Exploring a World of Music

Every year on June 21, musicians and music lovers worldwide celebrate World Music Day! This holiday is all about making music accessible to all through public concerts, busking, and filling the atmosphere with music. While we can’t hold a show on inSync today, the team at Sweetwater is still getting in on the action with an exploration of contemporary music from around the globe.

What Is World Music Day?

World Music Day, sometimes known as Make Music Day in the USA and Fête de la Musique in France, is a worldwide celebration of music that dates back to 1982. The French Minister of Culture and his director of music and dance set out to remedy a lack of musical events in the country. So, on June 21, 1982, they launched the first Fête de la Musique, and musicians obliged, providing free music for all to listen. Four decades later, World Music Day is celebrated by more than 1,000 cities in 100+ countries with musicians performing live music free of charge.

While World Music Day is intended to be a live, collaborative event, I’ve chosen to make my contribution in a slightly different way. Over the years, I’ve listened to plenty of music from artists worldwide. So, I compiled a list of my favorite music and other interesting movements from around the globe, and I’m sharing it with you.

How This Project Started

I’ve always loved music. When I was a little kid in northwest Ohio, I had an alarm clock/radio on my bedside table that played 24/7. I was always up to date on pop radio, school closures, and the Sunday-morning smooth-jazz hour. Growing up in a small industrial town with a single failed commercial music store, I never really got the chance to dig through used records and CD crates. But, when I discovered Spotify in late 2012, I finally had a way to replicate that experience. For about five years, I explored indie music, hip-hop, rap, and metal. I developed a fascination with music sung in foreign tongues. Of course, I shared all the good finds with my friends in college.

In 2017, I found myself in a major musical rut. I had collected an extensive library of indie rock and pop music that I simply couldn’t stop listening to. So, I decided to break that habit for good. I began by listening to something new every day. The age of the material didn’t matter — the only rule was that whatever I listened to had to be new to me. In 2020, I upped the ante by listening to a new full-length album every single day for a year. But how would I find that much music to listen to? By jumping headfirst into foreign genres and doing deep dives on artists such as Prince, Michael Jackson, and David Bowie.

What started as a way to force me out of a listening rut has transformed into a love of music from around the globe. And I’m excited to share some of my favorites with you.

There’s Too Much Music to Choose From!

Recorded music entered homes in the late 1920s. And, in the last century, an unimaginable amount of music has been recorded by professional studios and hobbyists alike. Now, with relatively inexpensive tools and the rise of music streaming services, anyone connected to the Internet can upload their music. Today, countless artists represent a nearly infinite list of genres. And it’s all available to consumers on demand.

There’s a lot of fantastic music in the world, so how will I choose what to share? I’ve decided to only include music released in the last 10 years. Otherwise, the world is my oyster. I’ve included songs from various styles spanning genres and cultures. A detailed analysis of every microgenre worldwide is far outside the scope of this article, so I’ve come up with three musical themes or movements for each continent. Each theme serves as a jumping-off point for readers who want to learn more about music from that style. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Africa

A new twist on tradition in South Africa

South Africa teems with fantastic music, thanks to the multicultural center of Johannesburg and other hotbeds scattered throughout the country. In Johannesburg, female artists such as Msaki, Azana, and Zoë Modiga pair vibrant African rhythms with production elements that weave through folk, soul, R&B, and jazz to take listeners on an emotional journey through every song. Additionally, this group of women transitions from native tongues — Zulu, Xhosa, and other Bantu languages — to English multiple times during songs. It’s a tremendous benefit for English-speaking listeners as we can better understand the lyrical content of the songs. My top choices are Msaki’s Zaneliza: How the Water Moves, Azana’s Ingoma, and Yellow: The Novel from Zoë Modiga.

Beating hearts in the west

The 1970s saw the emergence of a new type of music: Afrobeat. Originating in Nigeria, Afrobeat is known for its infectious grooves, tasteful horn sections, and lyrics laced with political commentary. Afrobeat draws inspiration from big-band jazz, funk, and soul. Throw in some fusion sensibilities, and you’ve got a basic understanding of Afrobeat. Afrobeat’s jazz and soul elements make it familiar to the casual listener. Still, the genre’s pulsating percussion grooves set it in a category all its own. Today, five decades since the genre’s founding, artists continue to push Afrobeat’s legacy to new heights.

The pulse of a continent

Our final stop in Africa will cover Afrobeats. Though the name is extremely similar to Afrobeat, the two styles couldn’t be more different. Where Afrobeat is primarily focused on jazz and fusion, Afrobeats relies more heavily on electronic music, hip-hop, and pop elements. Afrobeats is a broad and varied genre that spans the continent and bleeds heavily into the UK music scene. You can even hear Afrobeats influences in songs such as “One Dance” and “Fountains” by Canadian superstar Drake. Music in the Afrobeats category commonly contains lush pads, synthesized leads, and tastefully Auto-Tuned vocals — in short, Afrobeats is perfect music for any upbeat situation. Throw on Burna Boy’s “On the Low,” and you’ll have a hard time not bobbing your head to the deceptively simple beat and stripped back arrangement. Like “Ngiyahamba” by Simmy or Samthing Soweto’s “Akulaleki,” other tracks go the more maximalist route, filling your ears with syncopated percussion and driving vocals. Afrobeats is much more than a regional delicacy. It’s become a global tastemaker among hip-hop and R&B artists.

Europe

A hotbed for interesting indie

Indie is perhaps my all-time favorite genre of music. And I was tickled pink to discover the magnificent indie scene in Poland. Artists in the Warsaw area have been producing emotional and thought-provoking releases since the early 2000s, providing listeners with a huge catalog of music to sift through retroactively. I started with Artur Rojek’s Składam się z ciągłych powtórzeń before discovering Myslovitz, Sorry Boys, and Edyta Bartosiewicz. While the music itself doesn’t sound vastly different from indie in the UK or alternative jams in the US, I’m shamelessly obsessed with this group of artists. If you’re not aware of Polish indie rock and pop yet, then you are now!

Dancing through Italy

Italo disco rose to prominence in the latter half of the 20th century. Italo disco is a retroactive term used to describe a somewhat nebulous and inconsistent sound that emerged in the ’70s. The genre varies widely in its sound and characteristics, but here’s a quick and dirty preview of how it sounds. Italo disco combines funk, disco, and electronic music elements to create a one-of-a-kind vibe. While Italo disco has diversified into various subgenres in recent decades, there’s still awesome Italo disco music being made today! Artists like Nu Genea and Krystal Klear carry on in the footsteps of the artists who came before them in the ’70s and ’80s.

Straight from the streets of the UK

Ready for a new twist on hip-hop and rap? Then you’ll want to check out grime. Descended from electronic genres like UK garage and jungle, grime combines electronic music with rapid-fire rapping. Grime hails from the UK and is characterized by its frantic tempo, syncopated percussion, and aggressive lyrical content. I got exposed to grime when I stumbled across Dizzee Rascal and Big Narstie in 2015. From there, I discovered Skepta, Stormzy, Dave, and a whole host of other artists in and around the grime scene. I find that grime is great for working out and when I need to concentrate. And, if you like grime, there’s a lot of it to discover online.

Asia

Mesmerizing new metal

Ancient instruments and heavy music can’t possibly go together, right? Multiple Asian artists prove that tradition pairs perfectly with bone-crushing distortion. Perhaps the most famous of these groups among American listeners is the HU. The band utilizes traditional Mongolian instruments such as the morin khuur, the tovshuur, and a Mongolian take on the jaw harp called the tumur khuur. The HU burst onto the scene with their viral hit “Wolf Totem,” a song that features Kargyraa-style throat singing, war chants, and thunderous riffs. The HU even contributed to The Metallica Blacklist with a ferocious rendition of “Sad but True.” Other bands, like Japan’s Wagakki Band and Chinese black metal band Zuriaake, also get in on the action, blending traditional instruments into their arrangements in wholly unique ways.

Forging new paths in pop

Asia is a hotbed for awesome pop, and K-pop is the undisputed champion of Asian pop music. With its insanely catchy hooks, striking vocals, and upbeat vibe, it seems that every K-pop song is an instant earworm. K-pop’s signature “hyper-produced” sound manages to cram an insane number of tracks and ear candy into the mix without sacrificing intelligibility or stereo separation. And that’s just the sound! K-pop music videos are just as striking, albeit visually, as the sonics. If you’ve never listened to K-pop before, then you can’t go wrong with the heavy hitters: BTS, BLACKPINK, and Seventeen.

The birthplace of lo-fi hip-hop

Japan’s fervor for jazz remains as strong as ever in the 21st century. Jazz exploded in popularity during the postwar occupation by US forces and never looked back. In the early 2000s, Japanese artist Nujabes began remixing his old jazz records and combining them with hip-hop beats and ambient synth textures, creating what we now know as lo-fi hip-hop. Unknown to Nujabes, American rapper J Dilla began experimenting with the same idea. Nujabes and J Dilla are credited as the founding figures in the lo-fi hip-hop community despite never knowing of the other’s existence.

At its simplest, lo-fi hip-hop is just what the name describes — low-fidelity hip-hop. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll notice that nearly all lo-fi hip-hop centers around three primary elements: a stripped-back drum kit, grooving bass, and ethereal keys. As producers worldwide started making lo-fi hip-hop, it transitioned mainly into instrumental arrangements. However, a smaller group of Japanese artists continues to pump out lo-fi hip-hop with rap vocals. Artists such as SOUL SCREAM, Dengaryu, and Olive Oil are my top picks for real-deal Japanese lo-fi hip-hop.

Australia and Oceania

The rock tradition rolls on

While none can hope to match the iconic status of AC/DC, Australia’s newest generation of rock and rollers continues to produce world-class rock. First, DMA’s offers an updated take on Oasis with in-your-face vocals and jangly guitars. The country isn’t without its share of psychedelic rock either, thanks to recent offerings by Tame Impala and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. And who could leave the talented multi-instrumentalist Tash Sultana off the list? Together, this newest generation of musicians ensures that the Australian rock legacy lives on.

A dedicated worship community

Australia’s dominant religion is Christianity. As such, the country produces plenty of worship and praise music. Fans of worship music may recognize Hillsong Worship and Brooke Ligertwood. Other worship bands such as CityAlight and the Norton Hall Band also produce fantastic congregational music with inspirational and aspirational messaging. There’s a lot of Christian music to discover in Australia, so go down the rabbit hole and enjoy it for yourself!

Voices of the Aboriginal and indigenous

Something about music made by Aboriginal and indigenous artists really captures my attention. Contemporary music made by these artists showcases a deep connection with their birthplaces, traditions, and cultures. Artists Emily Wurramara and Gurrumul are excellent examples. Wurramara blends folk and pop together on her Black Smoke EP. The songs are in both English and her traditional language and emphasize personal connection and community. By contrast, Gurrumul’s soulful crooning and stripped-back guitar arrangements on The Gospel Album speak to his roots and elicit a sense of longing from the listener with the hope of a better future to come.

The Americas

The section on the Americas looks a little different than the others. I’m choosing to combine North and South America into one section to better represent the musical diversity of this side of the world. Don’t worry about getting less music though. This section features six subsections.

Worldwide chart domination

For decades, Canadian and American artists have been a staple on the global charts. That’s still the case today. While streaming services aren’t charts themselves, they are helpful tools to suss out what the general population is listening to. At the time of this writing, Spotify reports that 13 of the top 20 most-listened-to artists worldwide hail from the United States of America or Canada. A whopping 65% of the top-performing artists on the planet hail from these two countries. They are: Justin Bieber (#2), The Weeknd (#3), Drake (#7), Taylor Swift (#8), Doja Cat (#10), Imagine Dragons (#11), Ariana Grande (#14), Jack Harlow (#15), Post Malone (#16), Bruno Mars (#17), Eminem (#18), Kanye West (#19), and Maroon 5 (#20).

There’s plenty of fantastic music to go around, but one artist strikes me in particular — Doja Cat. Doja parlayed viral fame for her song “MOOO!” into critical acclaim, international superstardom, and numerous awards, including a Grammy. The artist’s third album, Planet Her, is an exciting blend of radio-friendly pop, contemporary R&B, and pulsing hip-hop. Full of addictive hooks, earworm choruses, and soulful vocals, Doja Cat’s music is an absolute sonic delight.

Music that transcends distance

Electronic dance music (EDM) is a worldwide phenomenon. EDM came into existence on the West Coast of the USA in the 1990s and combines elements of dub, hip-hop, dance-pop, house, trance, and countless other “club” genres. What makes EDM so exciting is its aural accessibility and the fact that anyone can make it. Amateur producers can craft world-beating EDM in their bedrooms with just a laptop, a DAW, and relatively cheap plug-ins and virtual instruments. In this way, EDM is wholly unlike any other musical topic I’m covering in this article. EDM isn’t a grassroots genre tied to a city or state like grunge was — and it’s here to stay. Plus, it’s just awesome to vibe to when you’re at home. When I’m in the mood for EDM, I tend to gravitate toward Haywyre’s Panorama: Discover or any offerings from Tickle Torture.

Soulful ballads abound

If you’re like me, then you love a good ballad. And, for my money, you can’t beat artists from Latin America. Alejandro Fernández, Luis Miguel, and other contemporary Mexican ranchera performers have a way of injecting plenty of passion and emotion into their performances that clearly translate their message, even for monolingual folks like me. The music can often be confused with mariachi, an offshoot of ranchera that rose to prominence later. I like ranchera because of its vocal-forward production, wide dynamic range, tasteful strings, and brilliant brass.

Club music of the Caribbean

Can you talk about Latin America without getting into reggaeton? My answer is a resounding no. Reggaeton dominates the charts in Puerto Rico and boasts heavy hitters like Daddy Yankee, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin. If you remember 2017’s cultural obsession, “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, then you know reggaeton. To put it simply, reggaeton is an absolute vibe. The throbbing drums encourage you to bob your head while multilayered synths give you plenty of ear candy to listen to. I find that reggaeton is outstanding background music. I frequently find myself turning on J Balvin’s JOSE when I’m doing chores around the house or when I’m cooking.

Metal is alive and well

Some say that they don’t make metal like they used to. But I beg to differ. Over in Peru, metal continues to thrive. I got turned on to Peruvian metal when guitarist Charlie Parra del Riego dropped by Sweetwater a few weeks before I started writing this article. After listening to some of his work and other metal acts like Blizzard Hunter and Opresión, I’ve concluded that metal in and around Peru is awesome. Don’t believe me? Check out Charlie Parra del Riego’s album Chaos and Redemption. It’s 56 minutes and 56 seconds of fretboard pyrotechnics with tasteful melodies and seriously impressive licks.

Funkin’ thru the favela

Known as funk carioca to locals, favela funk is one of the most interesting musical styles I’ve ever been exposed to. Favela funk hails from the streets of Rio de Janeiro and combines elements of Miami’s rap scene with a distinct Afrobeats influence in the drum content. Don’t believe me? Check out the Afrobeats music above! Although I’m no Portuguese student, I’ve read that this genre relies heavily on innuendo and tongue-in-cheek jokes to set the mood at the dance clubs. There are numerous favela funk artists to listen to from Anitta and MC Kevin O Chris to MC Lan and — my favorite — Ludmilla. I hope you enjoy the pulsating beats as much as I do.

Antarctica

A musical history like no other

While Antarctica has never had a permanent population, music has been a constant part of polar life since the earliest days of Antarctic exploration. The early days saw explorers bring musical instruments from their homelands. Robert Falcon Scott brought a piano on one expedition and gramophones on his final journey to the continent. William S. Bruce’s Scottish party included an official piper who was famously photographed playing for a penguin — highland dress and all. There are even accounts of sailors singing to penguins. Fast-forward more than a century, and music still plays a large part in daily life in Antarctica. Scientists scattered around the icy expanse of Antarctica bring their favorite music with them, creating a diverse and constantly shifting musical tradition that’s unique to every research station.

The world’s most unique concert venue

Antarctica does not have a recording studio or a native musical tradition. However, one thing it does have is bragging rights. In 2013, Metallica played an intimate show for scientists at the Carlini Argentine Base on King George Island. That 10-song set earned the band a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the first band to hold concerts on all seven continents. The whole performance is available for free on YouTube!

Spotify Playlist

Check out my sampling of global music on Sweetwater’s official “Exploring a World of Music” Spotify playlist!

Go Forth and Explore!

While this certainly wasn’t an exhaustive list of global music, I hope that this article serves as a nice jumping-off point for your personal exploration of new music from across the globe. And, if you want to find more fun and exciting music or to start making your own, call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700. They’ll be delighted to share their favorites with you and to get you the gear to get started crafting your own world music.
The post Exploring a World of Music appeared first on inSync.