What are the styles of African jazz?
The dominant African jazz style is style jazz Congolais. Prominent exponents of this style such as the bands African Jazz (1950s and 60s), T.P. OK Jazz aka Bana Ok (late 1950s onwards) and solo artists such as Tabu Ley Rochereau, Madilu System and Mbilia Bel have been the most popular and influential jazz acts across most of Sub Saharan Africa and have spawned numerous imitators and local styles. For example, styles derived from or closely related to style jazz Congolais can be found in Cameroun, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Benin, Guinea and Mali . However, style jazz Congolais and related styles are usually omitted from historical accounts of jazz and are rarely marketed as jazz outside Africa because they are the most African in African jazz and have the least direct influence from African American jazz. For this very reason it is arguable that style jazz Congolais and related styles are the most significant contribution that Africa has made to jazz i.e. a contribution which is distinct
