Country Music

Arms akimbo and let your feet flow with the beats. You can do the polka or waltz; the beats are on the same rhythm. Country music though founded in the rural areas of the whites in America is now in every music lover’s home around the world.
It gained importance with singers like Jimmie Rodgers and The Cater Family and recently by youngsters who have added their own style that make it acceptable by people of different lifestyles.
The music is said to have descended by the native tribes of the Southern Appalachian Mountains that moved into South America. There were the Mexican, Spanish, groups from central Europe and the British Isles, as these communities mixed with one another, their customs and traditions were strongly mixed. The traits that were founded between them then lived and became their customs. The Appalachian bands of the 20th century mostly played with the fiddle, banjo and guitar.
The other instruments include the dulcimer of German origin, the mandolin from Italy, the African banjo and the guitar of Spanish fame. Included in them were the accordian that was invented in Italy. The music from this instrument was so loud that it could fill the dance hall without any microphones. Dance halls were built by the Germans and Czechs so that the entire community could meet after a hard day’s farming work.
As the communities spread to the northern parts with the industrial revolution the music followed them and so more and more people were made aware of the unique Texas style music.
In the 1930s and the 40’s the church music and the blues influenced the music. The lyrics were those of heartbreak, poverty, homesickness that made the common man relate to it and want to hear it again and again. The Nashville style of singing also enjoyed a huge popularity base. Other musicians employed a colourful orchestra as the background music.
New singers tried to bring in a dash of their character that led to sub-genres of country music, which includes a different style of execution in chord structure and rhythms. To name some would be Nashville sound, fast mandolin, blue grass, fiddle based and the banjo centric.
Jimme Rodgers is known as the Father of Country Music as he had entered the hearts of young and old alike. The common man or the rich man, everyone was moved by his music. He sang about people he met in the bars, farmers, hard work, success and the regular way of life that could relate to one and all. Every year in May Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Festival is held since 1953 to revere the king of country music.
The Carter Family, Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, Vernon Dalhart, Hohhny Cash, Wilf Carter, Jean Sherpard were a few who earned their name in country music. Patsy Montana was the first lady who set her vocals on country music and she was a hit by selling 1 million copies. Till date country music is much in demand as it was decades ago.

Instrumental Music

Music that consists of no vocals is known as instrumental music. There are mainly 2 kinds of instrumental music, hip-hop and rock and roll. But you could cut off the words from any song and play the music, it is nothing but instrumental then.
Sometimes just music sounds soothing and relaxes the soul; you could hear it all day tirelessly and fall off to sleep. Infact instrumental music is the perfect way to put yourself to sleep. Even babies can be put to sleep with instrumental music instead of lullabies.
The music that is crafted is either of the DJ or the producer. The DJ breaks up the percussion from the funk and disco as the beats are what gets you to shake your leg. He would play 2 copies of a song and mix it on a turntable. Bringing beats of the song simultaneously keeping the rhythm and energy intact.
As the people began to applaud the music style, more and more got in to the profession of DJing. Sometimes the DJ would speak over the music, introducing himself and a little about the song. Slowly this transformed to rapping and the MC would rap away at the breaks of the music.
This in the modern world is known as rapping what the entire western world has taken up to it. The music beats here keep you going on and on and on, till the break of dawn.
Another style of instrumental music is rock and roll where many instruments or just a few that is a minimum of two instruments are used to create music. For instance Kennyh G is well known for playing the saxophone. He has had such a good hand at it and taste for music that he is renowned world over.
Other artists include Joe Satriani, The Venturers, Dick Dale, Steve Vai and Booker T.  who have earned themselves a reputation. Vanessa Mae is known for her violin skills. She plays till your heat melts. Other individuals include bands that have done successfully in instrumental music like Metallica, The Allman Brothers and Rush.
So around the globe be it the westerns or the Far East, be it individuals or groups instrumental music has created a niche for itself, with a market that is fairly balanced. Some music aficionados prefer a certain type of music by a certain type of instrument only.
Hence even in instrumental music there are inroads of instruments that solely play the main role. Some of them include piano, saxophone, guitar, sitar and the flute. These instruments played individually sound soothing and do not require another instrument for accompaniment. They can hold you by the ears as long as you want them to.
In India the tabla too has made a name for itself, professionals bend it to the best of any rhythm, infact there are some instrumental shows where the notes of one instrument is responded with another. So be it the tabla verses the sitar or the tabla verses the guitar, the symphony of music that flows can blow you off your feet.

Ethiopian Music

Ethiopia’s ethnic diversity has closely been associated with some unique and often indigenous sounds. Ethiopia is a long established and accepted musical country. Ethiopian music has been open to all kinds of music influences, even from the West. The people listen and accept traditional folk music to the latest popular styles. Brass bands also became largely popular during the reign of Haile Selassie. From the 1950’s till the 70’s, Ethiopian music incorporated some of the biggest names in the music industry namely Alemu Aga, Kassa Tessema, Bezunesh Bekele, Mulatu Astatke, Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, Hirut Bekele, Kiros Alemayehu, Tilahun Gessesse and Mary Armede. Leading and well known Ethiopian record labels included Amha Records, Kaifa Records, and Philips-Ethiopia.
However things changed for this famine ridden country by the coming of communist dictator Mengitsu between 1974 and 1991who reduced the people and their culture. Music that was recorded during this time frame gained prominence only after 1991 with the fall of Mengitsu’s regime. Following Mengitsu’s communist restructuring one of them involved the banning of all vinyl recordings of music.
Well known musician Alemayehu Eshete, in support of African freedom fighters composed songs to show his solidarity and support to their cause, which was later on followed by other musical artists such as Dawit Melese, Chachi Tadesse and Zeleke Gessesse. Unfortunately Ethiopia’s entry into the international music scene hasn’t been large. Gigi a prominent Ethiopian singer received international acclaim and soon brought Ethiopian music to popular attention. Bolel a sort of blues-like music has largely been popularized by Tigist Assefa, Tedje and Admassou Abate.
International acclaim came in the form of Reggae and Rastafarianism. Most reggae artists are linked to this sect and the name Rastafarianism comes from Haile Selassie's pre-coronation title and family name. Ziggy Marley’s – Conscious party, spoke about the influence Ethiopia had on reggae. His son the best known reggae artist ever is none other than Bob Marley.
Ethiopian music is culturally rich and diverse and goes back cultures. Ethiopians used a style called qenet which was further broken into four types namely - tezeta, bati, ambassel, and anchihoy. This music comes either in monophonic, polyphonic and heterophonic as well. Musical instruments also fall under various categories.
Chordophones include a one-string bowed lute; the krar, a six-string lyre; and the begena, a large ten-string lyre. Aerophones include a washint; trumpet-like instruments include like malakat, holdudwa, Embilta and fanta, or pan flutes. Idiophones include the senasel which is a sistrum, maqwamiya, dawal and Metal leg rattles. Membranophones include a kebero, nagarit and a Gurage.
Some forms of traditional music were also strongly inclined by Arabic and folk music from different parts of Africa. Christian and other religious associations also played a large role in shaping Ethiopia’s musical heritage. Hence when you hear Ethiopian music you hear hints of music from different lands which is a delight to the ear. Northeastern Ethiopia gave rise to a form of music known as manzuma whereas in the Ethiopian highlands the azmaris gave rise to traditional secular music.

Greek Music

Greek music is a legacy by itself. Like the Greek culture that had reached its peak even its music has enjoyed the heights of popularity in and around the area.
It begins from the ancient world when theatre was the heart of the country. But only dialogues were not entertaining and hence music was invented. Changes in the style of music occurred as different empires came to reign in the country.
In the beginning it was only men that could sing and perform in theatres. Later women too were allowed to sing and mixed gender choruses reverberated in music halls. The instruments then used were the double reed aulos, the lyre and the special one of its kind called the kithara.
Not only was the Greek culture influential it was also the music that was influenced, thus their notational system in music was wide spread in Greece. Not only Rome but even the western world is known to have used the musical modes created by the Greeks.
Music was such an important aspect in Greece that children were taught music form the age of six. No doubt by the time they grew up they knew much more about music; how to compose, create etc.
They even owned music cafes in Istanbul and Izmir where they were bands that were led by female vocalists. The music was played on a typical sandouri and the violin. Well known musicians were Agapios Tomboulis, Marika Papagika, Rita Abatzi and Rosa Eskenazi.
During the reign of the Byzantine Empire, the Byzantine music grew that encompassed liturgical songs. It was inspired by the monophonic vocals that had been brought in by the Christians in cities like Alexandrina, Ephesus and Antioch.
Ancient Greek music basically comprised of Akritic and Kleptic music. Akrtic music was born of the border guards during the Byzantine Empire. With the end of this empire the Kleptic music rose by the Kleftes who were warriors against the Ottoman Empire.
Modern music was quickly swallowed by the Greeks with Eptanissan music that became the saga of the modern world in Greece. Due to the rule of the Ottoman that ruled Greece for over 4 centuries, they had already missed the Renaissance. On the other hand the Ionian islands that were ruled by Italians were flourishing against the stark contrast of poverty that lived in the Ottoman dictated areas.
As relationships with neighbouring countries like Turkey and the Middle East bettered, music was blended in different languages. There were duets sung by Greeks and Turks and they were a hit from day one. Singers like Sarbel have songs translated from Arabic to Greek. Songs are now easily translated from Greek to Arabic, from Arabic to Greek and Turkish. As the music is very similar in these regions due to the ancient influences, the slight variations, different languages bring in are always welcome by the public, giving it a huge fan following.
Greek music is documented from time immemorial, leafing through them one can see the sea change that has come in from the ancient world to the modern harmony. Yet there remain traces of the early music with modes, melodies and indigenous instruments that give you a feel of the ancient and the modern world.

Thai Music

Thailand’s links to the music world are closely connected with that of India and China. Although never colonized by Western imperial powers, Thailand still owes a large of its musical influences to European and American music. Thai’s musical lineage followed a more oral tradition where its distinctive music is said to be a mere 700 years old.  This is because only during the Ayuthaya period did Thai music gain prominence. However with the fall of the dynasty and the burning of its art collections and historical literature by Rama I, the history of Thai music suffered a huge blow.
To get back to the fundamentals of Thai music right; it is made of seven equal notes, with its tempo being firm and balanced. Melody in the song is horizontal by structure followed by slower and faster tempos. Tones and semi tones are also incorporated in their music similar to the Western style on musical notes. Importance and prominence is also given to a pulse or group of pulses in the conclusion of a musical beat. However Thailand’s musical notations and compositions are also extremely complicated and difficult to learn. Musical instruments would include the flute, piano, percussion instruments, stings and gongs.
Classical Thai musical instruments largely constituted various percussion instruments like the piphat, such as woodwind while the khruang sai is made up of string instruments. Classical instruments such as phin, sang, pichanai, krachap pi, chakhe were well known and after making contact with the West, the drums, violin and piano were promoted as well. Thai’s musical instruments have been drawn from India and other countries while molding and adapting it into their own unique styles. Music was also contributed through short stories which later on became songs and are still used in many play adaptations today.
Thai country music, better known as Pleng luk thung, spoke about the lifestyles of rural Thailand. Some if its big stars include Ponsri Woranut, Suraphol Sombatcharoen and Pumpuang Duangjan. More Lam or folk music is another distinct genre which involves rhythmic vocals and an up-tempo feel to it. However interpretation of a mor lam vary as there exists about fifteen regional interpretations already.  In the 1930’s Western musical influence slowly started gaining prominence with a wide variety ad kinds of musical fields like jazz, tango and even classical Western music. Western rock growing slowly in the 60’s saw the emergence of a new kind of pop genre known as string. Gaining popularity with the masses, it led to the emergence of bubble gum artists as well like Tata Young and Asanee & Wasan. Thai pop also saw the emergence of Christina Aguilar, often mistaken for the well known US songstress Christina Aguilera, and who is considered to be one of the top Thai pop/rock artists in Thai’s musical lineage.
The very well known Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra covered under the royal patronage, has had a big influence in nurturing the talents of Thai artists and also endeavoring to achieve national and international recognition. They aim for quality and perfection and promote arts and culture as well. The Thai royal family has also added to the rich heritage of Thai music by patronizing it within their families itself. Well known jazz player his Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, has many accolades to his credit including original compositions as well, one of which went on to be featured on Broadway.

Iranian music

From ancient times till date, Iranians have continued to place emphasis on poetry and other forms of music. Monophonic in nature, it usually consists of a soloist or a duet with an accompaniment. Iranian classical music has a whole set of melodies known as the Radif, seven larger connotations known as the Dastagh and five smaller sub-sets known as avaz or maqam. The term "Khonyâ-ye Bâstâni Irâni" is better known today as Iranian Classical Music. However performances are more often improvisations to other various melodic theoretical precedents. These melodies are known as gushe-s which is grouped together in a form. Performance is based on the idea of a suite or a collection of classical poetry, certain instruments and various musical compositions.
With poetry available from ancient times till the present day, one has a large choice to choose from. However sometimes based on the performance the gushe-s may have a slower rhythm or an improvised one. These have been passed down from one generation to another, from ancient Persia to present day Iran. The vocalist also has to set the tempo and the mood for the Dastagh. After the Sassanid era, where Iranian music was made to grow and develop, with the advent of Islam many modes and melodies disappeared due to the biases which Islam had against music.
Iranian classical music consists of various modes which have to be by-hearted and memorized thoroughly. More spiritual than recreational, this was largely because of the growing Sufi influence along with holy lyrics from religious texts. Some of the Sufi poets who wrote were Hafez and Jalal-e Din Rumi.
Instruments used in general included the setar which were widely used by Sufi mystics. The santur similar to the Indian santur, the ney, the kamancheh and the violin and oud were popular. These instruments are much brighter and louder while the vocalists have a deep rich voice. Popular vocalists alive today are Mohammad Reza Shajarian, Shahram Nazeri, Shajarian, Afsaneh Rasaei, Hamed Nikpay, Ali Jahandar and Mahsa, while some bands would include Hamavayan Ensemble, Aref ensemble, Masters of Persian Music, Shakila's group: winner of Persian Academy Awards International, Chakavak Ensemble, Bijan Vakili and Mehrbanou Goudarzi group, Radif ensemble and many more.
Many Iranians today also play to an international audience such as Lily Afshar, a world class classical performer, Loris Tjeknavorian, principal conductor to the Rudaki Opera House Orchestra, Zubin Mehta though he is of Iranian decent he is a world-famous classical conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
Iran has also been introduced the latest genres like pop, rock, alternative, etc. The Iranian Revolution was a dark time for Iranian pop music with many artists leaving and moving to the United States of America. These would include Vigen Derderian, Dariush Eghbali, Siavash Ghomeyshi, Hayedeh, Homeirah. Iranian rock is performed underground and has various Western influences like the Doors, Dire Straights and others. Iranians new generation have also been exposed to hip hop, rap and electronic music. Iranian folk music is another genre which has merged with Western music and connotations to come out with different sounds and styles. Folk instruments largely different from classical ones, have a uniqueness which can be seen in the diversity of the different ethnic groups which exist in Iran.

Arabic Music

Arabic music has suddenly mesmerised people all over the world. It has ascended to a level of compatibility with people of other ethnics and religion. The industry has also been able to capture the western market with the music and lyrics like never before.
Well one can also see the imprints on the Indian music industry as today Arabic music is introduced in the verse and sometimes even in the chorus.
How has this industry gotten big all of a sudden, to know more read on.
Arabic music in the early centuries was greatly influenced by Egyptians, Sumerians and Assyrians. Most of the instruments used today are the modern versions of what it was in the decades gone by.
The main characteristics of Arabic music are florid ornamentation, modal homophony and modal rhythm. There were only eight modes in the beginning but were increased to 12 modes in the 11th century.  They were called maqamat by the 13th century.
Ornamentation in Arabic music is the use of shakes and trills, appoggiaturas and grace notes. The vocal music that was used, had a lot of words and verses were repeated after a small melody which was ornamented elaborately.
The main form of music in the Arab worlds as we know is the ‘namba’ – this included verses that were introduced by ornamented music and flowed accordingly. This form is known to have originated in the Abbasid court. The instruments used to create the music were the short-necked lute known as the ud, there is also the long necked lute known as the tambur.
This style is still used today in most of the Arabic countries and if one listens to the music of various regions, one will realise that that similarities are very common. Infact the music seems to be the extremely similar. This is because of similar musical instruments being used.
Ud, is one of the most important instrument in Arab music. It actually means a branch of wood as it is made of it and has only four strings. 2 strings more were added to it by the fifteenth century. It looks like a sliced pear and is played with a plectrum that is usually made from the feather of an eagle. Due to its enchanting mellow sound it is known as the king of instruments in the Arab world.
The tablah comes in line as the next most important instrument. It is a small drum that is played by the hand. Different sounds emanate when it is tapped at different locations, you could even get a loud or soft sound depending on the strength of the strike and the part of the hand that touches it.
Another important instrument is the qanum – it is the harp used in ancient Egypt. Around 81 strings are attached with space after every 3 strings. This instrument unlike the other is placed on the ground and the strings are plucked from it creating sounds that no instrument can emulate.
The daff or the English word tambourine is another necessity to the Arabic music. Be it slow or fast songs, its jingle adds a dash of essence. This percussion instrument is so easy to learn and use, that singers normally held it in their hand to add some zing to every beat.

Ukrainian Music

Formerly a member of the all powerful Soviet Union, Ukraine’s music today is considered to be well connected to the “Cossacks baroque”. To gain a musical education, centers for learning included the Glukhiv singing school and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. D.Bortnyansky, M.Berezovsky and A.Vedel are just a few names of great artists who spread Ukrainian music. Even though their education meant that they had become knowledgeable in the European styled music, they never stopped emphasizing Ukraine’s melodic traditions and created masterpieces with their compositions and lyrics. In many Slavic churches, spiritual music composed by them is still played. Development in the musical field also lead to the emergence of cappella choir music, made popular by modern day Ukraine.
In the city of Chernihiv in Ukraine, archaeologists found mammoth tusks which were considered to be the first musical instruments made in Ukraine. Ukrainians can also be divided into different regional groups owing to their large ethnic population consisting of Russians, Poles, Slovaks, Hungarians, Greeks, Bulgarians, Armenians, Germans and Jews as well. With so many influences coming up, Ukrainian music has developed its own unique musical traditions borrowing from these ethnic groups.
Ukrainian court musicians used to play and perform in front of Polish kings and leaders from other royal houses. The country’s music stood for national history and culture and was widely depicted in its ballads and performances. Festivals to promote music in Ukraine include: “Perlyny Sezonu”, “Tavrijski Igry”, “Chaika”, “Chervona Ruta”, that give youngsters a chance to showcase their talents. It was because of these festivals that talents such as “Okean Elzy”, “Tanok na Majdani Kongo”, “Green Grey”, “Tartak were discovered and have been performing locally as well as internationally.
The evident characteristic of Ukrainian folk music is its use of minor keys. Being at the main crossroad between Asia and Europe, Ukraine one can say has received the best of both the worlds in terms of musical expressions like rhythm and harmony.  Harmonically because of the use of compound meters, Ukrainian music can be complex. It is also based on medieval modes. There are also different styles such as solo singing sung at wakes, solo singing with an instrument known as kobzari or lirnyky and the a cappella chorus group involving polyphony/heterophony/harmony without any instrument.
Traditional instruments include the the kobza (lute), the sopilka (duct flute), bandura, torban (bass lute), violin, resheto (tambourine) and drymba/varghan (Jaw harp). The trembita was another ritual instrumental music used by the Hutsuls to signify birth and death. Folk choirs also came to be accepted as the norm around the cities. Also popular Traditional Music of non-Ukrainain ethnic minorities is that of Jewish Klezmer music, which is not only rich and artistically creative but its compositions make it stand apart. Even Russian music has got some new improvisations in Ukraine. Classical Ukrainian music is well represented by V.Lukianets, Valentyn Pyvovarov, Roman Mayboroda and Taras Shtonda.
Western pop music has been on Ukraine’s music scene ever since the 60’s. A group named Kobza saw the emergence of folk rock bands in the 70’s. Other groups and artists who grew to prominence were Medikus, Smerichka, Volodymyr Ivasiuk, Iryna Bilyk, Oleksandr Ponomariov, Sofia Rotaru and Nazariy Yaremchuk. A Ukrainian singer by the name of Ruslana took away the coveted “Eurovision – 2004” award.

Swahili music

It is from the eastern coast of Africa where the Swahili civilization sprang up and grew in to what is today Kenya’s offering of a vast variety and diversity of popular music forms. Popular forms of music besides Swahili include Benga, hip hop, reggae, soul, soukous, rock and roll, funk and Europop. The guitar is considered to be the soul of musical instruments across all genres in continental African music; however they also use bass and percussions.
With the emergence of radio and television broadcasters Swahili music artists’ performances began to be aired live. The lyrics of various music artists would vary between Swahili and Lingala, but other tribal languages were not given much importance and hence there was no scope for development. Many night clubs in Nairobi started playing rumba music which was very trendy and was a the rage at that time. By the end of 1977, with the East African community splitting, the continuous flow of Tanzanian Swahili performers entering Kenya to record and perform began to recede.
Even though the Swahili civilization came to a decline, Swahili sound continued to dominate the music scene along with another genre known as the Congolese sound. Both these sounds are centered on the rumba which has come from the Republic of Congo. Swahili music is noted for its slower rhythm although both genres have an affinity towards each other currently. Lyrics to Swahili pop are usually in Swahili or the Taiti language.
With Congolese performers gaining popularity during the 1970s and '80s in Kenya, Swahili musicians emerging mostly from Tanzania had to work hard to gain acceptance in the music field. During their rivalry with each other, a Tanzanian group named Arusha Jazz later known as Simba Wanyika Band became very well known throughout Kenya. However at the peak of their popularity they split with some of the band members forming the Les Wanyika.
Other Kenyan groups such as the Maroon Commandos and Nairobi Matata emerged later on with their own "Swahili" styles, taking a lead from the Simba Wanyika Band.
Swahili rumba continued to remain the rage throughout the mid-nineties and the Maroon Commandos and Les Wanyika continued to perform. Even though other Swahili bands have experimented with various styles, musical instruments and rhythm, they still remain closely rooted to their rumba origins.
Kenyan pop sounds are not only one of the most diverse and well known sounds within Africa but are also one of Africa’s best kept secrets. This is due to the lack of international exposure of Swahili and other genres of music. The core of Swahili society and traditions is their music. Tarabu is the accepted type of music that the Swahilis usually listen to. Since Swahili has everything to do with Rhythm, it incorporates Arabic and even Indian melodies. Another reason why Swahili language is usually in the lyrics of most songs even from people coming from different parts of Kenya is because without one main regional language, Swahili has sort of been singled out by these artists and musicians to present their work to the people. 

Persian Music

Persia has a refined musical culture known to have been widely influenced by many cultures such as the Greeks, Arabs, Spain and even Japan. With an elaborate musical history, the early Persian Empire started by King Herodotus had great court musicians such as Barbod, Nakissa and Ramtin. Barbod has been credited with devising the first Persian musical system known as the Khosravaani or Royal Modes. Around the 7th century when Persia was invaded by the Arab dynasty, the Arabs discovered a culturally rich musical heritage. During the Abbasid dynasty, Persian musicians living in a secular environment away from Islamist religious leaders opposed to the onslaught of Persian music, and began to perform in different corners of the Islamic Empire. However after the decline of the Abbasid dynasty, and with the rise of Shi'ite clerics there was a gradual decline in musical theory and lack of creative growth.
Becoming a mere decorative piece of art, Persian music was reduced to court musicians’ performances during the Safavid dynasty and the Qajar dynasty. It was around this era that the twelve dastagh system was presented. Soon the West’s musical influence reached the shores of Persia. It is from here onwards that Persian music slowly started gaining momentum again with schools coming up and where French instructors would teach them Western musical theory and various wind instruments. Soon musical institutions began emerging giving rise to talented artists such as Ali Naqi Vaziri.
Persian music also comprises of folk and popular music as well as classical music. Folk and popular music is interlinked with classical music. However they are separated by what folk music is characteristic of namely melodic and rhythmic variations. Classical instruments are somewhat difficult for folk musicians to handle. Their aesthetic requirements usually consist of love songs, wedding appearances, lullabies, street performances and such. Also instruments vary among the rural people with each village having their own unusual instrument. Their music also largely comprises of Persian-Western music which is slowly getting a huge fan following. Even though the music has large western components included, the musical theory and harmony of these compositions remains true to the essence of Persian music.
Persian classical music has a whole set of melodies known as the Radif, seven larger connotations known as the Dastagh and five smaller sub-sets known as avaz or maqam. The term "Khonyâ-ye Bâstâni Irâni" is better known today as Persian Classical Music. The elaborate and often difficult to play classical musical instruments would include the goblet drum tombak, dohol, the end-blown flute ney, the frame drum daf, sorna, neyanban, gheichak , Kamancheh, Dayereh, the long-necked lutes tar, setar, tanbur, dotar, and others. Most of these instruments also brought about an inspiration and a large market in Middle Eastern countries. The Tar instrument however is considered to be most popular among musicians. Even though some of these instruments which were popular as early as the Sassanid era, they are no longer considered part of classical musical history but have still maintained their place is Persian musical tradition.

Pashto Music

It is important to understand who and what are the Pashtuns and how their music originated and grew. Pashtuns also well known as Pathans in Urdu and ethnic Afghans in Persian have populations which hail from southern Afghanistan and in the North-West Frontier Province, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and from provinces in Pakistan. Pakistan is another country which has developed a large array of sounds from traditional Pashtun music. With the penetration of western music in various pockets of these countries, it’s not surprising to find two important genres – traditional eastern music meeting the west.
The Pashtuns are characterized by their language, namely Pashto. From the 1980’s, Afghanistan has been facing constant violence with the rise and fall of the Taliban regime, in which the Pashtun community played a large role. During the Taliban regime, music was largely suppressed and condemned, with the banning of instrumental music and destruction of musical instruments. Kabul however being the regional cultural capital, continued to have a few musicians plying their trade in the market where traditional music largely prevailed.
Pashto music has been largely linked to Iranian music; this can strongly be seen in most lyrics which largely comprise of Persian and Pashto. After the fall of the Taliban, modern Pashto music mostly had lyrics about the wars and sufferings in Afghanistan. An infusion of Indian filmy music from Bollywood and techniques and sounds from Persian music slowly started gaining momentum.
Another important facet of Pashto music is Pashto poetry. Pashto singers and poets would work hard to write beautiful poetry and songs and keep on traveling through different provinces performing and singing. Today, many of these traditional Pashto singers reside in Par Hoti. They have traveled from far off places like Marghuz and Baja Bam Khel in Swabi. Due to constant hardships in their small villages and Mardans close proximity to Peshawar, most of them migrated to Par Hoti. With the Peshawar Broadcasting Station close by, they would record their songs and hear it being played over the radio.
With traditional Pashto music moving along the same lines and imitating the west, a revival has been brought about to the once decadent Pashto music catering to the younger generation. Afghan or rather Pashto music largely comprises of scales, note intervals and rhythms which vary from Western music, but are still more closely connected to Western Music than Asian.
Well known Pashto singers who have emerged are Bachazareen Jan, Qamro Jan, Kishwar Sultan, Mashuk Sultan, Nigar Sultan, Muhammad Anwar Master and Wali Dad Tibla Nawaz. Khial Muhammad is a well known Pashto singer who has been singing since childhood.  Other famous singers include Farrukh Seir Shama, Rahdat Hussain, Laloon, Fazal Wahab Dard, Zar Nosh, Khatoon, Shakila Naz and Neelam.
Traditional Pashtun music has close links to Klasik which is Afghan Music inspired by Indian sounds and rhythm and Iranian music. Most lyrics usually comprise of love, religion, suffering and wars. Popular genres include ghazals, Tappa, Charbeta, Neemkai, Loba, Shaan and Sufi qawwali music. The Tappa consists of two unequal meters and is considered to be the oldest form of Pashto poetry emerging from Afghanistan. A kind of lute instrument known as the Rubab plays an important role in Pashto folk songs.

Turkish Music

Turkish music includes diverse elements. This is because Turkey was dominated by various civilizations and hence their art forms have been influenced by the Persians, the Byzantine Empire and even the Balkans. Besides these there is documented evidence of folk music being recorded according to the styles of the Armenians, Jews, Greeks and other communities. People settling in from different parts of the country, gave rise to regional folklore, with each region having its own distinct tradition. Turkey’s music has been broadly segregated into classical art music and folk music.
Turkish classical music was brought forth by the Ottoman Empire as they patronized royal court music and its compositions. It is also known as saray music or royal court music. The Hamparsum notation was used till the prologue of Western notation. Their modes and scales were called makam. Some of the major artists who popularized this genre include Dede Efendi, Münir Nurettin Selçuk, Prince Cantemir, Zeki Müren, Efendi, Sultan Selim III, Sultan Suleyman, Bülent Ersoy, Baba Hamparsum, Müzeyyen Senar and Zekai Tunca. The instruments popular for classical music also included the oud, tanbur, ney, kanun, and darbuka.
Folk music was known as the music of the masses. Better known as Türkü, it spoke about the life of the rural people and their surroundings. The songs and the words behind them usually recount stories about people’s journey through life and are usually played at weddings, gatherings, folk dances, funerals and even festivals. Well known folk patrons were Aşik Veysel and Mahsuni, Zülfü Livaneli and Nazim Hikmet's. Folk instruments cover the bağlama, kemenche (a type of stave fiddle), the zurna, ney, darbuka, kemenche.
Romani influence bought about food and alcohol being served during performances which would be played in meyhanes or tavernas. The clarinet and violin are most popular. The term of a military marching band was said to be first coined by the Turks, the earliest one was known as The Janissary bands or Mehter Takımı whose emphasis was more on brass and percussion instruments. There has also been considerable influence of Turkish music on the west and vise versa. But at the end of the day even though Western influence was large, they continued with their emphasis on Turkish music as well.  Some of the well known Turkish composers include Cemal Reşit Rey, Ulvi Cemal Erkin, Ahmet Adnan Saygun, Necil Kazım Akses.
Sufism has also influenced the religious music in Turkey by the Sufi sect known as the Mevlevi Order. Fused with modern music artists began experimenting with Turkish rhythm, beats and notes and remixed it to Western tunes. Pop stars from Turkey include well known artists Sezen Aksu, Tarkan and Mustafa Sandal. A large market has been created for hip hop music due to the younger Turkish generation unhappy with Germany’s treatment of its people. As an outlet they found solace in rap and hip hop lyrics.
Arabesque music was a disparaging term given by musicologists to the new type of music brought in by the new urban class, which sounded like someone wailing. Anatolian rock meant the mixture of rock and folk music. Cam Karaca and Barış Manço are two icons from this genre. Mercan Dede and Mert Yucel are some DJ’s credited for giving recognition to the underground clubbing scene in Turkey and also coming up with chart topping albums. Mixing sounds from the past with new electronics has brought in a psychedelic feel into the underground clubbing scene.

Vietnamese Music

An upsurge in the growth of Vietnamese music is not because of a sudden show of creativity but rather because of it being under the thumb of the Chinese and the Japanese respectively. Large amounts of musical influences came not only from these countries but also from India in the form of chamber music as well as Mongolia and Champa. The Vietnamese Music theory is founded upon the Chinese theory as most instruments used by the Vietnamese share a similarity with Chinese instruments. With its large cultural heritage, musical diversity was phenomenal as it also had foreign influences. Located in Southeast Asia, Vietnam has a large number of ethnic minorities which in turn has given rise to a number of musical expressions.
Even though musical instruments had Chinese markings, the Vietnamese soon introduced some of their own musical instruments such as the đàn bầu and đàn đáy. Modifications were done to these instruments as well as musical connotations began to diversify from Chinese and moved onto the country side’s folk music which gained popularity even in the imperial court. Folk music was such that it could be merged from one kind of traditional folk music to another genre.
Folk music also contains quan họ - which is used for courtship rituals, hát chầu văn – is a form of religious expression and is deeply spiritual, incorporating Chinese and Buddhist traditions and consist of chants popular throughout North Vietnam, ca trù – where females sing, similar to a geisha encompassing a female singing while entertaining rich men and hò – is commonly used as a courting ritual or to profess ones love.
Modern music comprises of Western instruments and Western influences which is starkly different from the traditional beats. Modern music songwriters include Diệp Minh Tuyền, Thanh Tùng, Pham Duy, Trịnh Công Sơn and Văn Cao. ‘Tân nhạc’ meaning new or modern music, largely incorporates Western pop. With a slow and steady economic boom, Vietnamese music is now engulfed with leading international Chinese and Korean pop artists.
Besides pop music, other Western influenced genres include, pop rock, hip hop, R&B and Western classical music as well. Western classical music however has slowly started blending in with Vietnamese sounds and instruments producing a whole new range of artistic impressions. Vietnamese music consists of instruments such as Đàn gáo, Đàn nguyệt, Đàn nhị, Đàn sến, Đàn tam, Đàn tam thập lục, Đàn tranh, Đàn tỳ bà, Kèn bầu and T'rưng.
With traditional classic songs continuously being amalgamated and remixed it isn’t surprising to see modern hybrids or nhạc quê hương as they are popularly known in Vietnam getting a steady fan following. Chamber music or ensemble music, delves into poetry recitation with few percussionists performing largely for the royal family, people from tea houses and the upper class. Theatre music comprises of genres like chèo which consists of powerful vocalists and percussions, cải lương introduced in the early 20th century is heavily influenced by Southern Vietnamese music and lastly hát bội was the re-creation of the Chinese Peking Opera which was pushed forward by the Royal household.

Portuguese Music

Portugal is known all over the world for its music. It has the best musicians and singers along with instruments that are indigenous to Portugal.
Among the native styles, Fado is a well-known name. It was born in Lisbon among the urban poor. Lyrics included that of sadness, poverty and loneliness, but they were not languidly told as there was a sense of controlled music. These songs were created as husbands of many women sailed to never seen lands while most of them never came back. Fado means fate in Portuguese. Some claim that the Arabic imprints are seen in the use of instruments although the Arabs are known to have left in the 13th century.
Fado gained momentum in the 19th century in Coimbra city; it had been refined and sounds majestic. They had been known as songs of those to cherish their illusions not for those who seem to have lost them.
Amalia Rodrigues the actress and singer took fado to new heights in 1939. It became an international sensation with her various styles that she added to it. Jose Afonso was the rival of that time, he was a performing artist with music that had roots deeper in Portugal. Hence he has been known for the revival of the olden Portuguese music.
Classical music, native to the country takes a cake as it stands original to Portugal inspite of the many influences from the neighbouring countries. Artists that have made important contributions to creating originality go to Duarte Lobo, Frei Manuel Cardoso, Carlos Seixas, Filipe de Magalhaes, Freitas Branco. Famous singers include Luisa Todi and the renowned pianists of the time was Maria Joao Pires.
Regional music consists of Tras-os-Montes that are known as the music from Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria. Bagpipes and capella vocals have kept traditions alive. Mirandes is the most popular archaic language that the songs are sung in.
The region Baixo Alentejo is renowned for the polyphonic singing that sweeps one off his feet due to the rhythmic gala that the music brings along.
The political music that is known in the history of Portugal came to life during the fascist regime where songs were song for words that could not be said. There were a lot of metaphors used for democracy, freedom, equality etc. Many singers were even persecuted for this style of music.
Reggae and ska is another underground but popular style of music. It is more youth oriented especially in Lisbon. There are rock bands like Xutos e Pontapes that have been playing for the past 25 years. Moonspell is a well-known metal band that has found world success. Madredeus is among the best selling band that are indigenous with their roots. Other hip hop artists include Boss AC, Da Weasel and David Fonseca is known for pop rock.
There are some ethnic musicians who imbibe contemporary trends. Nelly Furtado is one such singer that has gained huge popularity in America and India. Her songs include new trends and a dash of her roots. Nuno Betterncourt is another singer that has gained similar popularity.   

Romanian Music

Romania is in the South Eastern region of Europe. It is bordered by Hungary and Serbia on the west, Moldova and Ukraine lies in the northeast and to the south is Bulgaria.
All the bordering counties have influenced Romania in a great way and this is visible in the music of the country. Although the country consists of 90% ethnic Romanians the remaining 10% are a mix of Hungarians, Germans and Roma (Gypsy), which have given birth to a multicultural Romania.
Romanian music has folk music, which has gained popularity all over the world while the modern music comprises of pop, hip-hop, rock and roll and heavy metal.
The most well known form of music is Doina, which is often melancholic. Other styles include bocet i.e. lamenting, cand ciobanu si-a pierdut oile i.e. sorrowful songs of the shepherd losing his sheep and cantec batransec i.e. songs for the elders in the community.
The music varies from region to region in Romania as the instruments used, widely differ. In Banat, the violin is the most common instrument in folk music. The targot that is the saxophone is also used in the music. Efta Botoca is the famous violinist from Banat.
Bucovina is the province where remote instruments are used like the tilinca and tecobnza, pipes are usually played alongside the cobza. Today there are violins and instruments in brass that have been imported.
Using duo violins is a tradition in the music played in Crisana. While in Dobrogea there is a mix in music due to the mix population of the Turks, Tartars and the Bulgarians. Violin and drums are the instruments used in Maramures. The saxophone, targot and the accordian are recent annexure. While in Oas a shrill sound from the violin is marked in music. The singing here too is different as the voices are shrill with melodies that are archaic.
In Maramures the drum, guitar and the violin is used to create a musical band. Fiddlers are also included. The Maramuzical music festival was held in the 1990s to attract the attention of people towards the indigenous style of music in that area.
Among all the regions Transylvania is the area that is known for its peculiar music. Due to the inhabitants of Romanians, Hungarians, Germans, Szeklers, Slovaks, Serbs and Roma gypsies it has been historically linked to South Eastern Europe.
The instruments used here are mainly violin, double bass and viola, the cimbalom is sometimes attached to it. A variety of songs are based on the music from these instruments including some wedding songs.
Among all the ethnic religions in Transylvania the Hungarians are known for their brilliant songs. They are famous for the hajnali and legenyes i.e. the young men’s dance. The songs sound different as they use a primitive musical instrument called the utogardon known as the beaten cello. It is carved crudely from solid black wood and has 4 strings to it all set to the D chord. A stout stick is used to play the instrument.
But even in modern songs there are hints of traditional music and lyrics. Hence the music of Romania has come a full circle.

Croatian Music

Like Croatia, the music too is influenced from the neighbouring areas like the Mediterranean, Balkans and people that travelled from central and north Europe.
The music is available in the traditional folk, there is pop and there is rock too.  The folk music contains the klapa music, which forms a part of the capella singing. Klapa means a group of people and has been founded in church singing. The motif of klapa singing comprises of wine, country and the sea. They basically translate to the elements of music that includes harmony; rhythm does not play a substantial role here. 
The group is made of singers that are inseparable to the team. There is the tenor, bass and baritone. You can have 2 of each of them but the tenor has to be only one. On some occasions a few strings of the guitar sound heavenly along with the mandolin.
Klapa still lives on from time immemorial, it is sung on festivals by the youth. You will also hear some amateurs crooning on the streets in the evening after some food. Basically the klapa is made of a dozen male singers that sing harmonically. Now females have also taken into singing the klapa but it still remains a male dominated area.
Tamburitza is another type of folk music that has been founded here and has travelled the world over. Tamburitza comes from the musical instrument tambura that is used to play the music. It grew to its peak in the 18th century and was developed simultaneously in the Ukraine, Russia and Italy.
The Tamburitza music that was played in America and Canada in the later part of the 20th century was not different from that on the turn of the 19th century. It has stayed in tune to its roots even today. Professional groups formed that won international accolades in Croatia include Zlatni Dukati, Zdenac, Ex Panonia, Slavonske Lole and Gazde that have modernised with rock and roll.
Gusle is another type of folk music where a string instrument is used to evolve the traditional sound. It comes from the Croatian epic poetry, which has emphasis or historical and patriotic events. Gulse songs normally have lyrics that sing aloud of the outlaws and patriotic fighters. Mile Krajina stands out as a prominent poet of the gulse origin. He gained status among some conservative groups that made him go down in history. 
There are other folk music that stands out like the music of Zagorje, Medimurie, Istria and Kvarner. Along with traditional folk music pop music has also come of age in Croatia. It resembles that of Italy with a dash of traditional Croatian music. Now euro disco, euro dance that comprise of house, trance and techno have spread across the country. The 1990s was when the Croatian rap music took birth. The Ugly Leaders was the group that had its first hip-hop album hit the market and not only they were a hit but they gained a huge fan following. Yet although modern music is a hit in Croatia the traditional music is still alive.

Korean Music

Korean music is broadly divided into 2 parts. South Korean and North Korean. The music that dwells in this country is mainly based on shamanistic beliefs and Buddhism.
The music that is traditional to Korea is mainly based on four type’s aristocrat, courtly, scholarly and religious. There is also the folk music that is loved by the locals and the rich alike. The music here is very complex but there is a continuous rhythm that is followed called the Jangdam.
Mostly all the folk songs are categorized under Dongbu Folk songs, but the vocal and music styles in it are varied, hence scholars are trying to further distinguish the songs to specific categories.
Songs from the province of Jeolla and Chungcheong are called Namdo folk songs. This style of songs got more recognition due to the pansori and sanjo musical genres created that won the hearts of many.  It even went international and has got a fan collection in India too. From the island of Jeju we have jeju folk songs that too earned some recognition.
We can further classify the music by knowing the style of the music, the instruments used and by the lyrics. For instance Pansori is where there is only one singer and one drummer. The lyrics include a story and jokes that are updated now and then. It is interactive as the audience too takes part in it.
Nongak is where there are around twenty or thirty performers. A smaller number of the Nongak was quite popular in the 70’s that enjoyed great success like the Samul Nori band. Sanjo music is purely instrumental and shifts rhythm and modes.
The Korean court music that was founded in 1392 is now very rarely found, except at the National Centre for Korean Traditional Performing Arts that is sponsored by the government organizations. Court music can be classified as Aak that had a strong influence from the Chinese. Then there is Hyang-ak that is completely Chinese and then there is a combination of the two that is called Dang-ak.
The instruments that are used in Korean music are vital to the sounds that are emanated. It is with these instruments that they stand apart from the music around the world.
The main one is the 12-string zither (gayageum) and geomungo, which is the 6 stringed version of the zither. There is also a 7 string and a 25-string zither. Next is the haegum, which is a 2 stringed vertical fiddle.
A large flute is called the daegum, piri is the cylindrical oboe, hojok or taepyongso is the conical oboe. The mouth organ is called the saenghwang, panpipes, flute with mouthpiece and hun is the globular flute. All these instruments are classified as the wind instruments.
The percussion instruments include small gong, large gong, sound drum, golk drum and folk hourglass drum. For the court music percussion also includes the bronze bells, stone chimes, tiger shaped wooden instrument and a square wooden box with a mallet.
One look at these instruments and you know they are out of the world so the music they create is bound to touch the soul.

French Music

France is known as the main centre for music from all over Europe. Along with its traditional folk music Asian, Latin America and African influence of the immigrants present is also visible. France has produced some of the best music composers in the world and is now a boiling pot of hip hop, rock, funk, techno and pop.
Organum was the musical composition in the 10th century that was first documented. Music called the motet rose by the end of the 12th century while travelling musicians brought in the style known as troubadours. By the 14th century two notable styles were witnessed in France called the Ars Subtilior and the Ars Nova. Renaissance saw Burgundy rise as the centre for music and hence the Burgandian School was established.
The early music before the 20th century is being revived because of the growing tourism who are interested in the rich history of France. Tourists that come to France are made aware of the variations in music that are present that change from region to region in France.
For instance in central France in regions like Nivernais, Morvan, Bourbonnais, Limousin and Auvergne bagpipe is the traditional instrument along with the famous hurdy gurdy dance and the bourree. Most of these regions mentioned are the heart of folk music kept alive centuries after it had been produced. The bourree depends on the area as it can change from a duple to triple meter.
The hurdy gurdy is an instrument that lies between the piano accordion and the violin. It has a curved body and a set of keys that are quite complicated. Simpler forms of this instrument is easily available in Hungary, Russia and Spain.
Dance forms on these instruments are the famous cabarets and the grand cornemuse that come from Berry and Auvergne that were invented somewhere in the 17th century. Bagpipe music is found in a variety such that you will not find it the world over. There are different forms and the diversity changes in every region. Some of the famous bagpipers are Philippe Prieur, Frederic Paris and Bernad Blanc.
Reviving folk France music has been on since the 70s and in the musical festival like St. Chatier that is held every year the mix of traditional and modern music is played.
Region wise Basque is known for its traditional folk music called trikitixa which is played on the accordian. In Corsica polyphonic singing is famous. Songs are normally sung by male trios with strong harmony. The instruments used are the bagpipes, mandolin, the 16-stringed lute, fife and the diatonic accordion.
Opera stayed at the heart of France with compositions created have been dated back to the 16th century. Jean Baptise Lully was the composer who wooed Louis XIV with his operatic skills. He has developed beat pattern that till today has been used by conductors.
In the 18th century pop rock began creeping into the music scene and has blossomed since then. The American music forms like R&B and Blues also had their influence on the French who composed their own indigenous rock n roll that achieved domestic success. Today hard rock, metal and the various modern forms have also found listeners.

Filipino Music

With more than 3 countries ruling the Philippine islands for over 377 years their music is a blend of Spanish, American and European.
The Republic of Philippines is made up of 7,107 islands located in South East Asia and has Manila as its capital. The Philippines descended from the Austronesian culture. But have been influenced by the 3 centuries of Spanish colonial rule and then by the Americans. Most of them are Roman Catholics and Philippine and English are two main languages.
The different islands have different music rhythms and use instruments made of brass, wood and bronze. In the southern islands a sophisticated music called kulintang exists where boss gongs are used to create the music.
In the northern islands music is played using gongs that are called gangsa and a bit different from the gongs used in the south. Here dance is the main hero and music is played to accompany it, so percussion is mainly what the gongs are here for. Lightly played drums accompany the gongs.
Among the indigenous styles the bamboo zither, the Kudayapi which is the stringed flute and nose flutes are also used. The Spanish influence brought in the guitar and the zarzuela, which soon became a part of the customs and traditions.
The Americans occupied Philippines from 1898 to 1935 and with them brought in R&B, rock n roll, folk and blues. Even after the Americans left, rock music has become an integral part and has made superstars of those who follow it like Regine Velasquez, Lea Salonga, Sharon Cuneta and Gary Valenciano.
In the 50s lyrics in tagalok were written in tune with the American rock n roll that resulted in Filipino rock. The Rocky Fellers were known to make the hit song Killer Joe that spiralled on the top of American charts.
Tagalok and English were also used together to create songs as people normally speak the two languages in their daily conversations. Hence the creation of Taglish was a hit.
Rock music soon became the voice piece for protestors and Aguilar’s BayanKo became some sought of an anthem during the revolution of 1986. Punk rock too developed during that time with bands like Urban Bandits, The Jerks, Betrayed and The Dawn.
Metal music also soon caught the rage in the country and were culminating with more and more bands getting on the metal track and the people of Philippine were enjoying the growing music scenario.
So there is an array of music that you can listen to from rock to OPM you can choose what you want. OPM was defined as Original Philippine Music that is still loved by the citizens and is kept alive in songs of rock and roll and metal till date. The local festivals bring back the music of the yore with percussion instruments so one gets a true feel of the music.
The music has grown to great heights in the Philippines as there are music universities that are renowned world over for their class and quality of music that they teach.

Italian Music

Music is integral to the country of Italy. It has been refined since the ancient world yet not completely modified so hints of the early eras are still very prominent.
This is visible in the singing and instruments used in Italian music. As there were many cultures that influenced Italy with the neighbouring countries coming in like the German tribes, Greeks, French and Arabs, the music composed have hints of the contributions made by these countries.
Immigrants from the Balkans and North Africa have build large communities in southern Italy especially Sisily. Hence the folk music here is different from elsewhere and stands out prominently. The voices are high pitched and nasal and the expression is of true agony. While singing the throat is inflated and the brows are joined thus expressing grief in highly ornamented styles. This style is visible in opera and other hip-hop music albums.
Songs of Italy cater to every class of citizens. There are songs for festivals like Christmas and the Passover, cattle calling songs for shepherds, songs for fishermen, soldiers and other professions, songs for weddings, baptism and other occasions. Ballads and epic poetry were the basis for most of the songs.
Instruments used for the songs were basically strings, percussion and wind like bagpipe, accordion, clarinet, small drums and the violin. 
Opera was born somewhere in the late 15th century during Florentine Camerata. With its popularity it was interrelated to Italy and its music. It became synonymous with the country with works of Claudio Monteverdi, Cioacchino and Alessandro Scarlatti flourishing. Opera remained completely musical and even theatrical opera was sung. Drama or story telling everything in opera was musical. It had reached its zenith before World War I. After which it declined in popularity as cinema came to forth as the main form of entertainment.
Music was highly interrelated to politics. In the years of the royals court music included coronations, royal marches and other important occasions. However composers took high risk in making songs metaphoric to the wrongs done by the ruling kings. They were sometimes executed or exiled from the country.
Italy is also home to ballet, as it was here that ballet was choreographed as early as the 14th century and presented at the masked balls that were a regular affair during those days. Some early composers and choreographers were Cesare Negri and Fabrizo Caroso. During the French revolution, Italy again became the centre for ballet and choreography. Today ballet is still taught in school and children enrol for it at a very young age.
Today the Italian music is over 2.3 billion euros. The various sales that make this figure include CDs, musical instruments and electronics and sales of tickets for live performances. The Italian recording industry stands eighth in the world so one can imagine the colossal numbers of songs and music being recorded. 
One can also take up music as a subject and graduate in it as there are many universities that cater to music. Private teaching and government funding towards music is quite high in Italy. 

Serbian Music

Serbian music is a blend of the Balkans and the Turkish music that existed in the days of yore as it was heavily influenced by the cultures that ruled over it and with the mix of people that existed in the country. As the Byzantine Empire ruled over Serbia, courtly music was very much in demand. Musicians were known as glumci, sviralnici and praskavinci.
Beyond court music, church music has been documented to the medieval era. The music was mostly Osmoglasnik, which were a collection of songs dedicated to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Instruments that were used included trumpets, lutes, horns, psalteries, cymbals and drums. Folk music was well differentiated and this is depicted with the instruments used like the flutes, bagpipes, diple, gulse and tamburita. With the entry of the Turks in the 15th century instruments like tapan, kaval and zurle were introduced.
In classical music there was Stevan Mokreanjac who stood out as a distinguished musicologist. He was the first person to document folk music and researched on them. He was made director of the first Serbian School of Music, he was also one of the founders of the Union of Singing Societies. Among most of the work he created the songs of wreath are remembered till date.
Josp Slenzinger was the musician prior to him that created the Prince’s band that played only folk song. It was in this time that the choirs in German and Italian were founded. Serbian language choirs were written from 1831-1865. Some famous poets of the classical era were Stevan Hristic, Stanislav Binicki, Isidor Bajic and Josif Marinkovic.
With music comes dance and the dance of Serbia is very peculiar as there is no movement from waist upwards. The 2 beat music called kolo danced in a circle was played on the accordian. Frula and tamburica were also used as instruments.
The epic poets sung were normally played on the one string fiddle. The poets were mostly worded on the common lives or the wars that happened. In the modern world epic ballads now constitute of celebrities and current events.
Ethnic Serbians that immigrated to America carried their traditions and music there. They have formed music groups in Canada and America that perform in many areas with the kolo ensemble. Novokomponova was the outcome of urbanization. The turbo-flock of the 1990s had folk and novokomponova as its basis for the new music that was composed. Turbo-flock rose higher and gained popularity in the 1990s when Yugoslavia broke up, it then became more of a nationalist music base.
In today’s scene there is pop, rock, hip hop everything that you can ever expect out of music. Infact Serbian music has developed to such an extent that there are numerous metal bands today. It outnumbers bands in the neighbouring country too. The Stone is one band that has been critically acclaimed for its music as it includes the folk lore beats and lyrics that are traditionally imbibed in the roots of Serbia. It has won recognition in Germany, Norway, Sweden and France too.

English Music

English music has gained momentum ever since the 50s and had risen to its peak in the 70s and 80s. Today although it does not command a great hold in the market, its popularity has spread even into the remote villages of the world including India.
Music in ancient England was purely church music or in the form of ballads and carols that were sung during Christmas. In the 16th century Troubadours were quite popular for their songs. In those days when copyright issues did not exist songs were easily copied. It would be the same music with different lyrics.
In the 15th century a wave of polyphony ring tones took over the country. Composers like Leonel Power, Robert Fayrfax and John Dunstaple were acclaimed in that era. But most of the music that had been written down were destroyed by Henry VIII in the mid 15th century. In the 16th century and 17th century leisure time was more accessible and hence music was given more importance. The renaissance also had its share of influence on England’s music. Instruments used now included the dulicmer, lute and harpischorf.
There were other classes that used the tabor, bagpipe shawn, pipe, crumhorn and hurdy-gurdy for their folk music. Slowly yet steadily the fiddle came into limelight and enjoyed much popularity.
The 18th century saw music move to the commercial phase. It was more elaborately dressed and heard in theatres. Composers like Handel who was German born and Mozart with his operas and the English musician John Gay created revolutionary plays where music was exemplified.
The industrial revolution in the 19th century revamped the music outlook. As people moved to another standard from agrarian to industrial and moving to town, different sets of words were used in the music. The transformations were immense as the music in towns were much different from that in the countryside. The change was first evident in the ale houses. Later on they moved to the Music Hall and remained in this format for over a century.
A few individuals that were acclaimed in the period included Michael Balfe who wrote opera, oratories were written by Sir Arthur Sullivan. Comic operas were much preferred as written by W.S.Gilbert. Musical comedy gained wide popularity especially the ones written by Sidney Jones and Lionel Moncton.
In the 20th century classical music and bands came to the fore. The radio helped in bringing propaganda to the music making famous orchestras like Ambrose, Henry Hall, Billy Cotton and Geraldo. Singers of the time were Jack Buchanan and Al Bowlly.
The modern day music in England is a melee of ballads, rock, hip hop, rock and roll and heavy metal. In other words there are all types of music present. With the citizens and the government encouraging good music there has been a huge uproar in the standard of music.
Music can now be created with laptops and synced with the mobile to be heard anywhere anytime. England also houses some of the best DJs and rappers encouraging more and more newcomers to the music fraternity.

Kannada Music

Kannada or Carnatic music is linked deeply into Hinduism with strong ties going back to the Vedic times. During the time when the Vijayanagar Empire grew into prominence, music composed in the south came to be known as ‘Karnataka Sangeetham’. Purandara Dasa or as he is better known as ‘Karnataka Sangitha Pithamaha’ has been credited with being the creative genius behind pioneering Carnatic music. He was instrumental in introducing the Raga Mayamalavagowla for novices and composed simple Gitas as well for them. He contributed to the Hindustani Classical music art form as well during the Haridasa movement.
Kannada music draws inspiration from Tamil music as well. It originally began as being an oral tradition which was passed down from one generation to the other. The music is complete with melody and other variations. Vocals are emphasized even if there is an instrumental accompaniment, as the singing performance of the artist is important who is known as the gāyaki.
Some of the books that need to be thoroughly studied for a better interpretation of Kannada music in India include Sangeetha Swaraprastara Sagaramu - Nadamuni Pandithar, Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarshini - Subbarama Dikshitar, Raga Vibodha – Somanatha, Sangeetha Sudha - Govinda Dikshitar, Sangeetha Chandrikai - Manikka Mudaliar, Natya Shastra - Bharata Muni to name a few.
Kannada music’s compositions stem from the fact that being an oral tradition, there is no single interpretation as it involves the musician’s composition and expression making Carnatic music a blend of talent and traditional history. The two main styles stem from the Raga and the Tala. Other well known genres are Kannada Bhavageete and Gamaka. Swara a singular note defines the position of the note. Also unlike Western music, Kannada uses many ragas which makes staff notation difficult. In case of notation, unlike western notes, here a symbol is positioned above the notes although theoretically it is not usually followed. They also make use of commas, colons and semicolons.
Kritis have 4 styles linked to it namely pallavi, anupallavi, charana and chittaswaras. They talk about the length of the song as well as its style and structure. Varnam tells us all that is inclusive in a raga such as a pallavi, an anupallavi, muktayi swaras, a charana, and chittaswaras. The Varnam also teaches you how to distinguish between classical notes, on which note there is a pause and where you have to stress on the musical notation.
Kannada music is usually performed by a small group of people and the musical accompaniment is usually the tambura. The electronic tambura is now coming into the limelight to produce a better sound effect. However other instruments used as an accompaniment are the violin which is used for improvisation, veena, flute, mridangam, ghatam and kanjira.
Today some of the well known classical artists are T.N. Krishnan, M.S.Gopalakrishnan, Lalgudi Jayaraman, M.Chandrasekharan, M S N Murthy, M.S.Anantharaman, Dr.Mysore Manjunath, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and Mysore Nagaraj.  Today’s leading vocalists are T.N. Seshagopalan, T.V. Sankaranarayanan, K.J. Yesudas, Nithyashree Mahadevan, Vijay Siva, Sudha Raghunathan, Aruna Sairam, Unni Krishnan, S.Sowmya, Sirkazhi Sivachidambaram, Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Bombay Jayashree and T.M.Krishna. Kannada music has also diversified into mainstream Kannada films. 'Mungaru Male' has become immensely popular in Kannada music market.

Malayalam Music

Kerala is one of the most beautiful states in India. Its lush greenness is par naturalness. No doubt it is called ‘gods own country’. Musically this country is known as Sopanam. Some famous singers of Kerala are Janadhana Nedungadi, Damodar Marar and Neralattu Rama Poduval.
Kerala has musicians that are world renowned, infact L. Athira Krishna granddaughter of Vidwan Gopala Pillai has gone down in history with her 32-hour non-stop violin concert. She has been recorded in the Guinness book of world records.
Kerala’s music is unique in its own sense and hence cannot be simply categorized as basic Indian music. There has always been an emotional debate if Kerala’s music can stand independently apart from the entire South Indian music. While some debate the music in the south of India is all the same as it follows similar patterns and rhythm, some argue that it is distinct from karnatic music.
The criteria for the differences are rituals, genres, tala system (rhythm), musical instruments and the approach towards the rhythm and music by the musician community.
From the profound traditions and professional training that is received by the musicians, Kerala music can be bifurcated into Kavu and Kshetram. Infact as heavy trade relations existed between the state and south East Asia, one can find noticeable similarities in the music then used.
There are genres that are entirely related to instrumental music like Kombu Pattu. This C shaped melody instrument that plays center stage among the other instruments used. The kombu produces only 3 notes – sa, pa and higher sa. This instrument is played by 3, 5, 7 or 9 musicians with one as the leader. There is a certain rhythmic patter that they all follow and the leader accentuates it or repeats the rhythm on the spot.
There are different melams that are held outside and inside the temple. Pandi melam is one that is held outside the temple, it is the most traditional of all melams. The other one is called the panchari melam and is held inside the temple. It begins from outside the temple and slowly enters the temple.
They make their way into the temple clockwise and stop at the eight wind directions and then perform. This way paying tribute to the gods located at different parts of the temple. The procession begins by laying the divine idol of the temple on an elephant or a Nambutiri priest takes it inside.
This panchari melam is performed either elaborately or on a smaller scale. It all depends on the occasion. If it is a grand feast then the elaborate version is done else if it is a smaller occasion the smaller version of it is undertaken. At every festival in south Indian the panchari melam   is performed at the temple.
There are other melams too like the chempata, pandi, druvam, chempha and anchatanta. 
Music in Kerala has reached such heights that there are schools established to develop the skills of the younger generations. You can get professional training in Kathakali, Thullal, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattam and Panchavadyam.

Punjabi Music

From the local state of Punjab, in the north of India, music that has been a part of the region like every other has catapulted and spread like fire. So strong has been the influence of Punjabi music that it has shadowed other origins of music in the country to spiral as one of the best in India.
Punjabis believe in enjoying every minute of their life and living it to the optimum. This ideology is expressed in their music and songs where you are made to forget all your worries and just immerse yourself in the music.
The dramatic influence the music has had is seen in foreign lands where the dhol and balle balle are enjoyed to the optimum. This is because of the energetic beats the songs comprise of. Even though one does not understand the language one can still love the music.
High energy signing along with high powered beats and dancing invigorates a sense of exhilaration and participation in the music becomes so forceful, that you will leave your work and put on your dancing shoes.
The music instruments used for the songs included a large dhol that is swung across the neck and played till you drop to your knees. Today with an array of instruments and hi-tech music organs, the rhythm is made even more affable.
The music caught the fancy of the world when Punjabis settled abroad brought in the Punjabi music with a dash of international essence. There was rapping in the song, hip-hop and the twist you’d get nowhere else. Bands began to evolve that catered to not only bhangra but also to anyone who loved music.
Some of the well known Punjabi artists are Daler Mehendi, Mika, Jagjit Singh, Hans Raj Hans and Dalvinder Singh. Some artists who have made bhangra of international flavour are Bombay Rockers, Jazzy B etc. They have set the tone for high adrenaline music and dance.
The music albums are available anywhere in India and abroad. Even a local renowned Punjabi singer’s album is available outside India. So strong is the influence of the music that has cast its spell on one and all. Making it a must have in every household on or off Indian soil.
The ‘balle balle’ is now the words of enchanting music, you say it and you get it. It has become synonymous with bhangara or Punjabi music. All you have to say at the music store to get some bhangara music is balle balle. These words are used in Hindi music, southern music and western music as it takes the listener to a different level of music listening.
Morning, afternoon or evening, you can hear these songs at anytime of the day. Put it at a party and see the mood swing to high energy, the young and old alike come to the dance floor to do some balle balle. The original dancing to Punjabi music requires a lot of stamina and the steps are strenuously intertwined. Non-stop vigorous steps tire you easily, unless you are the Punjab the puttar or have an undying energy. Dance on a complete song to the simple beats of the dhol to feel your body revived.

Telugu Music

Music is inherent to every region, so even down south India the music industry thrives on music that is a part of the culture and tradition. In south India, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam are a few of the languages known. Telugu is spoken in Karnataka and this state enjoys the Telugu music, which is continuously bettering itself.
This was not the case in the years gone by. It was one singer, male or female who got the better of the music industry as only they would sing all the songs in the movie. The fans and publicity they enjoyed pushed the music director to cast them for their next movie too, and so it was only a handful of singers that lived in the music industry, like Chitra and SPB.
But with the entry of AR Rehman on the scene, the thought processes gradually changed. As he gave a chance to budding singers that was uncommon in the industry. Rehman was a hit as the people accepted the new singers. Then it was noticed that people loved music and signers that really touched their hearts and it did not matter who sung them as long as they were beautifully paired with words and symphony.
So the limelight shifted from the renowned cast of music singers. These included female singers like Sunitha, Usha, Sumangali, Kousalya, Shreya Ghosa along with Chitra. Other singers were Kalpana, Ganga, Malavika, Mahalaxmi and Nithya. Male playback singers included Mano, SPB, SP Charan, Rajesh, Tippu, KK, Mallikharjun and Karthik. Besides these there were talented singers that were less heard of like Naalo Neenu, Sandeep, Allo, Ranjith and Daana.
The well-known singers would sing an average of 4 to 5 songs in each movie, but with the new mindset of allowing new singers to get on the scene, the songs reduced to 1 or a maximum of 2.
Earlier music directors were very apprehensive of using new comers; they were very happy with the existing singers and did not want to experiment. Also as music directors wanted their song to be sung in a particular way, with punctuations and intonations as they decide their favourite singers delivered it. Hence they were happy and so were the audience.
But with the trend of new singers, that delivered what the music director wanted, the paradigm shift was adopted. Musicians and directors were not speculative in casting new playback singers; they experimented and welcomed new voices. They realised that there was a dearth of talent in the region.
Boys and girls had trained voices and could translate the meaning of the lyrics in the tone and style demanded. So great was the shift that singers from other industries too were invited, mostly from the Hindi music industry. But as pronunciations began to take a toll they fell back to individuals from their hometown.
And the market seemed to engulf the new talent as readily as it was born. This encouraged the music directors to go on a spree to find new singers. Today in an album of six songs you will notice a playback singer is not repeated too many times it could be once to a maximum of two.
Also with the reign of individual music and dance albums getting popular, more and more playback singers were in demand.

Hindi Music

Mera jeevan kora kaagaz, kora hi reh gaya; laila oh laila, kaise hai laila; dil chahta hai, ya ali……are songs that have been imprinted in the history of Hindi music forever. Some of these are songs that yesteryears have enjoyed and yet the modern world plunge into them.
Although the music comes from the Hindi movies, the entire industry is termed as Bollywood. So huge is the industry that most of the times it is mistaken for all the movies produced in the country. Including Telugu, Tamil, Bengali etc. This is because Hindi movies take on a huge segment of the film industry in India and the world over. The music of the film is released much before the actual release of the film. This is because producers want to promote the film and create excitement about the film.
The songs go on air - on radio, television, while the cassettes and CDs find their way to the rickshaw drivers and in audio shops. These various mediums attract individuals to them creating a stir of the music.
The music industry is heavily driven by new songs. They consume a colossal share of up to 40% in the music industry. So you can imagine what an impact new movies have in the industry.
The new trend is music remixed. So all the old songs are remixed to satiate the taste of the younger generation who love to disco and party. Hence even songs released today are mostly upbeat with a lot of gusto and drama. Fast beats attract the youth who are a major segment in sales as they purchase maximum number of CDs.
However this burgeoning industry is quite disorganised, musicians, producers hail from various locations and there is no one body they all fall under and follow. Organisations stand individually and are smaller as compared to the industry. Now the industry is striving to bring all the artists under one roof and form one huge organisation so that co-ordinating and following patterns become simpler.
To that effect the India Music week is to be organised, here all members from various segments will be housed under one roof. So from composers, performing artists, marketing, composers, musicians, licences, recorders, radio jockeys, music stores, technicians, equipment manufacturers, engineers etc. will be seeing and meeting one another.
Although India eats, drinks and sleeps Bollywood, the bug has bitten foreign countries too. The Arab world loves Bollywood movies and music. They keep themselves updated with the latest trend in Bollywood, sing the latest songs and enjoy them. You will hear the songs played at homes, parlours, restaurants etc.
Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan are other countries that have taken up a fancy for Hindi music. This is because of the similarities in Hindi and Urdu that are seen in the songs. Also sometimes, lyrics incorporate a lot of Urdu words and so the music is understood and loved in these countries. Fans for the music also include China, Thailand, Malaysia and other oriental countries. So Hindi Music is spreading far and wide giving a natural impetus to the already gargantuan industry.