Recreation and music

The game Oware is quite popular in many parts of West Africa. Soccer is also a pastime enjoyed by many, either spectating or playing. The national teams of some West African nations, especially Nigeria, Ghana and the Ivory Coast, regularly qualify for the World Cup . Music Mbalax , Highlife , Fuji and Afrobeat are all modern musical genres which enjoin listeners in this region. A typical formal attire worn in this region is the flowing Boubou (also known as Agbada and Babariga ), which has its origins in the clothing of nobility of various West African empires in the 12 th century. The Djembe drum, whose origins lie with the Mandinka peoples, is now a popularly played drum among many West African ethnic groups. The Kora is a 21- string harp-lute of Mandinkan origin, played by various groups in the region. The Djembe, Kora, the silk Kente cloth of the Akan peoples of Ghana and the distinct Sudano- Sahelian architectural style seen in the many mosques of the region (see Djenné ), are the primary symbolic icons of West African culture. History