Kwanzaa

The '60s wasn't merely a time to overthrow tradition; it was also an era when one of our most beloved holiday traditions, Kwanzaa, was created. At the height of the black pride/Black Power movement, educator and author Ron Karenga decided to pay tribute to the matunda ya kwanza (or "first fruits") of African culture with a holiday that runs from December 26 to January 1. And what better way to kick it off than with Johnny Clegg & Juluka's mbaqanga tom-tom thunder in "Scatterlings of Africa." Half a world away, in Harlem, James Brown grinds out the funk with a razor-sharp horn section and a gutful of grit in "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud), Pt. 1," demonstrating the second of Kwanzaa's Nguzo Saba (Seven Principles), Kujichagulia (or "self-determination").

If you're wondering about the other six principles, check out Women of the Calabash's honey-dripping harmonies in "Seven Principles," in Next Steps.

In our Next Steps, we trace the roots of Kwanzaa culture from Africa to the New World . . . but to South America, not North. Nobody quite mashes up folk and funk like Senegalese superstar Youssou N'Dour (with a little help from special guest rapper Neneh Cherry) in "Wake Up (It's Africa Calling)," the plink of his ngombi floating over a bass-heavy base of streetwise beats that could knock the windshield right out of a '64 Impala. Occasional Dave Matthews collaborator (and fellow South African) Vusi Mahlasela lays down a simply gorgeous melody in "Everytime," perfectly matched for the smoky-sweet vocal union of his sandpaper tenor with Jem's crystal-bell alto.

In Deep Cuts, we hear from some of the women — one African, one American, one in-between — whose music will make your Kwanzaa sing.

To close out our Kwanzaa celebration, we've chosen three women who — both figuratively and literally — embody the principle of Kuumba, or "Creativity"; one from Africa, one who came to America from Africa, and one who has lived here all her life. The late "Madonna of the Townships," Brenda Fassie, carries the spirit of the seventh principle, Imani (or "Faith"), like a burning torch to "Black President," her tribal-groove homage to South African hero Nelson Mandela. While Aster Aweke was born in Ethiopia, she's lived most of her life in Washington, D.C., and her voice swoops and soars on cross-cultural currents between her native and adopted lands in the high-spirited synth-pop of "Yaz-Oh" (whose subtitle for the linguistically challenged is "Grab It, Get It On"). Finally, Queen Latifah fights for her right — not to party, but to get her brothers' respect — in her golden-age-of-hip-hop hit "U.N.I.T.Y."

Of all our holiday celebrations, the one known as Kwanzaa is by far the newest, but it's already got its own astounding sound, as different from the standard winter musical menu as Nairobi is from New York or Lagos is from L.A. Created in 1967 by author, educator, and activist Ron Karenga, Kwanzaa is a seven-day commemoration of African heritage and culture, running each year from December 26 to January 1. It honors seven basic principles, or Nguzo Saba, that comprise the best of the culture that Africans brought with them to America. And since Kwanzaa is a blend of both African and American traditions, so's our music, from the mbaqanga thunder of Johnny Clegg & Juluka to the sweat-drenched funk of James Brown to the Afrobeat jazz of Femi Kuti. So raise your Kikombe Cha Umoja (Unity Cup) and toast the season's newest holiday with the best music two continents have to offer.