In reviews and articles on folkdevils.co.uk you'll find many references to musical styles. This glossary offers a brief guide to the many and diverse musical genres featured in these pages. The highlighted artist links will take you to an album review and sound clip. Use this page to check out new and interesting sounds, to broaden your musical horizons, or to help you capture that elusive groove.
While the site is being renewed this section may contain examples of albums that do not appear on the site right now. This glossary will be updated as the site is developed. Please contact us to enquire as to availability of any releases listed here that do not feature in our database
Simple percussion, ensemble singing and the weird, other-wordly sound of the didgeridoo (however you prefer to spell it) make up the outsiders view of music from the Aboriginal people of Australia. A great representative collection of traditional Aboriginal music is featured on 'From dawn until dusk', the didgeridoo also features below in it's incarnation on the international scene as a rock and modern dance instrument.
Unaccompanied vocal eg Sweet Honey in the Rock, Georgia's Tsinandali Choir, see also Mbube.
A catch-all for acoustic music from all over Africa, including Ali Farka Touré from Mali and Geoffrey Oryema from Uganda.
Guitar music from sub-Saharan West Africa, subject of much speculation about the provenance of blues music - was it in Timbuctu or the Mississippi delta? Three Malians illustrate the sound - Ali Farka Touré, Boubacar Traoré and Lobi Traoré.
Much African music uses state-of-the-art technology mixed with elements of local or traditional sounds. Two examples from the extremes of the continent: Rachid Taha from Algeria and Brenda Fassie from South Africa.
Reggae has spread far and wide across Africa, as it has in other areas of the world. Ivoirean Alpha Blondy and South African Lucky Dube are world stars, Reggae over Africa is a good compilation.
The term coined by Fela Kuti to describe his style of funk/jazz/african music. Now used as a generic term for West African music with a big funk/jazz sound. Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango are prime examples whilst the compilation 'Racubah' records afrobeat bands of the 1990s.
As the name suggests, this is Cuban music borne out of traditions brought from Africa to the Caribbean with the slave trade. It's got a strong percussive base with roots very firmly in the Yoruba tradition of Nigeria but there's a distinctive latin flavour through the Cuban influence. Carmen Gonzalez has the latest Afro-Cuban styles whilst 'Afro-Cuban grooves', a compilation from France's Radio Nova chronicles the style through it's best-known exponents.
A term popular in the USA used in similar terms to 'African dance' (above) to describe contemporary popular music from across the continent. Two examples of afropop are Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour and Oliver N'Goma from Gabon.
An age-old fusion sound as Africa/Middle-East meets Europe. The apex of Arab-Andalous is that great cultural crossroads at the southern tip of Spain and the northern tip of Morocco and the music strongly reflects the influence of both traditions. Crossing and re-crossing the Straits of Gibraltar musically are artists like Abed Azrie and Juan Pena Lebrijano.
A term disliked by many 'in the pigeon-hole' but used to describe artists of Asian origin, often based in the UK, playing a mix of Indian traditional instruments and modern techno beats. Check out two examples - Badmarsh & Shree and Talvin Singh.
Music from the festival tradition in Brazil. With a strong base in African music the sound originated through drum troupes accompanying carnival processions. The drum sound is fast and high-pitched, at times similar to military-style drumming. More recently wind instruments and song structures have come in to enhance and develop the sound. Ara Ketu and Timbalada are two of the best-known ensembles in Brazil.
Kenyan guitar-band music. It began in the 1970s with groups like D.O.Misiani & Shirati Jazz - or check the definitive compilation 'Kenya dance mania'.
Ritual and trance music from the monastaries of Tibet and other foundations throughout the world. Deep devotional chanting, cymbals and bells are all part of the divine rituals of Bhuddism and good examples can be found on this recording from the Amdo Monastery and the superbly annotated collection 'Heart of Dharma'.
Music from the black diaspora in North America. Originally acoustic guitar/piano with vocal it has also developed into a popular electric form. A good compilation which also looks at the Africa/US blues axis is 'The blues makers'.
Gentle jazz-influenced music from Brazil, originated and popularised by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Bebel Gilberto (daughter of João) is a terrific modern-day performer and Nouvelle are stretching the boundaries of bossa-nova.
Brass band music may have it's origins in western Europe but the instruments have travelled far and wide and have come under the influence of a variety of cultures around the world. Two fine examples of what else can be done with the sound, aside from 'The floral dance', are the enigmatic Bollywood Brass Band and eastern European Gypsy group Kocani Orkestar.
A religion-based music which, although Brazilian, has it's roots in west African ritual traditions. There're not a great many recordings of candomblé but this French field recording is very well-made.
Tunes of the celtic diaspora have been logged as far apart as Scandinavia and Mali, west Africa. In between there's well-documented music from many countries along the western fringes of Europe which display very close musical similarities. The mouth music of Scottish tradition also appears in Ireland and has been carried across the Atlantic to Canada by Scottish emigrés. Irish traditional music in it's many forms can be found on the Real World collection 'Lament' whilst further south the sound of Galician artist Mercedes Péon has powerful echoes in the other celtic countries.
Quintessential French music of the type one might associate with a Parisian café scene from a 1940s Hollywood movie. Accordian and heart-rending vocal styles abound in this wonderfully appealing style. The compilation 'Story of chanson' collects all of the great performers together on one disc.
Describes the music of Thomas Mapfumo. Guitar-band music based around the rhythms and melodies of the southern African instrument known as the mbira.
Similar to the smooth Caribbean sound of zouk but with an added latin spice which gives the sound rather more body than it's near neighbour. Compas is the pop music of Haiti, although much of it, like the Mini Records artists, is based in Floridan exile. 'Kaskad compas' collects some of the great tunes from the style and Tabou Combo have to be the best-known internationally.
Colombia's version of the great Latin American dance music called salsa. Cumbia is a soft-edged, sultry and sexy take on the irresistible dance rhythm. Colombia's most famous musical export is Joe Arroyo whilst Alfredo Gutierrez is very popular at home.
The instrument of Australian Aboriginal tradition as taken up by many performers of different cultures around the world. Two white ex-pat Australians ply their trade in Europe and America - Didjworks busk and gig in New York whilst Dr.Didg are a UK-based didg-dance project.
Started in early 70's Jamaica and called 'versions' (instrumentals), used as 45rpm flip-sides. Studio engineers, like pioneer King Tubby, went on to re-arrange the sound using echo and reverb techniques and dropping instruments and vocal lines in and out of the rhythm. Lee Perry and Keith Hudson are good examples whilst the compilation 'Dub/original bass culture' gives a great overview.
The name of an instrument which has a whole music style based around it's haunting and plaintive sound. From Armenia, where Djivan Gasparyan is one it's finest players, the duduk, a reed woodwind, has similar characteristics to the modern-day clarinet and is capable of conveying the same type of emotions. With a sound as expressive as the human voice the duduk can be both lively and melancholy, though Gasparyan's sound, with simple drone accompaniment, tends rather beautifully toward the latter.
Ethiopian music has a sound and rhythm which is unique. Many of the time signatures sound best played in a modern jazz style instrumentally whilst the convoluted vocal styles of both male and female performers trip and dance through the tricky rhythms. There's a great series called 'Ethiopiques', chronicling popular music of the country (and the ever-expanding ex-pat scene in and around Washington DC) from the 70s to the present day. One of today's up-and-coming stars with her sights firmly set on the international scene is Gigi.
A gentle instrumental and vocal style, based on the sound of the Portuguese guitar, which has spread it's influence far and wide. Echoes can be heard in morna from Cape Verde, bossa-nova of Brazil and music from Angola to Goa to the Indonesian archipeligo. Pedro Caldeira Cabral plays a beautiful acoustic instrumental version of fado whilst the music's many 20th century stars are collected on 'The story of fado'.
Traditional/ritual music recorded in the field by organisations such as Radio France, whose Ocora label catalogue is extremely impressive, US label Ellipsis Arts produce a superb range of well-annotated and illustrated CD/books
Spanish guitar music, associated with the Rom/Gypsy population of the Iberian peninsula, has a sharp, exact rhythmic feel and connection with a world-renowned dance style. Flamenco can also include sung ballads, cool & sinuous modern sounds and powerful vocal performances with highly distinctive clapping beats. 'The young flamencos' collection is great, as is the artist Alabina.
Accordian-based acoustic music from the Brazilian favelas with very lively time signatures and strong vocal lines, the compilation 'Music for maids and taxi drivers' has a selection that's well-worth checking out.
Descended from Nigerian Islamic festival music. Comprises long tunes, heavy on percussion and vocals and usually featuring slide guitar. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Adewale Ayuba are two fine examples.
Can cover a multitude of music styles but here represents the melding of different music forms through the meeting of artists from diverse cultures. Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil has produced many fine albums, Bayuba Cante are a truly international group from three continents and Mynta are a mixture of Scandinavian and Asian musicians playing Indo-jazz fusion.
An instrument which closely resembles a xylophone or vibraphone in form but is greatly different in sound and tone. The scale of the gamelan is entirely different from that of western instruments and the sound is very bell-like, though soft and very appealing to the ear. The orchestra of the Royal Palace of Yogyakarta play the most traditional, stately gamelan whilst 'Roots of Gamelan' charts the revolution into the modern sound which happened in Bali during the early 20th century.
Religious music originating in the black diaspora of North America, for example Blind Boys of Alabama. Adopted into African Christian movements, especially in South Africa such as pop-gospel artist Rebecca Malope and the purer gospel sound of 'God bless Africa - the very best of South African gospel'.
Easy dancing, horn-led dance band music popular since the 1950s, principally in Ghana and Nigeria. E.T. Mensah from the 50s and Sweet Talks from the 70s are good examples.
As adopted by musicians outside of the 'western' idiom. Very popular across Africa and the radical modern styles have spawned versions in countries like Senegal - a superb compilation 'Da hop' is available, and bands like Orishas from Cuba work wonders melding salsa and hip-hop/rap.
Most albums of Indian classical music are based around the lead performer and their instrument. For example the hammered-string santoor, the sitar, or vocal styles. A classic north Indian album featuring famous santoor player Shivkumar Sharma and flute player Hariprasad Chaurasia is 'Call of the valley'
Zimbabwean guitar-based dance music usually comprising two interlocking guitar lines, bass guitar, keyboards, drums and vocals. The world's best-known jit band are the Bhundu Boys whilst John Chibadura also had a huge following at home and abroad.
Nigerian dance music incorporating a large percussion ensemble with horns and guitars (including pedal steel guitar). Two of Nigeria's best-known juju artists are King Sunny Adé and Chief Ebenezer Obey.
Music of the Jewish diaspora, both highly energetic dance music and deeply melancholic ballads. Part vocal, part-instrumental and driven by accordian, clarinet, horns and an array of instruments ancient and modern, Flying Bulgar Klezmer band are good modern-day examples whilst an overview can be found on the Ellipsis Arts CD/book release 'Klezmer music: a marriage of heaven and earth'.
Calypso style party music from Sierra Leone, King Masco is a popular exponent of the sound and the compilation 'Timeless classics' features some excellent songs.
South African musicians have a history of re-working popular western (especially US) styles. Here modern r&b, rap & hip-hop get the treatment to create a brand-new and highly exciting music exemplified by artists like Arthur and M'Du.
South African pennywhistle jive music originating in the 1950's townships. Though the music is current today the most famous exponent is 50s star Spokes Mashiyane.
Cameroonian traditional beats brought bang up-to-date by artists like Sam Fan Thomas, Manu Dibango and Ekambi Brillant. It's a funky mid-pace tropical groove with the accent on dancing.
Music from the huge Indian Ocean island of Madagascar requires a section of its own, being so very different to any music from the nearby African continent. 'Big red' is a terrific compilation covering most aspects of Malagasy music, Rakoto Frah was a highly revered 20th century flute player and Rakotozafy plays the amazing valiha, one of the island's many unique indigenous instruments. Tarika's album 'Soul Makassar' charts the influence Indonesian music has had on the Malagasy sound and follows the origins of the people of Madagascar back to Java and the Indonesian archipeligo.
South African Cape township jazz/jive first popularised in the 40s and 50s but very current in the new century. Try 'African horns' for a taste of the 50s sound and African Jazz Pioneers for the modern-day equivalent.
Originating in Senegalese traditional percussion music and led by the tama (talking drum). The modern-day form, with a large band including horn section, keyboards, bass & drums, in addition to local instruments, was pioneered by Youssou N'Dour & le Super Etoile de Dakar whilst one of the rising stars is Fallou Dieng.
Music most associated with the South African townships. The bump'n'grind style, with powerful female chorus and male singers known as 'groaners' all driven by a sax-jive band, has achieved worldwide popularity through a ground-breaking series of compilations known as 'The indestructible beat of Soweto'. Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens remain the genre's best-known exponents whilst the Soul Brothers play a gentler Hammond organ-led version.
South African male choral a capella music popularised by a group which is now probably the best-known African group in the world - Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Originally from the Dominican Republic, this is a fast frantic dance music with traditional origins and a trademark accordian base. For the acoustic, traditional side try Francisco Ulloa or for the more up-to-date sound of modern merengue we recommend you try UK-based salsa/merengue outfit Merengada.
Covers a range of cultures, countries and styles and includes early 20th century Egyptian singer Omme Kolsoum, rabat (bowed stringed instrument) player Kayhan Kalhor from Iran, Turkish traditional music as played by Kudsi Erguner, and field-recorded gems like the 'Music in the World of Islam' series on Topic Records.
Portuguese-language music from the Cape Verde islands off the coast of Senegal, West Africa. There is much influence from the Portuguese fado style and a big chunk of Africa in the gentle ballads. Cesaria Evora has built a huge international reputation for morna whilst a popular male performer is Teofilio Chantre. A great compilation 'The soul of Cape Verde' is also available.
Music of the original people of north and south America varies greatly but is mostly pipe, vocal and percussion-based. Putumayo's compilation 'A Native American odyssey' fully explores the range of sounds across both north and south.
In this case the music of the Nubian wedding music tradition. These are celebration sounds which, played on traditional instruments plus guitars, really rock along with a strong, insistent, dance rhythm and some cracking vocals - here from Nubian wedding king Ali Hassan Kuban.
Grown out of the sound of reggae percussion and the strong Rastafarian belief shared by many lovers of the music in Jamaica and around the world. A rootsy drum style harking back to Africa with chants and singing, it is also mixed with reggae to create a more commercial but equally conscious sound. Originators Ras Michael & the Sons of Negus represent the pure nyah sound whilst the compilation 'Grounation' covers all of nyahbhingi's bases.
Sharp Latin American dance rhythm from the 1940s and 50s. Modern groups, many of whom, like Orquesta Aragon have a 40+ year history, still adopt these very exact rhythms to give a guaranteed dance feel.
Easy guitar & vocal music from Sierra Leone. The musical accompaniment can vary from acoustic guitar to full guitar band format but the beat is never forced. Songs of love and alcohol to serenade those drinking in the palm wine bars of Freetown and beyond. Palm wine music's best-loved export is S.E.Rogie.
Traditional music of the indigenous people of South America. Until the arrival of Europeans there were no stringed instruments but today the guitar and local derivatives, such as the smaller charango, accompany the ethereal sound of the pan-pipe. A group which constantly tours internationally and releases albums of quality pan-pipe music is Rumillajta.
Traditional drumming styles come in different forms from all corners of the world. There are spellbinding players from all cultures including Brazilian Dudu Tucci and Ghanaian master drummer Mustapha Tettey Addy. For a truly world-wide selection 'The big bang' 3CD + booklet set is highly recommended.
Devotional music with Persian origins attached to a branch of Islam known as Sufism. It's male choral music with one or two lead vocalists and minimal harmonium/percussion accompaniment. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is the most famous qawwali singer whilst his nephews Rizwan and Muazzam Ali Khan are continuing the tradition.
Originating in the late 1980s/early 90s out of the reggae/toaster (rap) scene. Hard rhythms and uncompromising vocal styles abound. Buju Banton is one of the early stars who endures today.
Algerian popular music modernised with the introduction of synthesised keyboards and crossing-over well onto the world scene through artists such as (Cheb) Khaled and Cheb Mami.
Sometimes termed 'belly dance' for western recognition but the pure art-form is about female movement and dance for the benefit of the performer as much as the audience. The very exact rhythms and time-signatures in the percussion-driven orchestral music demand great discipline from the performer and, as such, it has been embraced by westerners as a very enjoyable yet demanding form of physical and mental exercise. A series by Jalilah is highly recommended and a great selection is available on the compilation 'Belly dance'.
Since it's inception at the beginning of the 1970's in Jamaica reggae has grown into a huge international movement. The style has appeared in a mulitplicity of versions from countries as diverse as Senegal (see also 'African reggae' above) and Java. Dance music with an easy edge that adapts beautifully to a variety of instrumentation and broad approach across the globe. Probably the most truly international music there is. The compilations 'Reggae: I am king' - UK reggae and 'Women of Studio 1', The Congos 'Heart of the Congos' and Gregory Isaacs' 'Night nurse' represent a cross-section.
Music of the Gypsy, or Rom, diaspora. Ranging from the foothills of the Himalayas to the wet hills of Ireland and beyond there is a familiar strain throughout the music of the Rom. Bowed instruments (today the violin/fiddle predominates) lead the way and other dominant instruments include the cimbalon (hammered-string instrument, like the Asian santoor) and guitar. The style can range from the traditional eastern European sound of Taraf de Haidouks to the more modern Gypsy-Kings style of Spain's Alabina. The fine compilation 'Children of the wind/the thousand year journey of the Gypsies' features music from across Europe.
Rooted in Yoruba/West African music of tradition but originating in Cuba and other Latin American dance cultures, rumba has been re-adopted into the African dance music scene. It's especially popular in West Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaïre). Modern-day exponents include Ruben Gonzalez (Cuba), Wendo Kolosoy (Zaïre) and Orchestre Baobab (Senegal).
Sub-Saharan pop music using modern instrumentation. Expressive of vast desert expanses and often with a very Arabic-style vocal, for example Salif Keita and Abdoulaye Diabate.
The lingua franca of the Latin American dance scene, from New York to São Paolo salsa dominates in one form or another. There's a wide variety of styles and some offshoots (see also 'cumbia', 'rumba' and 'pachanga') - for classic NY salsa check out Fania All-Stars, there's a great selection of modern Cuban bands collected on 'Salsa Timba' and Africando's 'Mandali' shows the African angle.
The easiest of easy dance gooves comes from that country of sexy, sassy song styles - Brazil. Samba has had an international following since the early 1960s which hasn't faded in more than 40 years. For a traditional feeling (but exceptionally rewarding) field recording try the classic Rounder Records compilation 'Brazil roots samba', classic pop-samba from Clara Nunes then check the latest sambistas Mestre Ambrosio for a taste of modern samba.
Progression from the South African pennywhistle style of the 1950s - uptempo jazzy instrumentals with saxophone taking the lead. West Nkosi was one of the music's finest exponents and Soul Brothers incorporate sax jive into their vocal-based sound.
Lively dance music, precursor of the more widely influential reggae sound (see above). Prince Buster is one of ska's best-known performers. Ska also enjoyed a revival in the UK and beyond in the early 1980s - the compilation 'Planete ska' charts both eras.
Carnival music from the Caribbean, principally Trinidad & Tobago. Each year there's a contest between the top soca stars with the winner garlanded and celebrated throughout the islands. Most of the lyric content is light-hearted and often features the use of double-entendre. A winner is guaranteed high international sales and increased bookings for the year to come. 'This is soca' is a compilation of 90s soca classics.
Zaïrean/pan-African dance music popularised in the 1980s by artists like Nyboma and the enormous Pepé Kallé. The sound is still a huge influence across the entire continent and one of the stars of today is Alain Nkounkou.
Heavily US-influenced but always stamping the sound with a very African feel. It's been around since the late forties/early fifties and two enduringly popular stars are the pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly Dollar Brand) and the group African Jazz Pioneers. A good collection called African jazz & jive' is also available.
Modern Javanese pop music using traditional instruments of the island mixed with technological advances. English-born artist Colin Bass, aka Sabah Habas Mustapha, produces fine albums of sunda pop in and around the Javan capital Jakarta. Detty Kurnia is probably the most famous sunda singer alive today - her albums sell widely in Indonesia and Japan.
Islamic/Swahili vocal music from south-east Kenya and Tanzania/Zanzibar. Orchestral in form, with stately rhythms produced by the string and percussion ensembles. A collection of Black Star/Lucky Star Clubs of Zanzibar is worth checking out, as is the music of Salim & Mussa Ahmed.
With African origins which it does not clearly display, tango's roots are in Argentina, although it has also become popular at the other end of the world in Finland. The original, orchestral, style is still popular in Buenos Aires and artists like Astor Piazzolla have transformed the sound through the innovative use of tango's lead instrument, the bandoneon. A modern-day group who play both in the dance style and that of Astor Piazzolla are Sexteto Mayor. Piazzolla himself can be heard on 'Tristezas de un Doble A'.
A strange and thoroughly alien sound to western ears the throat-singing of Tuva, a country on the north-western border of Mongolia and to the south of Siberia, is as amazing as the vast steppes landscape of the area. The aim of the singer is to accompany himself with a nasal drone as a tonal backdrop to the vocal performance. The effect is stunning - as evidenced by the recordings of traditional players Huun-Huur-Tu. Even updated to the modern rock idiom of the group Yat-Kha the sound is as distinctive and unique as it possibly could be.
Ritual music from a huge variety of cultures across the world involves some kind of trance state to help the devout to obtain a higher level of spirituality. There are some excellent examples of the breadth of styles on two compilations - Trance 1 and Trance 2.
The name of the region of southern Mali from which the music takes it's name. This is the stately and age-old praise-singing of the female griots, whose family lines are traceable back over hundreds of years. They earn a handsome living singing praises of rich and noble sponsors with their searingly beautiful and powerful vocal performances. In today's commercial world singers are more and more using the technology available in studios from Bamako to Paris and creating some of the finest fusions of ancient and modern music the world has ever heard. Stern's Records' compilation 'The women of Wassoulou' broke international ground for the genre whilst Ami Koita is one of Wassoulou's most enduring and brilliant performers
Modern tropical dance music with a strong African feel from the Antillean islands Guadeloupe, Martinique, St.Lucia etc. With its roots in African drumming styles it's crossed-over back to Africa and influences music in Gabon, Ivory Coast and other West African countries. Kassav are the Antillean originators of the modern groove whilst Guilou from Cameroon and the compilation 'Le meilleur de l'Afro-zouk' show what the Africans have done with the beat.
A variation on several European music themes put through the north American cultural melting pot. Accordian music of the deep south states of Mississippi and Louisiana with a big slice of the French tradition. 'The Rough Guide to Zydeco' is a great compilation of the zydeco stars.
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