The dulzaina is a traditional Spanish double-reed woodwind instrument belonging to the oboe family. It typically measures about 70 cm in length and features a conical…
The Dulzaina, Spain’s Cherished Traditional Reed Instrument
Category: Articles
From Alpha’s “Boulevard de la mort” to FEMUA 2025’s Beats and Ballots
An estimated 100,000 people turned out for the weeklong Festival des Musiques Urbaines d’Anoumabo in Côte d’Ivoire’s economic capital, Abidjan. A raucous mix of music,…
The Story of the Keyboard: From Rudimentary Sounds to Dazzling Modern Innovations
(headline image: MOOG Muse – Eight-Voice Analog Bi-Timbral Polyphonic Synthesizer) It is almost impossible to imagine modern music without the presence of a keyboard. Whether…
The legend of John Barleycorn
Writer and musician John Phillpott delves into the darkness of pre-history and unearths a mysterious character known on both sides of the Atlantic by the…
The Ney: A Charming Middle Eastern Reed Flute
(headline image: professional Arabic ney, 7 flutes, Ahmad Abd El Ghani) The ney (also spelled nay) is an ancient end-blown flute made from reed, widely…
The Best of Irish and Irish-Diaspora Folk Music for 2025
To celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, we have compiled a list with some of the finest Irish folk music recordings that appeared recently on World Music…
Castañuelas, an Essential Instrument in Flamenco and Spanish folk traditions
(Headline image semi-professional Jale Spanish flamenco castanets – Castañuelas) The castañuelas (castanets), are a percussion instrument consisting of two wooden pieces connected by a cord.…
Battle Cries and Ballads: The Music That Marched With Soldiers
British writer and musician John Phillpott picks up his metaphorical pack and musket and marches along the musical trail of British and American soldiers who…
Semsemiah: Traditional Crafting and Musical Heritage in Egypt and Saudi Arabia
(headline image: The number of semsemia strings on Farasan Island © Talal Ayeel, Saudi Arabia, 2023) The semsemiah (also known as sensemia, semsemeya or simsimiyya)…
The Violin: A Cherished Instrument Across Time and Genres
(headline image: Antonio Giuliani etude violin by Kennedy Violins) The violin, often called a fiddle in informal or folk music contexts, is a wooden string…