Young musicians in African countries are creating a new kind of pop music. The tunes and the rhythms of their music combine African traditions with various forms of music popular today, such as hip-hop, rap, rock, jazz, or reggae. The result is music that may sound familiar to listeners anywhere in the world, but at the same time is distinctly African. It is different also in another way: Many of the songs are very serious and they deal with important social or political issues inAfricatoday.

    Eric Wainaina is one of these African musicians. He grew up inNairobi,Kenya, in a family of musicians. As a teenager, he listened to pop music from theUnited States, and later he moved toBostonto study at the Berklee College of Music. Now he has produced a CD inKenya. Eric"s most popular song, "Land of ‘A Little Something’” is aboutKenya"s problem of bribery, or paying others for illegal favors. He wants people to listen to his songs and think about how to makeKenyaa better place to live.

    Another musician who writes serious songs is Witness Mwaijaga fromTanzania. Her own experiences have helped her understand the suffering of many African women. At the age of fifteen she lost her home, but she was luckier than other homeless young people. She could make a living by writing songs and singing on the street. By the time she was eighteen years old, she had become a star. Her songs are written in rap or hip-hop style about the problems that she sees inTanzania, especially AIDS and the lack of rights for women ¹.

    Baaba Maal, fromSenegal, also feels that pop music must go beyond entertainment. He says that inSenegal, storytellers have always been important people. In the past, they were the ones who kept the history of their people alive. Baaba believes that songwriters now have a similar responsibility. They must write about the world around them and help people understand how it could be better. The words of his songs are important, in fact. They speak of peace and cooperation among Africans, as well as the rights of women, love for one" s family, and saving the environment ².

    One ofSouth Africa"s most popular musicians is Brenda Fassie. She is sometimes compared to Madonna, the American pop star, because she likes to shock people in her shows. But she also likes to make people think. She became famous in the 1980s for her simple pop songs against apartheid. Now that apartheid has ended, her songs are about other issues in South African culture and life. To sing about these, she uses local African languages and a new pop style called kwaito.

    In recent years, people outside ofAfricahave also begun to listen to these young musicians. Through music, the younger generation of Africans are connecting with the rest of the world and, at the same time, influencing the rest of the world. 

词汇： 

reggae /"regei/ n. 瑞格舞（西印度群岛的舞曲）

bribery ["braɪbərɪ] n. 行贿，贿赂

apartheid [əˈpɑ:tˌhaɪt, -ˌheɪt] n. 种族隔离

注释：

1. Her songs are written in rap or hip-hop style about the problems that she sees in Tanzania,especially AIDS and the lack of rights for women.她用嘻哈和说唱的风格写歌，歌曲的内容是坦桑尼亚的各种问题，特别是艾滋和女性权利的缺失。

2. They speak of peace and cooperation among Africans, as well as the rights of women, love forone"s family, and saving the environment.他倡导在非洲要和平与协作，同时也包括妇女权利、热爱家庭和保护环境。

This passage is about how African pop music is

A:usually about love and romance B:more serious than most pop music C:popular with young people in Africa D:mostly written just for entertainment

The subject ______ we are going to turn is about English studies.

A:about which B:with which C:about that D:to which

The passage is mainly about ______.

A:the features of volcanic activities B:the importance of the theory about drifting plates C:the significance of hot spots in geophysical studies D:the process of the formation of volcanoes

This passage is mainly about ______.

A:the New Madrid fault in Missouri B:the San Andreas and the New Madrid faults C:the causes of faults D:current scientific knowledge about faults

The passage is mainly about ______.

A:the features of volcanic activities B:the importance of the theory about drifting plate C:the significance of hot spots in geophysical studies D:the process of the formation of volcanoes

This passage is mainly about ______.

A:a survey of new approaches to art B:a review of Futurist poetry C:about the merits of Futurist poetry D:about laws and requirements of literature

It is useless ______ about this point now.

A:arguing B:to argue about C:to be argued D:to argue

It is useless ______ about this point now.

A:arguing B:to argue about C:to be argued D:to argue