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…
Battle Cries and Ballads: The Music That Marched With Soldiers
Category: Articles
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…
Solace for troubled times – Banyan Tree presents spiritual music concert series in India
Mumbai-based cultural events organization Banyan Tree launched the 24th edition of its spiritual music concert series in Bengaluru this week. Titled Ruhaniyat – Seeking the…
Changüí – A Foundational Genre in Traditional Cuban Music
(headline image: Grupo Changüí de Guantánamo – Photo by Gianluca Tramontana) Changüí is an early form of traditional Cuban music from the sugar cane lands,…
Yueqin: The Ancient Chinese Moon Lute
The yueqin, or moon lute, is a traditional Chinese string instrument distinguished by its round, hollow soundboard, short fretted neck, and typically four strings. Known…
Gypsy Songs and Legends
Folk music has always followed people on the move, and this was particularly the case with the Scots Irish, many of whom left the British…
Australia’s The Mandé Spirit Celebrate Malian musician Toumani Diabate
(headline image: The Mandé Spirit — Photo by Kurt Eckardt) On December 6th, an ensemble of musicians from the West African diaspora gathered in an…
Guqin, the Ancient Zither of China
(headline image: Guqin) The guqin is a seven-stringed plucked zither. It is a long, narrow instrument formed by two planks of wood glued together. As…
Music, Art, Nature – Symphony of Seasons Festival Wraps Up Bangalore Edition
(headline image: Echoes of Earth festival 2024, Greater One-Horned Stage) Bands from Australia, Austria, Canada, Egypt, France, India, Netherlands, UK, and US performed recently at…