Music from Finland

Finland’s music spans ancient runo-song and regional folk traditions, a strong classical legacy, communal national song, and internationally successful rock and metal. These examples deliberately cross that range, from Karelian and epic folk material to the national anthem and Nightwish.

The music of Finland can be roughly divided in the following three categories.

Folk music is typically influenced by Karelian traditional tunes and lyrics of the Kalevala metre. Karelian heritage has traditionally been perceived as the purest expression of Finnic myths and beliefs, thought to be spared from Germanic and Slavic influences. In the west of the country, more mainstream Nordic folk music traditions prevail. The Sami people of northern Finland have their own musical traditions, collectively Sami music. Finnish folk music has undergone a roots revival in the recent decades, and has also become a part of popular music.

In the field of classical music, Finland has produced a proportionally exceptional number of artists.

Contemporary music includes e.g. a renowned metal music scene, in common with the other Nordic countries, as well as a number of prominent rock and pop bands, jazz musicians, hip hop performers and makers of dance music. A Schlager scene with bandstand dancing exists where Finnish tango, somewhat modified from the Argentinian, is also popular. 

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of Finland” article

This Karelian ensemble highlights a regional folk tradition shared across Finland’s eastern cultural landscape.

Nightwish represents Finland’s internationally prominent symphonic-metal scene.

“Maamme,” also known in Swedish as “Vårt Land,” is Finland’s national anthem.

Heikki Laitinen’s performance draws on Finnish epic and folk-song traditions.

Music from Fiji

Fiji’s music combines Indigenous Fijian and Indo-Fijian traditions with church harmony, string-band music, vude, reggae, and contemporary Pacific pop. These examples feature two enduring popular figures: vude pioneer Seru Serevi and singer-songwriter George “Fiji” Veikoso.

Fiji is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. Though geographically Melanesian, the music of Fiji is more Polynesian in character. Nevertheless, Fijian folk styles are distinct in their fusion of Polynesian and Melanesian traditions. Folk music is dominated by vocal church music, as well as dances characterized by rich harmony and complex percussion made from slit drums or natural materials. 

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of Fiji” article

Seru Serevi, widely known as Fiji’s “Vude King,” represents a modern style built for communal singing and dance.

George Veikoso, who performed as Fiji, brought Fijian and wider Pacific sounds to an international audience.

Music from Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s music is shaped by distinctive modal systems, many regional traditions, and a celebrated modern popular-music history. These examples connect a traditional performance with two internationally recognized figures: Ethio-jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke and singer Mahmoud Ahmed.

The music of Ethiopia is extremely diverse, with each of Ethiopia's ethnic groups being associated with unique sounds. Some forms of traditional music are strongly influenced by folk music from elsewhere in the Horn of Africa, especially Somalia. However, Ethiopian religious music also has an ancient Christian element, traced to Yared, who lived during the reign of Gabra Masqal. In northeastern Ethiopia, in Wollo, a Muslim musical form called manzuma developed. Sung in Amharic, manzuma has spread to Harar and Jimma, where it is now sung in the Oromo language. In the Ethiopian Highlands, traditional secular music is played by itinerant musicians called azmaris, who are regarded with both suspicion and respect in Ethiopian society.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of Ethiopia” article.

Mulatu Astatke’s “Tezeta” represents Ethio-jazz and its distinctive meeting of Ethiopian modes with jazz instrumentation.

Mahmoud Ahmed is one of the defining voices of Ethiopia’s modern popular-music era.

This traditional performance provides a cultural counterpoint to the two modern artists.

Music from Estonia

Estonia’s musical identity is strongly associated with communal singing and choral traditions, while its composers and performers have earned an international reputation. These examples focus on Arvo Pärt, Estonia’s best-known contemporary classical composer.

The earliest mentioning of Estonian singing and dancing dates back to Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum (c. 1179). Saxo speaks of Estonian warriors who sang at night while waiting for an epic battle. The Estonian folk music tradition is broadly divided into 2 periods. The older folksongs are also referred to as runic songs, songs in the poetic metre regivärss the tradition shared by all Baltic-Finnic peoples. Runic singing was widespread among Estonians until the 18th century, when it started to be replaced by rhythmic folksongs. Professional Estonian musicians emerged in the late 19th-century at the time of Estonian national awakening. Nowadays the most known Estonian composers are Arvo Pärt and Veljo Tormis. 

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of Estonia” article

“Magnificat” introduces Arvo Pärt’s sacred choral writing and his spare, resonant musical language.

“Spiegel im Spiegel” presents Pärt’s internationally influential minimalist style in an intimate work for violin and piano.

Music from Eritrea

Eritrea’s music reflects the country’s many communities and languages, joining regional folk traditions with songs shaped by migration, independence, and modern popular culture. These examples feature three widely recognized Eritrean voices: Yemane Barya, Tsehaytu Beraki, and Faytinga.

Eritrea is a country in the Horn of Africa. Perhaps the most famous Eritrean musicians in history are Eng. Asghedom W.Micheal, Bereket Mengisteab, Yemane Baria, Osman Abderrehim, Alamin Abdeletif & Atowe Birhan Segid, some of whose music were banned by the Ethiopian government in the 1970s. Also of note is Bereket Mengistab, who has had a lengthy career, and 60s legends Haile Ghebru and Tewolde Redda. The latter was one of the first electric guitar players in East Africa, and a singer and writer of the famous 'allegedly' Eritrea's independence song "Shigey habuni" with love theme as coded message for political freedom ( - whether the attribution of a lot of the songs of this period to the desire for political expression/freedom was true or if it was just the wild fancy of a repressed people who zealously wanting expression to their deep secret political desire, were only eagerly extracting secret political meanings from what has to be run-o-the-mill universal love songs/folk ballads and nothing else - is not certain).  

Eritrean music has a unique rhythm that sets it apart from the rest of Africa. Modern popular stars include Bereket Mengistab,Teklé Tesfa-Ezighe Tekele Kifle Mariam (Wedi Tukul), Tesfai Mehari (Fihira), Osman Abderrehim, Abrar Osman, Abraham Afwerki, Yemane Ghebremichael, Idris Mohamed Ali, Alamin Abdeletif, Tsehaytu Beraki, Atewebrhan Segid and Berekhet Mengisteab.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of Eritrea” article

Yemane Barya represents a foundational voice in modern Eritrean popular music.

Singer and krar player Tsehaytu Beraki connects Eritrean song with the country’s traditional string-instrument heritage.

Faytinga brings Eritrean traditions into a contemporary international performance setting.

Music from Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea’s music reflects the traditions of its Fang, Bubi, and other communities, with song, dance, percussion, and storytelling closely intertwined. These examples focus on the mvet, an instrument and performance tradition shared across Fang cultural regions.

The largest ethnic group are the Fang, though there are also numerous Bubi and smaller populations of Bisio, Bujeba, Ndowe, Combe and Annobónese people. The Fang are known for their mvet, a cross between a zither and a harp. The mvet can have up to fifteen strings. The semi-spherical part of this instrument is made of bamboo and the strings are attached to the center by fibers. Music for the mvet is written in a form of musical notation that can only be learned by initiates of the bebom-mvet society. Music is typically call and response with a chorus and drums alternating. Musicians like Eyi Moan Ndong have helped to popularize folk styles.
The balélé and the risque ibanga are two of the many dances in Equatorial Guinea, most of which are accompanied by a three or four person orchestra consisting of some arrangement of sanza, xylophone, drums, zithers and bow harps.^[1]Another popular instrument is the tam-tam, which is a wooden box covered with animal skin. In its center, there are bamboo keys installed with complete musical scales. A second type of tam-tam has two different levels of musical keys. Generally, wooden musical instruments are decorated with fauna images and geometric drawings. Drums are covered with animal skins or animal drawings. 

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of Equatorial Guinea” article.

This performance foregrounds the mvet, a stringed instrument central to Fang musical and storytelling traditions.

Cameroonian musician Andeng Etaba demonstrates the mvet tradition shared across Fang communities beyond Equatorial Guinea’s borders.

Music from El Salvador

El Salvador’s music draws on Indigenous and Spanish traditions while embracing cumbia, folk song, orchestral dance music, rock, and other popular forms. These examples pair a retrospective collection with “Mi País,” a song closely associated with Salvadoran identity.

The music of El Salvador has a mixture of Mayan, African, Pipil, Lenca and Spanish influences. This music includes religious songs (mostly Roman Catholic) used to celebrate Christmas and other holidays, especially feast days of the saints. Satirical and rural lyrical themes are common. Popular styles in modern El Salvador include salsa, cumbia, hip hopand reggaeton.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of El Salvador” article

This retrospective selection introduces songs remembered across generations of Salvadoran listeners.

“Mi País” reflects the patriotic cumbia tradition associated with Salvadoran popular orchestras such as Los Hermanos Flores.

Music from Egypt

Egypt’s musical history stretches from ancient traditions through Arabic classical music, regional folk styles, devotional performance, and modern popular song. These examples provide a broad introduction before focusing on the country’s Sufi singing tradition.

The music of Egypt has been an integral part of Egyptian culture since ancient times. The ancient Egyptians credited one of their gods Hathor with the invention of music, which Osiris in turn used as part of his effort to civilize the world. The earliest material and representational evidence of Egyptian musical instruments dates to the Predynastic period, but the evidence is more securely attested in the Old Kingdom when harps, flutes anddouble clarinets were played.^[1] Percussion instruments, lyres and lutes were added to orchestras by the Middle Kingdom. Cymbals^[2] frequently accompanied music and dance, much as they still do in Egypt today. Egyptian folk music, including the traditional Sufidhikr rituals, are the closest contemporary music genre to ancient Egyptian music, having preserved many of its features, rhythms and instruments. 

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of Egypt” article

This overview introduces sounds and imagery associated with Egypt’s broad musical heritage.

Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tuni represents Egypt’s devotional Sufi singing tradition.

Music from Ecuador

Ecuador’s musical landscape ranges from Indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian traditions to pasillo and contemporary popular song. These examples place the country’s signature pasillo tradition alongside performances by Ecuadorian singer-songwriter Juan Fernando Velasco.

The music of Ecuador has a long history. Pasillo is a genre of indigenous Latin music. It is extremely popular in Ecuador, where it is the "national genre of music." Pasillo as a genre is also present in the highland regions of Colombia, and Panama and Venezuela, to a lesser extent.
Today, it has incorporated more European features of classical dance, such as a waltz. As it spread during the Gran Chaco period, pasillo also absorbed the individual characteristics of isolated villages. This gives it an eclectic feel; however, the style, tone, and tempo of the music differ in each village. 

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of Ecuador” article

Juan Fernando Velasco represents Ecuadorian popular song in a contemporary Latin pop setting.

“El Alma en los Labios” highlights pasillo, one of Ecuador’s best-known national musical traditions.

A second Juan Fernando Velasco performance shows the continuing place of romantic song in Ecuadorian popular music.

Music from East Timor

East Timor’s music brings together local Timorese traditions, Portuguese influence, and songs shaped by the country’s long independence struggle. The examples below move from contemporary song to traditional dance and a performance associated with the pivotal year of 1999.

East Timor's music reflects its history under the control of both Portugal and Indonesia, who have imported music like gamelan and fado. The most widespread form of native folk music was the likurai dance, performed by women to welcome home men after war. They used a small drum and sometimes carried enemy heads in processions through villages; a modern version of the dance is used by women incourtship.
In the modern era, East Timorese music has been closely associated with the independence movement; for example, the band Dili Allstars released a song that became an anthem in the build-up to thereferendum on independence in 2000, while the United Nations commissioned a song called "Hakotu Ba" (by Lahane) to encourage people to register to vote in the referendum.)

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of East Timor” article

“Labarik,” a Tetum word meaning “child,” introduces the sound of contemporary Timorese song.

Tebe Liku Rai from Suai presents a traditional Timorese music-and-dance form.

Dili Allstars’ “Liberdade,” performed in Dili in 1999, connects music with East Timor’s independence era.

Music from the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic’s musical identity is inseparable from merengue and bachata, but its artists also range across orchestral song, jazz, and rock. These examples connect established cultural figures with internationally known and contemporary performers.

The music of the Dominican Republic is known primarily for merengue, though bachata and other forms are also popular.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of the Dominican Republic” article.

This interpretation connects Dominican popular song with the work of composer Julio Alberto Hernández and singer Sonia Silvestre.

Juan Luis Guerra brought Dominican merengue and bachata to a worldwide audience.

Toque Profundo represents the Dominican Republic’s rock tradition alongside its better-known tropical styles.

Music from Dominica

Dominica’s music is central to the island’s cultural life, where Creole traditions helped shape both cadence-lypso and bouyon. These examples feature WCK, a pioneering bouyon band, and Exile One, the influential group associated with cadence-lypso.

The music of Dominica plays an important role in the social and culture life of the Antillean island of Dominica. The Nature island boasts of Cadence-lypso, a genre developed in Dominica and made popular in the French departments of Martinique and Guadeloupe. It spread through France and was very popular there during the 1970s. Cadence has influenced many other genres including zouk, bouyon (another Dominican creation) and even soca.
Today Dominica's music scene boasts of a variety of genres including all the popular genres of the world. Popular music is widespread, with a number of native Dominican performers gaining national fame in imported genres like calypso, reggae, soca, kompa, zouk and rock and roll. In addition, Dominica's own popular music industry has created a form called bouyon, which combines elements from several styles and has achieved a wide fanbase in Dominica, especially the group WCK (Windward Caribbean Kulture) and KKK (Triple k International). Native musicians in various forms, like reggae (Nasio Fontaine, Lazo), Brother Matthew Luke), soca (Derick St. Rose-De Hunter, Young Bull), zouk (Ophelia Marie, Michele Henderson), Cadence-Lypso (Exile One),(Grammacks) and calypso (The Wizzard), Levi "Super L" Loblack, have also become stars at home and abroad. Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of Dominica” article.

WCK represents bouyon, a modern Dominican style rooted in the island’s dance-music traditions.

Exile One helped establish cadence-lypso as one of Dominica’s most influential musical exports.

Music from Djibouti

Djibouti’s music reflects the cultural meeting point of the Horn of Africa, drawing especially on Somali and Afar traditions. The examples below pair the national broadcaster’s Groupe RTD with Djiboutian singer-songwriter Awaleh Aden.

Djibouti, is made up of two closely related ethnic groups: the Somali and Afar. There are also a number of Arab and French citizens. Traditional Afar music resembles the folk music of other parts of the Horn of Africa such as Ethiopia; it also contains elements of Arabic music. The history of Djibouti is recorded in poetry and in songs of its nomadic people and goes back thousands of years to a time when the peoples of Djibouti traded hides and skins for the perfumes and spices of ancient Egypt,India and China. Afar oral literature is also quite musical, and comes in many varieties, including songs for weddings, war, praise and boasting.^[1]

Somalis have a rich musical heritage centered on traditional Somali folklore. Most Somali songs are pentatonic; that is, they only use five pitches per octave in contrast to a heptatonic (seven note) scale such as the major scale. At first listen, Somali music might be mistaken for the sounds of nearby regions such as Ethiopia, Sudan or the Arabian Peninsula, but it is ultimately recognizable by its own unique tunes and styles. Somali songs are usually the product of collaboration between lyricists(midho), songwriters (laxan) and singers (codka or "voice"). Balwo is Somali musical style centered on love themes that is popular in Djibouti. 

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of Djibouti” article. 

Groupe RTD, the house band of Djibouti’s national broadcaster, brings together the country’s regional musical influences.

Awaleh Aden represents a contemporary Djiboutian singer-songwriter tradition.

Music from Denmark

Denmark’s musical story moves easily between concert halls, jazz clubs, and international rock stages. These three examples introduce that range through violinist Svend Asmussen, composer Carl Nielsen, and drummer Lars Ulrich.

Denmark's most famous classical composer is Carl Nielsen, especially remembered for his six symphonies while the Royal Danish Ballet specializes in the work of Danish choreographer August Bournonville. Danes have distinguished themselves as jazz musicians, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival has acquired an international reputation. The modern pop and rock scene has produced a few names of note, including Tina Dico, Aqua, The Raveonettes, Michael Learns to Rock, Alphabeat, Medina, Oh Land, Kashmir and Mew. All together, Lars Ulrich has become the first Danish musician to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of Denmark” article.

Svend Asmussen represents Denmark’s distinguished jazz tradition.

Carl Nielsen’s Fourth Symphony highlights Denmark’s best-known classical composer.

Lars Ulrich connects Denmark to one of rock music’s most internationally recognized bands.

Music from the Czech Republic

Czech music pairs deeply rooted Bohemian and Moravian traditions with a celebrated classical legacy that has resonated far beyond the country’s borders.

The traditional music of Bohemia and Moravia has been well documented and influenced the work of composers like Leoš Janáček, Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, and Bohuslav Martinů. Janáček made his recordings at an auspicious time. The 1880s saw the decline of traditional music; however, Janáček brought a Moravian string band to the 1895 Ethnographical Exhibition in Prague, which led to increased feelings of national pride and identity, and a resurgence in traditional music.
The most famous classical music pieces from Czech Republic include The New World Symphony from Dvořák, Má vlast from Smetana and Sinfonietta from Janáček. Some pieces of classical music have actually been made more famous than the composer himself, for example Entry of the Gladiators by Julius Fučík, better known just as the circus music. Through the centuries, Czech composers were usually heavily influenced by traditional music from their country, which can be seen especially when listening to Smetana. Although the most popular classical music from Czech Republic comes from the Romantic era, Classical and Baroque composers should not be overlooked. These composers include Adam Michna, Heinrich Biber, Jan Dismas Zelenka, Johann Wenzel Stamitz and Johann Ladislaus Dussek.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of the Czech Republic” article.

The Vienna Philharmonic performs the Largo from Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.”

Julius Fučík’s instantly recognizable march “Entry of the Gladiators.”

The Czech Philharmonic performs Smetana’s “Vltava” from Má vlast.