Americas
Traditional Mexican ensemble consisting of trumpets, violins, guitar, and bass guitar.
What is mariachi?
Genre of popular music originating in South Korea. Mixing synthesized music, sharp dance routines, and fashionable, colorful outfits.
What is K-Pop?
Literally “spicy.” Latin American dance music from African and Cuba.
What is salsa?
The Argentine composer known for his tango music.
Who is Astor Piazzolla?
A bowed, two-string fiddle from China.
Brazilian dance combining samba and jazz.
What is bossa nova?
A scale made up of five notes, used in most Eastern music.
What is the pentatonic scale?
Literally “lion.” A capella singing style of South African Zulus.
What is mbube?
Brazilian composer and the father of bossa nova.
Who is Antonio Carlos Jobim?
A Chinese lute with four silk strings.
What is a pipa?
A Latin American dance involving couples in tight embrace. Characterized by abrupt movements and syncopated rhythms.
What is tango?
Korean narrative vocal performance style, featuring epic length stories.
What is pansori?
Dance that blends music from Africa and Brazil with vocals and polyrhythm.
What is samba?
Chinese-American composer known for mixing Western and Asian music.
Who is Bright Sheng?
A rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands from West Africa.
What is a djembe?
Present-day Mexican composer who uses the style of native Mexico in his music.
Who is Arturo Marquez?
The art of performing percussion syllables vocally in South Indian carnatic music.
What is konnakol?
Latin American dance that blends music from Africa and Cuba in duple meter and syncopation.
What is rumba?
Present-day Haitian-American composer known for his choral compositions in Haitian-Creole.
Who is Sydney Guillaume?
African musical instrument made of a wooden board with attached metal tines.
What is an mbira?
Mexican nationalist composer. His music combines elements of Mexican folk culture with modernism.
Who is Silvestre Revueltas?
Literally “four instruments playing” refers to the instruments: kkwaenggwari, jing, changgo, and buk.
What is samulnori?
South African singer and civil rights activist. Brought African music to the West and fought against apartheid (racial segregation).
Who is Miriam Makeba?
Indian sitar player and composer.
A Chinese hammered dulcimer with a trapezoidal sound box and metal strings that are struck with bamboo sticks.
What is a yangqin?