About Japanese Music The earliest forms of music were drums and flute music accompanying the kagura shrine dances. From the 6th century on, music came from Korean and Chinese courts and monasteries and was performed at the Japanese court under the generic name gagaku (court music). The 8th-century court established a music bureau (gagakuryo) to be in charge of musical duties, both ritual and entertainment. The standard full-range gagaku ensemble has about 16 musicians on percussion, string, and reed instruments, the most distinctive being the free-reed mouth organ (sho), cyndrical oboe (hichiriki), the biwa lute, and the koto zither. Meanwhile with the introduction of Buddhism to Japan in the 6th century, Buddhist rites and liturgical chants gave rise to the development of a great variety of bells, gongs, wooden clappers, plaques, percussion tubes, and rattles, many of which found their way also into kabuki music of the Edo period (1600-1868).
Music of Japan The music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles, both traditional and modern. The word for "music" in Japanese is 音楽 (ongaku), combining the kanji 音 on (sound) with the kanji 楽 gaku (enjoy).[1] Japan is the largest physical music market in the world, worth US$2 billion in sales in physical formats in 2014, and the second-largest overall music market, worth a total retail value of 2.6 billion dollars in 2014[2] – dominated by Japanese artists, with 37 of the top 50 best-selling albums[3] and 49 of the top 50 best-selling singles in 2014.[4] Traditional and folk music[edit] There are two forms of music recognized to be the oldest forms of traditional Japanese music. Originating as early as the 13th century are honkyoku (本曲 "original pieces"). Biwa hōshi, Heike biwa, mōsō and goze[edit] The biwa (琵琶 - Chinese: pipa), a form of short-necked lute, was played by a group of itinerant performers (biwa hōshi) (琵琶法師) who used it to accompany stories. Taiko[edit] Orchestras
Traditional Indonesian Music Gamelan music is the most popular and important kind in Indonesia. Gamelan orchestras accompany all dances and dramas. Gamel means ‘to hammer’, and most of the instruments of a gamelan orchestra are struck with wooden mallets, padded sticks or hammers.The conductor of a gamelan orchestra is a drummer who is part of the orchestra. Instruments of a gamelan orchestra A complete orchestra could have about 40 or more different instruments. There are also two sets of instruments that are tonal: the slendro tuned to five tones and the pelog, tuned to seven tones. Gamelan music Gamelan music is complicated. Angklung music Another popular form of orchestral music is the angklung, which is played on instruments made entirely of bamboo of different lengths. You can read more about gamelan and see pictures of instruments at the following sites
What is Jewish Music? Jewish music stems from ancient prayer chants of the Levant some 3000 years ago. The musical notation that developed and that we find in the bible today is one of the most ancient forms of notated music, and yet it is still in current practice all over the world today. Jewish music has been constantly adapting to new conditions and yet retaining its identity in many widely differing ethnic, social and religious environments. Through its daughter religions, the music of Judaism is one of the fundamental elements in the understanding of the sacred and secular traditions of Europe and the Near East, first having influenced, and then having been influenced by, the music of Christian and Islamic cultures. The study of Jewish music encompasses many genres of religious, semi religious and folk music used in the synagogue and in the Jewish home and also art music using Jewish texts or themes. Ashkenazi Music (Klezmer) Sephardi Music Israeli Music Synagogue Music Suppressed Music
What is celtic music? The term 'celtic music' is a rather loose one; for the purpose of Ceolas, it covers the traditional music of the celtic countries - Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany (in France), Galicia (in Spain) and areas which have come under their influence, such as the US and the maritime provinces of Canada, as well as some newer music based on the tradition from these countries. The term is sometimes controversial. For starters, the Celts as an identifiable race are long gone, there are strong differences between traditional music in the different countries, and many of the similarities are due to more recent influences. It is also worth remembering that even a term such as 'Irish traditional music' is a lumping together of many different styles, from the raw, Scottish-tinged music of Donegal to the lyrical, easy-going style of Clare and many other regional styles that are only partly compatible. The Celtic Music Regions More information from the Irish Traditional Music Archive
Klezmer Music 101 - Jewish Traditions By Megan Romer Updated October 04, 2016. Originally, the word "klezmer," from the Yiddish language, meant "vessel of song" and later, simply "musician." However, it has come to characterize the style of secular music played by Ashkenazi Jews for joyful celebrations such as weddings. What Does Klezmer Music Sound Like? Klezmer music is intended to replicate the human voice including sounds of crying, wailing and laughing. Non-Traditional Influences on Klezmer Music Klezmer music draws on centuries-old Jewish traditions and incorporates various sounds of music from European and international traditions, including Roma (gypsy) music, Eastern European folk music (particularly Russian music), French Cafe music and early jazz. continue reading below our video Dancing to Klezmer Music Klezmer music is made for dancing. These klezmer pieces are meant for dancing, including fast and slow tempos: Klezmer Music and the Holocaust Recommended Klezmer Music Starter CDs
Peruvian Music The Peru music is a fusion of sounds and styles drawing on Peru's Andean, Spanish, and African roots. After hundreds years of cultural mixing, there have been created a broad musical landscape over Peru. Typical instruments used are, for example, the flute and the antara or zampoña, the box and the traditional guitar, which in Peru has also a smaller variant, known as the "charango" and mandolin. There are thousands of pre-Hispanic dances and mestizo. Central, northern and southern Andes is famous for preserving traditional rhythms and huayno parade. Before the Viceroyalty of Peru, much of the Peruvian territory constituted the Tahuantinsuyo uniting several of the oldest cultures such as Chavin, Paracas, Moche, Chimu, Nazca and 20 other minors, the ancient people of the Nazca culture, were the major Pre-Columbian musicians in the continent. The Incas used a wide variety of musical instruments, some as: Peruvian music is dominated by the national instrument, the charango. Andean Music
GCSE Bitesize: African music Cajun Music: Alive and Well in Louisiana By Ann Savoy One of French Louisiana's most vital attractions is its music. Acadian music has undergone vast changes since arriving in Louisiana, to a large extent because those who play it today live so differently from earlier residents. Understanding Cajun music in all its variety is a large undertaking but an important one. Today, we in Louisiana are fortunate to have living representatives of many of its various styles and stages. Excerpt, J'ai Ete Au Bal: Cajun and Zydeco Music of Louisiana. One of the earliest forms of music in Louisiana was the unaccompanied ballad. Although today television, radio and air conditioners have lured people off their porches and made gatherings of friends less frequent, some of the older people still remember the days when neighbors sat together and shared songs. Marc Savoy (center on Fiddle) in his Saturday morning Cajun music jam session at his music store in Eunice, Louisiana. Other changes came to the Cajun music scene with the string bands.
Tejano music Music genre fusing Mexican and European influences Tejano music (Spanish: música tejana), also known as Tex-Mex music, is a popular music style fusing Mexican and US influences.[1] Typically, Tejano combines Mexican Spanish vocal styles with dance rhythms from Czech and German genres -particularly polka or waltz.[2][3] Tejano music is traditionally played by small groups featuring accordion and guitar or bajo sexto. Its evolution began in northern Mexico (a variation known as norteño).[4][5] Origins[edit] Europeans from Germany (first during the Spanish regime in the 1830s), Poland, and what is now the Czech Republic migrated to Texas and Mexico, bringing with them their style of music and dance. At the turn of the century, Tejanos were mostly involved in ranching and agriculture. With the keyboard, drums and bajo sexto, Tejanos now had a sound they could begin to call their own. History[edit] The 1960s and 1970s brought a new chicano music and the first La Onda Tejana Broadcasters.