CULTURE
Craft
traditions are rich in Benin, where precolonial royal culture
encouraged the creation of a tremendous variety of art. Some of
these art forms, like the bronze heads sculpted centuries ago
by Ife artists, are no longer produced. Other forms provide continuity
with the past. Appliqué tapestries, for example, remain
one of the liveliest of contemporary art forms. Traditionally,
these were created to depict the major events in the lives of
reigning kings, and many fine tapestries that were once paraded
during special occasions are now on display in Benin's museums.
Continuity with the past also comes through a variety of life-affirming
musical styles and traditional dances performed at the most important
moments of community life. Local musicians have also made recordings
in an attempt to spread Beninese culture more widely. One successful
recording artist is Angelique Kidjo, whose first album was called
"Parakou," the name of a town in central Benin that
is a cultural crossroads between the northern Sahel and the southern
coast.
[Source:
Expedition
Earth]
