Arts Resources

World Music Resources

Explore the rich tapestry created by musicians around the world--from the music of the Arab World and Ancient Greece, the diverse cultural sounds of China, to the journey of the Blues and the music of the Gulf Coast Highway in America.

Audio Series

Gulf Coast Highway

The music of the Gulf Coast provides a microcosm of the cultural diversity and richness of the United States. Hear the music and the experience of the musicians as Artsedge takes you from Houston, Texas to Jacksonville, Florida, on a musical road trip across US-90.

Audio Series

Music of Greece: Past is Present

Discover how incomplete fragments of papyrus and stone can provide clues to recreating music that has not been heard in thousands of years, explore the far-reaching influence that ancient Greece has had on modern music, and experience the numerous cultural and historical influences that have contributed to the music of today’s Greece.

Audio Series

Sounds of China

Chinese music dates back thousands of years and sounds different from Western music thanks to important differences in tone, musical scale, pitch, instrumentation and individual instruments. With instruments crafted from a wide variety of materials, including, bamboo, silk, gourd, clay and stone—-and played in a diverse range of styles, from single voices to richly melodic orchestral pieces--Chinese music is as varied as the people who create it.

Lesson

Guantanamera: A Poem and a Song

Students will listen to "Guantanamera," a Cuban folk song made famous by Pete Seeger with lyrics from a poem by Jose Marti.

Audio Series

Maximum India: The Music of India

The music of India is as diverse as its many cultures, but there is still an undeniable “sound” that makes Indian music unmistakable.

Website

Pakistan: The Gift of the Indus

Immerse yourself in the arts and culture of this South Asian country and its people through videos, audio clips, virtual galleries, and a teen blog.

Interactive

Soundscapes: The Arab World

A Web interactive that allows students to mix sounds (beats, environment, instrument, music and voice) from the Arab World to create unique audio soundscapes.

Video Series

Tambuco Percussion

Tambuco performs a repertoire ranging from structuralist percussion music to ethnic drum music and avante garde sound interpretations

Video Series

Andes Manta

Andes Manta performs the vibrant music of the Andes on more than 35 traditional instruments

Video

Beijing Traditional Music Ensemble

Virtuoso musicians demonstrate a range of distinctive styles in Chinese music

Video

Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra

Join the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra for a lecture and demonstration explaining each of the four sections of the Chinese orchestra as well as some of the individual instruments.

Video

Yunnan Singers, Dancers & Musicians

Artists of the Yi and Wa ethnic groups from Yunnan Province-the most ethnically diverse in China-demonstrate their unique folk traditions in this excerpt from the Kennedy Center's free Millennium Stage show.

Video

Oki Dub

Oki is the world's most prominent performer of the tonkori the only stringed instrument in the Karafuto Ainu musical tradition

Video

Edwin Colón Zayas

A 2009 NEA Heritage Award winner, the Puerto Rican composer, arranger, and director is best known as a musician with a passion for the cuatro, a guitar-like instrument with five sets of double strings.

Video

Mariachi Chula Vista

This ensemble from San Diego’s Chula Vista High School is considered one of the best student mariachi groups in the country.

Video

Pepe Reyes y su Mariachi Monumental de Cuscatlán

El Salvadoran Pepe Reyes began singing ranchera music at the age of seven and has dedicated his life to the music he loves. He regularly brings his band, The Mariachi Cuscatlan Orchestra, to the U.S and this is his first Millennium Stage performance. Washington, D.C.

Video

Salma El Assal

One of today’s leading Sudanese vocalists—her voice has been compared to that of Aretha Franklin—Salma El Assal performs with her ensemble contemporary arrangements of traditional Sudanese songs.

Video

Sreevidhya Chandramouli

A faculty member at the University of Oregon at Eugene, Sreevidhya Chandramouli plays the vina (plucked Indian lute) in the Karaikudi tradition, combining voice and vina in her performances.

Video Series

Tabou Combo: Haitian Kompa

"Rhythm is the essence of Tabou Combo," says Tabou Combo's co-founder Herman Nau. The infectious rhythm of Haiti's national dance music, Konpa (con-pah), has propelled the country's preeminent dance band around the world. By the time Tabou Combo's 12 members left Haiti and relocated to New York City in 1971, they had already established themselves as Haiti's number one group and Ambassadors of Konpa. Tabou Combo now has worldwide fans and followers from Europe, Asia, South America, throughout the Caribbean, and in North America. It is easy to understand why Tabou Combo's relentless and high-energy style of Konpa knows no language barrier.

Video

Azor: Vodou Jazz

Azor is known throughout the world as one of the most powerful voices in traditional sacred music in Vodou. He and his group of traditional drummers travel and record extensively especially in Japan. Their repertoire ranges from traditional chants to “Vodou jazz.”

Video

Felina Backer

Whether she is bringing joy to audiences through her vocal prowess or assisting a student on their path to a successful future, Felina Backer is a true inspiration to everyone she encounters. Felina uses her talent and spirit to transcend negativity and serve as a driving force throughout the United States, Canada, and Haiti.

Video