AFRICA is fast bridging the digital divide that had characterised the continent in the 1990s, with innovations that will enable it to market the continent worldwide. The creation of an interactive and user-friendly website to market African music is one of the latest innovations from Africa and is creating excitement among mobile phone users and service providers.

With a username and password one can download unlimited authentic ring tones, real and mp3 music of musicians and styles and genres of the various African countries, from the Horn of Africa to the Cape of Good Hope.

A few of the tones that could be ringing on mobile phones across the world include: South Africa’s mbaqanga, bube and iskathamiya; Zimbabwes jit, shona and chimurenga; Zaire’s soukous; Nigeria’s juju, afro beat and fiyi; Algerias wahrani; Malis kora and Ghana’s highlife and hip life. Songs featured on the site include Kpekple, Angelina, Msindo, Amirika, Kiss your bride, Dance the body music, Fofo nye Feme, Pata Pata, Dadadidaa, Africa woman, which just won an award, and Afika Mato.

As a marketing tool for African musicians, both established and new, there is a built-in feature which enables them to interact with visitors to the site and, using access passwords, they can monitor the number of hits to the site and circulation of a particular song.

This innovation is expected to create excitement not only among users of mobile phones in Africa, but also across the world as the continents music is sought after worldwide.

Mobile phones now outnumber landlines in Africa at a higher ratio than on any other continent, says a USA think tank. A report by the Worldwatch Institute in Washington said mobile services had dramatically increased access to phones in Africa. Access to mobile phones in Africa has transformed communications for many businesses, which had long complained about unreliable and costly land lines.

Joey Nana-Asare and Samuel Doe Ablordeppey.Sam is the business page writer for the Daily Graphic in Ghana and Joey is the webmaster for http://www.ringringtonesafrica.com , For more information about this uniquely entertaining and informative about what is coming from the HORN OF AFRICA TO THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE Visit the site http://www.ringringtonesafrica.com.