The African continent is rich in sound, rhythm, and cultural expression across its different regions. From the pulsating energy of Afrobeats to the log drum grooves of Amapiano, the infectious dance rhythms of Makossa, the jazzy, guitar-led melodies of Highlife, and the politically charged grooves of Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat, the sonic depth and richness of African music have contributed to its place as a global force.
Yet, while the sounds of Lagos, Johannesburg, Accra, Dodoma, and Nairobi continue to reverberate across borders, one region remains surprisingly absent from the continental playlist: North Africa. Despite its vast musical heritage, North African music has struggled to find a foothold beyond the region.
North African music is one of the continent’s most culturally diverse traditions, yet it remains relatively underappreciated across broader Africa. Spanning countries like Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Morocco, the region’s soundscape is shaped by Arab, Berber, and Sub-Saharan influences, and each country has its own unique sonic identity.
Unique musical traditions of North Africa
Algeria is recognised for raï, an urban genre that emerged and found global success through musicians like Cheb Khaled. Egypt is regarded as the music capital of North Africa, with legends like Abdel Halim Hafez and Umm Kulthum shaping its classical tradition, while styles like shaabi and el gil represent its modern evolutions.
North African music tells stories of identity, resistance, and spiritual expression. Music is an essential part of cultural preservation, and it’s often performed during seasonal festivals. The Tuareg people, a group spread across southern Algeria and Libya, offer guitar-driven “Desert Blues” that discuss exile and freedom.
Evolution has not left North African music untouched. Since the 2000s, especially in Tunisia and Morocco, younger artists have fused traditional sounds with genres like hip hop, reggae, and electronic music. In Tunisia, Weld El 15 and others used hip hop as a political tool during and after the revolution. Morocco’s gnawa, a spiritual and percussive genre born from enslaved West Africans, gained international fame, with artists like Maâlem Mahmoud Gania even collaborating with global jazz musicians. Meanwhile, raï continues to evolve in Europe, where diaspora artists like Bayou, Saint Levant, and Felukah blend it with trap, R&B, funk, and pop.
Barriers to Pan-African resonance
Despite its richness and reach in places like France, North African music still struggles to find resonance across Sub-Saharan Africa, often due to linguistic, religious, and cultural differences, as well as a lack of representation in pan-African media and music platforms. But as streaming continues to bridge geographic divides and global interest in African sounds grows, there’s hope that more listeners will look north for a vibrant, evolving musical culture that deserves a central place in African music.
One of the most immediate barriers is language. North African music is primarily performed in Arabic and French. Languages that are not widely spoken or understood in different regions of sub-Saharan Africa. In contrast, sub-Saharan artists often sing in English, Swahili, Yoruba, Zulu, or pidgin, which resonate more with pan-African audiences. This linguistic disconnect makes it harder for listeners in other parts of Africa to connect emotionally or understand the messages behind North African music.
North Africa also has strong ties to Arab and Islamic culture, which influences everything from fashion to themes and aesthetics. While Islam is practised widely across sub-Saharan Africa, the cultural expressions are different. Sub-Saharan Africa is incredibly diverse—spiritually, linguistically, and culturally. This divergence affects what people relate to in music. Themes, values, and even performance styles in North African music often don’t mirror what audiences are used to in the South, which can create a barrier to adoption.
Structural and cultural challenges
The African music industry is also highly regionalised. There’s no unified distribution system, media platforms that connect North African artists with sub-Saharan markets and vice versa. African/international media coverage, award shows, radio airplay, and playlists often prioritise the dominant sounds of Afrobeats and Amapiano. As a result, North African artists are rarely part of the wider African music conversation unless they break into international markets first.
Sonically, North African music draws from old traditions. The rhythms and instrumentation are distinct from the percussion-heavy and dance-oriented styles that dominate sub-Saharan music. While fusion is possible and even desirable, the unfamiliar textures of North African music can be a challenge for listeners accustomed to Afropop and Amapiano. North Africans are more likely to engage with the Arab music industry than the sub-Saharan industry due to aligned cultural identities, shared beliefs, and similar musical styles.
In today’s music ecosystem, collaborations are a key driver of cross-border success. Nigerian artists working with South African artists, or Tanzanian singers featuring Nigerian artists, are commonplace and effective in tapping into different audiences. But North African artists are often left out of this loop. The lack of musical exchange has created a vacuum where cultural and sonic understanding might have grown.
The path to greater integration
North Africa also has strong ties to its Arab cultural influence and the Middle East. This is perceived even by other Africans as separate. This marginalisation from the broader African music identity means North African voices are often left out of the pan-African narrative, even when they deserve to be part of it.
None of this suggests North African music is subpar or lacking in potential. The region’s musical traditions are rich and deeply influential in other parts of the world. But for that richness to resonate across Africa, there needs to be more intentional integration, more collaborations, cultural exchanges, and curated playlists that bring together diverse sounds from every region.
As Africa’s creative economy grows and its borders become porous through digital platforms, there’s hope that the music of the North will someday find a more prominent place in the heart of the continent. Until then, there’s work to be done in bridging the gap between the Sahara and the subcontinent.
