The Ultimate Music of Diverse Cultures Cheat Sheet :)

Hey Bloggers :)  Today I want to talk about a few interesting Indian instruments... First I'd like to talk about is one that I solely picked because of the way it looks, may I introduce you to the... TAUS, also known as the Mayuri  Before I show you this instrument, here's some information about it :)  This instrument was very popular in the nineteenth century. There are four melody strings and fifteen sympathetic strings that will sound when the instruments were played. This instrument is typically used in religious ceremonies. Although these facts about the instrument are very interesting, the most interesting fact about this instrument is it's shape. This instrument is shaped as a peacock, the reasoning behind this is because in Indian culture, the God of music is represented by a peacock, therefore, that's the shape of the Taus, which is used in most religious ceremonies!  Next, I want to talk about an instrument that I think is absolutely beautifu...

      Hey everyone! By the time you'll be reading this, it'll be after Halloween. I hope it was safe, fun, and that you made good decisions, and a few bad ones ;)  Anyways... this is our last blog that's coming from our point of view and I'm so sad :( these are my favorite types of blogs! For my final blog, I've decided to interview the person who means the most to me... my mama!  I am so much like this woman, I'll post a picture below! We look, talk, and think just alike! Therefore, I wanted to see if our music taste when she was younger and me now are about the same! I really wanted to do a video for this assignment, but  unfortunately my whole family packed up and left for the beach without me :( perks of being the only kid in college! So this will be an over the phone conversation!  I'm gonna try and write this out the easiest way possible, so I think I'm just going to do it like a script in a play! **phones rings ** Jennifer : hello...

 Country Music originated in the early twentieth century around the working class men who lived in the south, especially in the Appalachian mountains. To create this music, the musicians blended English ballads with Irish fiddle song to create what we now know as Country music. Country, also known as country western, takes its roots from different genres such as the blues and old time music, and various types of American folk music. Again, it originated in the southern United States. Some people who don't get enough credit are the African Americans who helped create country music. The "greats" as we call them, like Hank Williams actually learned from black teachers. The banjo actually came to the United States through West Africa, the slaves passed down their skills thought teaching their children how to pick and play the banjo.  Though the origins of country music can be traced back to include many different genres of music, scholars trace the true origins of it back to ...

     In African culture, music is more than just a be a hand some lyrics. It's their way of life. It's the way they express their love, tell their stories, and just simply express themselves. Traditional African music is usually only played at special events and occasions. Songs and music from the African culture are also used in many religious ceremonies. The music and dance of their culture is usually passed down orally and visually so younger generations can carry it on to their future children. African Music typically  relies on percussion instruments of many varieties, including xylophones , djembey , drums , and tone-producing instruments such as the  or "thumb piano."          A thumb piano? What the heck is that. Sounds made up if you ask me... WRONG A thumb piano is a small instrument, who's actual name is Mbira. I would put this into my own words, but I think Wiki says it best when it com...

  Everyone knows, I love country music, that's honestly all I ever play. I love all kinds of it, old, new, I even love the country music people say isn't even country music. When you're riding down the road, on a fall day, with your windows down, and country music coming out of your speakers with the radio up, it's just a whole different type of vibe. That's my type of vibe lol. So what about you? Do you like country music? If so, who's your favorite? Who do you consider to be some of the greats? What came to mind when I said that? Alan Jackson, Garth Brookes, Jonny Cash? They are some of the greats, I love them myself, but they're also all male. Why is that? Country music is clearly more male dominated, but why? I personally feel like it's because a lot of producers won't give female country artist a chance to prove themselves. I also think it's because a lot of people prefer to hear a man's voice singing country music over a females. And th...

        What's up my party people!!! It's blog #4, so y'all know the drill by now. Sit back and get ready for some South Africa knowledge :)         FACT #1: Okay, I don't know about anyone else, but my sisters make me watch the movie "Rio" all the time, and honestly, I do not complain. I've always loved the movie because of all the animals, bright colors, but most importantly the MUSIC! So basically in the movie there are these two birds and they get lost and they end up going to the Brazil traditional parade and celebration, Rio Carnival. Super great movie, 100% recommend it, but I just wanted to cover a little bit on what Carnival is and what's it's meaning. This festival is held the Friday before Ash Wednesday afternoon, the signifies the start of Lent. This festival include huge parades that are full of flashy costumes, floats, dancing, and of course very loud and upbeat music. This is basically...