Palm Wine, a central alcoholic beverage in many regions in West Africa, is so central, in fact, that there is a genre of music named after it.
Food is a lot like music. It is an easily accessible touch point to cultures around the world. It can delight us and set a mood. Not only that, but both are frequently exchanged between cultures and locally adapted. Because of this constant exchange, mixing and remixing, they have the ability to tell complex and interwoven stories.
Musical instruments were among some of the items exchanged, as trade between West Africa and Europe began sometime ago. The guitar was among those instruments introduced to West African, now found around the world. This was particularly true in what is now known as Sierra Leon and Liberia. Regionally, the arrival of the guitar spurred the genre dubbed “Palm Wine Music” or Maringa (Sierra Leon), the roots of what would later develop into highlife and the foundations of afrobeats.
The new instrument was combined with the vibrant and smooth local rhythms to create something new. Typically, this genre is enjoyed paired with some freshly tapped palm wine, and like the wine it can be characterized by a similarly relaxing, yet complex experience of enjoyment and delight.
Join us for a mid-week musical adventure and unwind with our palm wine playlist. We explore the roots of this genre in places like Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria, while also high lighting the progressive and modern impact.