{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}}} | derivatives = Afro-pop{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}} | local_scenes = {{hlist|South Africa|Kenya|Malawi|Botswana|Namibia Cameroon|France|Nigeria{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}}} }} '''Afro-soul''' is a genre of music that blends elements of soul music with African rhythms and instrumentation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AfroSoul Music Genre History and Style Description{{!}} African Music Library |url=https://africanmusiclibrary.org/genre/AfroSoul |access-date=2025-07-19 |website=africanmusiclibrary.org}}</ref> It combines emotive vocal styles and lyrical themes characteristic of soul with traditional African musical elements, including indigenous rhythms, percussion instruments such as drums and shakers, and local languages or dialects.
While artists such as South African singer Miriam Makeba helped popularize soul-influenced African music in the 1950s and 1960s, the term "Afro-soul" has been more commonly used in later decades to describe a range of contemporary artists across Africa. The genre has since grown in popularity across the continent and internationally, often overlapping with styles like Afrobeat, neo-soul, and R&B. ==Notable musicians== * Brymo, Nigerian singer<ref>{{cite web |title=Annotations on Brymo's "Yellow' – Dami Ajayi |date=12 April 2020 |url=https://thelagosreview.ng/annotations-on-brymos-yellow-dami-ajayi/ |publisher=The Lagos Review |access-date=27 April 2024}}</ref> * Miriam Makeba,<ref name="guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/may/18/worldmusic.shopping1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141003130144/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/may/18/worldmusic.shopping1|title=Simphiwe Dana, Zandisile|work=The Guardian|author=Robin Denselow|date=May 17, 2007|access-date=Feb 2, 2015|archive-date=October 3, 2014}}</ref> a Grammy Award-winning South African singer and civil rights activist<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/miriam-makeba|title=Miriam Makeba|publisher=sahistory.org.za|access-date=Feb 2, 2015}}</ref> * Zahara, South African singer<ref>{{cite web |author1=Alex Rigotti |title=Afro-soul icon Zahara has died, age 36 |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/afro-soul-icon-zahara-has-died-age-36-3557860 |publisher=NME |access-date=27 April 2024 |date=12 December 2023}}</ref> *Efya, Ghanaian singer * Amanda Black,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/tshisa-live/tshisa-live/2017-12-28-amanda-black-music-lives-in-me-and-takes-over-when-i-perform/|title=Amanda Black: Music lives in me and takes over when I perform|access-date=2018-02-26|language=en-US}}</ref> multi award-winning songstress from South Africa * Simphiwe Dana,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/lifestyle/2014/10/28/listeningto-renowned-south-african-afro-soul-singer-simphiwe-dana/|title=ListeningTo: Renowned South African Afro-soul singer Simphiwe Dana|publisher=98.4 Capital FM|date=Oct 28, 2014|access-date=Feb 2, 2015}}</ref> praised as "the best thing to happen to Afro-soul music since Miriam Makeba"<ref name="guardian"/> * Nathi Mankayi<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nontsele |first=Chuma |date=12 October 2023 |title=Pollsmoor Prison Blues — Afro-soul singer and former convict Nathi Mankayi gives inmates a boost |work=Daily Maverick |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-10-12-pollsmoor-prison-blues-afro-soul-singer-and-former-convict-nathi-mankayi-gives-inmates-a-boost/ |url-status=live |access-date=12 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231013002304/https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-10-12-pollsmoor-prison-blues-afro-soul-singer-and-former-convict-nathi-mankayi-gives-inmates-a-boost/ |archive-date=13 October 2023}}</ref> *Libianca, Cameroonian-American singer<ref>{{cite magazine |author1=Mankaprr Conteh |title=Libianca Is the Afro Soul Siren Who Can Do Everything |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/libianca-interview-new-single-people-1234664675/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=27 April 2024 |date=January 20, 2023}}</ref> * Lira (singer)<ref>{{Cite web |author-link=NPR |date=1 August 2012 |title=For artist Lira, South Africa is all Soul |url=https://www.npr.org/2012/08/01/157715147/for-artist-lira-south-africa-is-all-soul |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120802091943/https://www.npr.org/2012/08/01/157715147/for-artist-lira-south-africa-is-all-soul |archive-date=2 August 2012 |access-date=12 December 2023 |website=NPR}}</ref> * Muma Gee, Nigerian singer * Scelo Gowane, South African singer * Siphokazi, a South African artist<ref>{{cite news|title=Siphokazi with her golden voice|url=http://www.mio.co.za/article/siphokazi-with-her-golden-voice-2009-07-01/|publisher=Music Industry Online|date=Jul 1, 2009|access-date=Feb 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202140532/http://www.mio.co.za/article/siphokazi-with-her-golden-voice-2009-07-01/|archive-date=2015-02-02|url-status=dead}}</ref> * Les Nubians, the French born sisters who are Afropean music singers<ref>{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n-JzBKPWncQC&pg=PA38|title=New world news|work=CMJ New Music Report|page=38|date=Jun 21, 1999|access-date=Feb 2, 2015}}</ref> * The Budos Band<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=John |date=12 February 2019 |title=Budos Band Preview New Album With Rumbling 'Old Engine Oil' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/budos-band-song-old-engine-oil-793909/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108163401/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/budos-band-song-old-engine-oil-793909/ |archive-date=8 November 2023 |access-date=12 December 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref> * K'naan{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} * Ginger Johnson{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} * Doug Kazé, Nigerian singer-songwriter<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressreader.com/nigeria/weekly-trust/20170211/282136406158171|title=Success for me aren't the toys and awards - Kaze|date=February 11, 2017|via=PressReader|access-date=2017-05-13}}</ref> * Manu Dibango, from Cameroon{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} * Nomfusi, South African artist<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.music.org.za/artist.asp?id=260|title=Nomfusi (South Africa)|publisher=music.org.za|access-date=Feb 2, 2015}}</ref> * Lekan Babalola{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} * Grace Matata, Tanzanian singer<ref name="TEDx">{{cite web |last1=Matata |first1=Grace |title=Learning And Relearning What Love Is Over Time |url=https://www.ted.com/talks/grace_matata_learning_and_relearning_what_love_is_over_time |website=TEDx |date=8 January 2020 |access-date=1 March 2021 |language=en}}</ref> *Kumbie, Zimbabwean singer-songwriter *Joe Nina, South Africa singer-Songwriter *Jabulile Majola, South African singer-songwriter<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Chepape |first=Lesego |date=2025-04-24 |title=A song that breathes like the sea |url=https://mg.co.za/friday/2025-04-24-a-song-that-breathes-like-the-sea/ |access-date=2026-03-12 |website=Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Genres of African popular music}} {{Soulmusic}}
Category:Soul music genres
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