music forms
Afghanistan – Attan Music
Accompanies the national dance, featuring rhythmic drumming and circular movements, symbolizing unity and strength.
Albania – Iso-Polyphony
A multipart vocal music tradition characterized by drone and melody, reflecting communal harmony.
Argentina – Tango Music
A passionate genre combining European and African influences, central to Argentine cultural identity.
Armenia – Duduk Music
Features the duduk, a double-reed woodwind instrument, producing soulful melodies emblematic of Armenian heritage.
Australia – Aboriginal Didgeridoo Music
Utilizes the didgeridoo, a wind instrument, to create deep, resonant sounds integral to ceremonial practices.
Austria – Yodeling
A form of singing involving rapid pitch changes, traditionally used in Alpine communities for communication
Azerbaijan – Mugham
A complex art form combining classical poetry and musical improvisation, reflecting Azerbaijani cultural values.
Bangladesh – Baul Songs
Mystical folk songs performed by Baul singers, emphasizing spiritual themes and humanism.
Belarus – Duda Music
Features the duda, a type of bagpipe, central to Belarusian folk traditions.
Belgium – Carillon Music
Involves playing a set of bells in a tower, producing melodic tunes that resonate across town
Bhutan – Zhungdraa
A traditional Bhutanese genre characterized by extended vocal tones and religious themes.
Bolivia – Saya Music
An Afro-Bolivian genre combining African rhythms with Andean instruments, reflecting cultural fusion.
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Sevdalinka
Often referred to as the “Balkan Blues,” Sevdalinka is a traditional love song genre that combines Ottoman musical elements with South Slavic poetry, reflecting the region’s complex history.
Bulgaria – Visoko Multipart Singing
A traditional practice of multipart singing unique to the Bulgarian villages of Dolen and Satovcha, characterized by high-pitched harmonies.
Cambodia – Pinpeat Ensemble
A traditional Khmer musical ensemble featuring wind and percussion instruments, performed in royal and religious ceremonies.
Cameroon – Makossa
An urban music style blending traditional Cameroonian rhythms with modern instruments.
aCanada – Inuit Throat Singing (Katajjaq)
A vocal game traditionally performed by Inuit women, involving rhythmic inhalations and exhalations to create unique sound patterns.
Chile – Cueca Music
Accompanies the national dance, featuring guitar, harp, and percussion, symbolizing courtship rituals
China – Guqin Music
Features the guqin, a seven-stringed zither, producing subtle and meditative melodies integral to Chinese scholarly traditions.
Côte d'Ivoire – Zaouli Music
A popular music and dance practiced by the Guro communities, combining sculpture, weaving, music, and dance.
Croatia – Becarac Singing
A form of folk music requiring quick wit and improvisation, often involving humorous and topical lyrics.
Cuba – Puntovv
The poetry and music of Cuban agricultural workers, consisting of a tune or melody over which a person sings an improvised or learned stanza.vvvv
Colombia – Cumbia
A musical genre blending Indigenous, African, and Spanish influences, characterized by its rhythmic percussion and flutes.
Czech Republic – Bohemian Polka
A lively dance music genre originating in Bohemia, characterized by its 2/4 time signature.
Denmark – Inuit Drum Dancing and Singing
Traditional forms of Inuit artistic expression in Greenland, involving rhythmic drumming and lyrical narration.
Dominican Republic – Merenguea
A fast-paced music and dance genre combining African and European elements, central to Dominican culture.
Ecuador – Pasillo
A slow, melancholic genre often referred to as the “national music of Ecuador,” featuring guitar and mandolin.
Egypt – Mawlawiyah Music
Accompanies the Sufi whirling dervishes, featuring spiritual chants and traditional instruments.
Estonia – Leelo Singing
A traditional Seto polyphonic singing style performed by women, emphasizing communal harmony.
Ethiopia – Azmari Music
Performed by Azmaris, traditional Ethiopian musicians who use instruments like the masenqo to sing improvised songs about social and political issues.
Finland – Kantele Music
Features the kantele, a traditional Finnish string instrument, central to Finnish folklore and national identity.
Colombia – Cumbia
A musical genre blending Indigenous, African, and Spanish influences, characterized by its rhythmic percussion and flutes.
France – Chanson Française
A lyric-driven French song style, often addressing themes of love, society, and politics.
Georgia – Polyphonic Singing
A complex vocal tradition involving multiple independent melody lines, reflecting Georgian cultural identity.
Germany – Volksmusik
Traditional German folk music featuring regional instruments and dialects, often performed at festivals.
Ghana – Highlife
A music genre that blends traditional Akan rhythms with Western instruments, influential in West African popular music.
Greece – Rebetiko
century-old beloved Greek musical tradition, often called “the blues of Greece,” expressing themes of love, exile, and rebellion.
Greenland – Inuit Drum Dancing and Singing
Traditional forms of Inuit artistic expression involving rhythmic drumming and lyrical narration, symbolizing community and continuity.
Guatemala – Marimba Music
Features the marimba, a percussion instrument, producing melodies central to Guatemalan celebrations.
Hungary – Táncház Music
A movement to revive traditional Hungarian folk music and dance, where communities gather to learn and perform together.
Iceland – Rímur
Epic narrative poems chanted in a specific melodic style, a cornerstone of Icelandic oral tradition.
India – Hindustani Classical Music
A tradition of North Indian classical music characterized by raga and tala systems.
Indonesia – Gamelan
An ensemble of percussive instruments, including metallophones and drums, central to Indonesian ceremonies.
Iran – Radif
A collection of old melodic figures preserved through oral tradition, forming the basis of Persian classical music.
Ireland – Uilleann Piping
Involves playing Irish music on a particular type of bagpipe known as the ‘uilleann’, offering a sense of rootedness and connection to the past
Italy – Canto a Tenore
A style of pastoral singing developed in Sardinia, characterized by deep, guttural tones achieved by a group of four men
Jamaica – Reggae
Originating in the late 1960s, reggae combines elements of ska and rocksteady, often addressing social and political themes.
