Sunday, 2 August 2026
A Benin-focused edition of Music of Africa unpacked Chikonme music’s roots in funerals and community ritual, then muddled through technical glitches before ending with a request hour.
Music of Africa · SAfm
- 03:58
Chikonme music was traced to Benin’s Savalou region and the Mahi people, where it grew out of community life and funeral ceremonies as a way to express grief and honour the dead.
- 04:00
The genre was said to be shifting from traditional call-and-response into recordings and digital releases, with Bobo Ware’s 2022 track “Amor La Folie” cited as a modern example.
- 05:22
The second hour turned into a listener request slot after technical difficulties wiped out time; listeners were asked to send favourite African songs by text, not voice note.
- 05:10
The show repeatedly marked SAFM’s 90th anniversary, framing the station as a long-running space for South African conversation through political change and into the present.