(headline image: Algair Jaw Harp) Few musical instruments are as small and unassuming yet as globally far-reaching as the jaw harp. Also known as the…
An Overview of the Twangy Jaw Harp
Category: Articles
Kolintang: The Wooden Wonder of Minahasa
(headline image: Kolintang class in middle school. As a regular curriculum in some schools in Indonesia, it is a way to pass the technique of…
How Rembetika music unites the people of troubled Cyprus
(headline photo: Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay) Writer and musician John Phillpott travels to Cyprus and discovers a music that has played a crucial…
The Dulzaina, Spain’s Cherished Traditional Reed Instrument
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…
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.…