The Culture of Africa
The Culture of Africa is varied
and manifold, consisting of a mixture of tribes that each have their own unique
characteristics. It is a product of the diverse populations that today inhabit
the continent of Africa and the African Diaspora. African culture is expressed
in its arts and crafts, folklore and religion, clothing, cuisine, music and
languages. Africa is so full of culture, with it not only changing from one
country to another, but within a single country, many cultures can be
discovered. Even though African cultures are widely diverse, it is also, when
closely studied, seen to have many similarities. For example, the morals they
uphold, their love and respect for their culture as well as the strong respect
they hold for the aged and the important i.e. Kings and Chiefs.
Africa has
influenced and been influenced by other continents. This can be portrayed in
the willingness to adapt to the ever changing modern world rather than staying
rooted to their static culture. The Westernized few, persuaded by European
culture and Christianity, first denied African traditional culture, but with
the increase of African nationalism, a cultural recovery occurred. The
governments of most African nations encourage national dance and music groups,
museums, and to a lower degree, artists and writers.
