Afro-Pop

This is an informal tag applied to a group of African performers, particularly from the continent's western bulge, who have found themselves among the most popular Worldbeat acts. In the past decade, Senegal's Youssou N'Dour, Mali's Ali Farka Toure, Benin's Angelique Kidjo, and a handful of others have been heard in dance halls around the world and have been booked on global tours. They typically have charismatic stage personalities, and build ensembles that are exotic to Western ears, and strong on rhythm.