Art and music

          About 2200 years ago began the migration of black people from North Africa and began the first settlements humans in the region.  The variety of settlements, urban structures and construction forms was diversifying in function of the different climates, accessible materials to build, ways of life of every people and technical advances. Regarding the ornamentation in many cases was influenced by religious or magical ideas of their builders. South Africa has a rich architectural heritage which contributed all cultural groups in the country: simple huts made from branches and straw huts of various kinds of mud and Totora used by rural towns. Farmer’s simple houses, whitewashed walls and gables that gave life to the simple but extraordinary architecture of rural towns, the styles functional and attractive Malay Quarter Cape Town, and the houses decorated Cape Dutch style.

South Africa has a rich architectural heritage which contributed all cultural groups in the country: simple huts made with branches and straw of Khoisan people, huts of various kinds of mud and reeds used by rural villages, simple houses of farmers who raising cattle, whitewashed walls and gables that gave life to the simple architecture of rural villages, functional and attractive styles Malay Quarter of Cape Town, and the ornate Dutch style houses Cabo.

The history of the South African dance come from the Stone Age, the artists decorated their caverns with native paint about their environment. The painting is used like a decorative form to paint mask and sculpture until twentieth century.

The tendencies are based on nationalism, ethnicity, or political moment of the country. After the Second War began to emerge new style considered expressionist tightly related with old African art.

On the other hand about the sculpture the South African people used the wood as the main element to make the sculpture. The most of the pieces are mask, thrones, stools and others objects. The anthropomorphic figures are other creation related with their gods, ancestors, and magical creatures. The masks are traditionally used in ceremonies of fertility, funerals and religious rituals. Now the materials have varied such as clay, fabric, seed, and animal´s bone.

The handicrafts are sample of art incorporated into everyday life. They manifested their artistic creativity through objects and utensils such as basketry and pottery which are two of the oldest arts of humanity. In the majority of tribal societies, baskets and pots are usually made by women. The domestic containers are constructed with different materials (metal, clay, leather, Gourds) and for different uses. In the design can be appreciate religious character symbols.

More over the African and South African music had been carried by its musician to the entire world especially to Europe and America which emerged styles like blue, jazz, reggae, country, Cuban music and Latin music.

        Its music is connected with the events of daily life such as a birth, social and religious celebrations. The music is shared in community which is accompanied with singing, dance and the instruments.

There are a variety of instruments such as djembe rarely play alone, the dum dum, the loudspeaker , the sanza mbira, the chekeré which is a kind of gourd rattle, the kora which is a kind of mixture between harp and lute.

One of the most notable styles of South Africa is Mbanganga which mix guitars and South African rhythm. The principal representative is Miriam Makeba. Mbaganga is a style of South African rural music.

Moreover the traditional dances are related with season change, births, marriages, deaths and others and there are a variety of rhythms depending ethnic group. There are different types of dance each one with a particular propose.