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.

Music from Cyprus

Cyprus’s music reflects the island’s layered history, with folk traditions, dance forms, and popular styles shaped by its Mediterranean setting.

The music of Cyprus includes a variety of classical, folk and popular genres. Cypriot folk music is similar to the folk music of Greece and includes dances like sousta, syrtos, tatsia, antikristos and zeimbekiko. 

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

A performance highlighting Cyprus’s folk music and dance traditions.