Discovery Map
West Africa
Rhythms that moved the world
Legends of West Africa
Fela Kuti
1960s–1997
The Black President. Music as revolution.
Toumani Diabaté
1987–2024
71 generations of kora mastery.
Lessons · West Africa
Introduction to Afrobeat
Understand what Afrobeat is, where it came from, and why its groove carries meaning.
Rhythm Foundations
Internalise the steady pulse and off-beat placement that define the Afrobeat pocket.
Polyrhythms
Hear and play two independent rhythmic patterns at the same time.
Call and Response
Use call-and-response phrasing between a lead line and an answering part.
Building an Afrobeat Groove
Combine everything so far into one cohesive, layered Afrobeat groove.
The Griot Tradition
Understand the griot tradition Toumani was born into and why it matters.
Kora Fundamentals
Learn how the kora is built and how it produces several voices together.
Storytelling Through Music
Shape instrumental playing to tell a story with rise, climax, and resolution.
Rhythmic Conversation
Play interlocking rhythmic parts that answer one another like a dialogue.
Performance Practice
Combine tradition, narrative, and interlocking rhythm into a complete performance.