Hacker News thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31939013
Funnily enough I had a phase during the iPod years where most of my playlist were country music songs
Nowadays I just listen to the music that is the sound of my own screams
If you’ve spent time in rural sub Saharan Africa one thing that might shock you is the popularity of American country music to the point where you can’t go to a bar, party, or wedding without avoiding it 🧵
The moment American county music reached Africa in the 70s it became instantly popular in the Anglophone so much so that many African singers at the time tried to emulate 70s American country singers
One of the most popular anti-apartheid albums in west Africa in the 80s was an attempt by local singers at making their variant of American country music
“Country themed” weddings are especially popular in rural parts of Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe even adopting country line dancing
Of course the question why is American country music popular with rural Africans of all people? Well it’s mostly because it’s the only foreign music they can relate to. Compare this contemporary Zimbabwean country music and you’ll see many similar themes to American country music
Rural Africans are socially conservative farmers and ranchers so naturally music about cows and trucks speaks more to them than pop or hip hop especially if it gives them an excuse to wear their cowboy hats and boots
The popularity of American country music can even be seen in arguably the most popular music genre in anglophone sub Saharan Africa that being Christian worship music with the integration of country style melodies
And to the converse Africans have added in their own styles and instruments to covers of American country music. So if you ever find yourself in rural Africa don’t be surprised by how popular Johnny Cash and Hank Williams are !
And one more for fun from the rural west of Kenya
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