The music of Iceland includes folk and pop traditions alongside active classical and contemporary scenes. Icelandic traditional music is related to other Nordic forms, while the country’s modern artists span alternative pop, post-rock, electronic music, indie folk, blues-rock, metal and experimental styles. Despite Iceland’s small population, it has produced internationally recognized musicians including Björk, Sigur Rós, the Sugarcubes, Of Monsters and Men, Kaleo, Laufey, Daði Freyr and Emilíana Torrini.
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Hungarian music includes enduring folk, Romani and European classical traditions. In the nineteenth century, Roma orchestras became famous throughout Europe, while styles such as the csárdás and verbunkos came to be closely associated with Hungary. Franz Liszt made one of Hungary’s most important contributions to international classical music through works including the Hungarian Rhapsodies. Later, Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály collected rural folk songs and used their themes to create a distinctively Hungarian modern style.
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The music of Honduras is a complex mixture of traditions from West and Central Africa, the Iberian Peninsula and the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Punta is the country’s principal rhythm and is traditionally performed with Afro-Honduran drums, maracas or shekere, conch shell and congas. Other popular styles include paranda, bachata, salsa, cumbia, reggae, merengue, soca, calypso, dancehall and reggaeton. Notable Honduran musicians include Banda Blanca, Aurelio Martínez, Javier Monthiel and Polache.
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The music of Haiti combines French and Spanish elements with African rhythms and influences from the island’s Indigenous heritage. Distinctive Haitian styles include rara processional music, twoubadou ballads, mini-jazz, mizik rasin, hip hop kreyòl, méringue and the widely popular compas. Compas is a constantly evolving dance genre that joins African rhythms, European ballroom traditions and Haitian aesthetics around a steady, pulsing beat. Among Haiti’s internationally known artists are Wyclef Jean, Tabou Combo, Boukman Eksperyans and RAM.
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The music of Guyana encompasses a wide range of styles shaped by Indian, Latino-Hispanic, European, African, Chinese and Indigenous influences. African-derived traditions developed in villages founded by formerly enslaved people, while Indo-Guyanese communities maintained bhajans, tan singing and music using instruments such as the harmonium, sitar, tabla, dholak and dhantal. Calypso, soca, chutney, reggae and other Caribbean forms are also important. Popular Guyanese performers include Eddy Grant, Terry Gajraj, Dave Martins and the Tradewinds, Aubrey Cummings and Nicky Porter.
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Ghana has many styles of traditional and modern music, due to its multiplicity of ethnic groups and its cosmopolitan geographic position in West Africa. The best known modern genre that originated in Ghana is Highlife.
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The music of Guinea-Bissau is most widely associated with gumbe, a polyrhythmic genre that is the country’s primary musical export; tina and tinga are also popular styles. Gumbe draws together several of the country’s folk traditions, while the calabash is central to its fast and rhythmically complex dance music. Popular songs are commonly performed in Guinea-Bissau Creole and often address current events and social issues. After independence, artists including Ernesto Dabó and Cobiana Djazz helped establish modern gumbe, followed by the influential band Super Mama Djombo and groups such as Africa Livre, Chifre Preto and Kapa Negra.
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Guinea is a West African nation composed of several ethnic groups. Among its most widely known musicians is Mory Kanté, whose album 10 Cola Nuts achieved mainstream success in Guinea and Mali, while “Yé ké yé ké” became a European hit in 1988. Mandé music is traditionally led by djelis, travelling singer-historians, and makes use of instruments including the ngoni, balafon, kora, dunun and djembe. After independence, state-supported orchestras helped spur a roots revival, and groups including Bembeya Jazz National enriched Guinea’s popular music by blending local traditions with influences from abroad.
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The music of Guatemala is diverse and is heard throughout the country in religious processions, public celebrations and everyday life. The marimba occupies an especially important place in Guatemalan traditional music, with its documented use in the Americas dating to the seventeenth century. Guatemala also possesses a centuries-old art-music tradition extending from early liturgical chant and polyphony to contemporary composition. Modern Guatemalan music includes rock, pop, hip hop, reggaeton, salsa, merengue and other styles. Among the country’s best-known popular performers is singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona.
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The music of Grenada includes calypso, soca, reggae, dancehall and jazz, as well as traditions shaped by both African and European influences. Grenadian soca has developed a distinctive form known as jab jab. On the island of Carriacou, the Afro-Caribbean Big Drum tradition uses singing, call-and-response and rhythms played on drums traditionally made from rum barrels. European-derived quadrille music and dance also remain important parts of Carriacou’s culture. Grenada has produced notable musicians including calypsonian Mighty Sparrow, jazz pianist Eddie Bullen and reggae performer David Emmanuel.
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