User:TUF-KAT/List of music areas

African musical areas
Main article: Music of Africa

Africa can be divided into music areas using several schemes. Geographically, one might distinguish between North Africa, with its Arab and Muslim musical influences, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa is furthermore frequently divided into regions like West Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa and Central Africa; to some extent, these geographical regions correspond to music areas, however there is much variation within regions and similarities across borders.

Linguistically, African music can be divided along the basis of the lingua franca, the most commonly spoken second language among a group of people who otherwise do not speak the same tongue. The former Portuguese colonies, like Angola and Mozambique, can be grouped together, as can the numerous countries that emerged from French West Africa and other French colonial entities; English-speaking colonies like South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria can also be seen as sharing some characteristics. The other colonizing powers of Africa were Belgium (Congo), Italy (Somalia) and Germany (Botswana), but they left comparatively little musical influence behind.

Certain musical instruments, like the balafon and kora, can also be used to demarcate African music areas.