🎵 Music Travels Around the World
Just as people travel and move from one place to another, music and culture also flow between regions and countries. Let's explore this fascinating journey!
Migration is the movement of people from one place to another to settle in a new location. When populations — such as people of a country or an ethnic group that originated from the same place — settle in a new country, they form what is called a diaspora.
- It provides a link to their homeland and memories
- It helps them bond with fellow migrants who share the same roots
- It helps preserve cultural practices and traditions
- It allows them to express their feelings, struggles, and hardships
Over thousands of years, people moved in and out of the Indian subcontinent. Their music blended with local sounds, creating new hybrid genres that enriched the cultural landscape of both their old and new homes.
Emerged from the migration of Indians from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to the Caribbean islands in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Bhojpuri folk songs and bhajans blended with soca and calypso
- Lyrics mix Bhojpuri, Hindi, English, and Creole
- Reflects everyday life and cultural identity
- Energetic, dance-driven sound
- Phulowrie Bina Chutney Kaise Bani – Sundar Popo
- Cham Cham Baje – Drupatee Ramgoonai
Punjabi migrants who settled in the UK between the 1950s and 1980s brought this vibrant folk music and dance tradition rooted in energetic dhol rhythms.
- Young musicians blended it with reggae, hip-hop, pop, and electronic sounds
- Led to UK Bhangra — a modern fusion genre
- Features fast beats, heavy bass, Punjabi lyrics, and modern instruments
- Tutak Tutak Tootiya – Malkit Singh
- Dowain Jaaniya – Heera Group
The dancer emoji 💃 seen in messaging apps is inspired by flamenco — a tradition of song, dance, and guitar music from southern Spain. It is closely linked to the Andalusian Roma community, whose roots trace back to Roma migrations from Rajasthan to Spain between the 9th and 14th centuries. Their music blended with Jewish and Moorish cultures to create this distinctive art form.
Communities from other countries and continents have also migrated to India, bringing their music along. The Siddi community brought their African traditions to India, which blended with Gujarati folk traditions to create the Siddi Dhamāl music-dance form.
We have studied the Nāṭyaśhāstra classification of instruments into four categories. What is remarkable is that this system applies to musical instruments found anywhere in the world!
| Category (Sanskrit) | Meaning | Type of Instrument | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tata | Stretched | String instruments | Veena, Sitar, Guitar |
| Suṣhira | Hollow | Wind instruments | Bansuri, Flute, Recorder |
| Avanaddha | Covered | Percussion instruments | Tabla, Dholak, Drums |
| Ghana | Solid | Solid/struck instruments | Cymbals, Bells, Triangle |
- Based on the musical genre they belong to (e.g., classical, folk, jazz)
- Based on the country or region they come from
- Based on similar shared characteristics (e.g., how sound is produced)
The lute family includes plucked string instruments found across Asia and Europe. All share a basic design — a wide resonating body and a narrow neck — but differ in materials and construction.
All lute family instruments share: wide resonating body + narrow neck. Materials differ — wood, skin, or synthetic. In recent times, synthetic materials have also been adopted.
The Rāvaṇa-hatthā is an ancient bowed string instrument. According to folklore, it was invented by Rāvaṇa in Lanka. It continues to be used as a folk instrument in Rajasthan today.
The flute is among the most ancient musical instruments. Archaeologists have found flutes dating back tens of thousands of years! At its most basic level, a flute is a hollow tube that produces sound when the player blows air into it or across a hole on its surface.
| Instrument | Region of Origin | Type of Flute | Material | Imp Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocarina | Central America; modern form in Italy | Vessel flute | Clay / ceramic | Warm, pure tone; compact shape |
| Recorder | Europe | Duct flute | Wood or plastic | Clear, bright tone; easy to learn |
| Bansuri | India | Transverse flute | Bamboo | Smooth, airy sound; expressive slides (meend) |
| Shakuhachi | Japan | End-blown flute | Bamboo | Breath-rich, meditative tone; flexible pitch bending |
The veena is one of the oldest string instruments of India. It is traditionally crafted from a single block of wood, most commonly jackwood. It is central to Carnatic Music and most commonly played in southern India.
- Bansuri — from India. It is a transverse flute made of bamboo with a smooth, airy sound capable of expressive slides called meend.
- Shakuhachi — from Japan. It is an end-blown flute made of bamboo, known for its breath-rich, meditative tone and flexible pitch bending.
Other valid answers: Recorder (Europe), Ocarina (Central America/Italy)
Chutney music is a lively hybrid genre that emerged from the migration of Indians from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to the Caribbean. It blends Bhojpuri folk songs and bhajans with Caribbean styles like soca and calypso. Its lyrics mix Bhojpuri, Hindi, English, and Creole. Instruments like the dholak, tassa, and dhantal give it an energetic, dance-driven sound.
- Bansuri — Made from bamboo. It is a transverse flute from India used in classical and folk music.
- Veena — Made from a single block of jackwood. It is one of the oldest string instruments of India, central to Carnatic music.
Other valid answers: Shamisen (cat skin), Sarod (goatskin top), Ocarina (clay/ceramic)
| Instrument | Country |
|---|---|
| i. Cuatro | a. India |
| ii. Sarod | b. Japan |
| iii. Shamisen | c. West Asia |
| iv. Oud | d. Puerto Rico |
| i. Cuatro | → | d. Puerto Rico |
| ii. Sarod | → | a. India |
| iii. Shamisen | → | b. Japan |
| iv. Oud | → | c. West Asia |
Apart from the Nāṭyaśhāstra classification, musical instruments can also be grouped in the following ways:
- By musical genre — e.g., instruments used in classical, folk, jazz, or pop music
- By country or region of origin — e.g., Indian instruments, Japanese instruments, West Asian instruments
- By similar shared characteristics — e.g., how sound is produced (plucked vs. bowed), material used (bamboo, wood, skin), or shape (like the lute family with a wide body and narrow neck)
- By family groups — e.g., the lute family, flute family, zither family, bowed string family
The lute family includes plucked string instruments found across Asia and Europe. Their imp characteristics are:
- They all have a wide resonating body and a narrow neck
- The resonating top (belly) can be made of wood or skin
- Materials differ — wood, skin (cat, goat), or synthetic materials depending on the region and tradition
- All produce sound by plucking the strings
Examples:
- Oud (West Asia) — wooden belly
- Banjo (Europe) — skin top
- Shamisen (Japan) — cat skin
- Cuatro (Puerto Rico) — jagrumo wood
- Sarod (India) — goatskin top
When people migrate, music serves several important purposes:
- Connection to homeland — Music reminds migrants of their roots and keeps memories of home alive
- Community bonding — Shared songs and rhythms help migrants connect with others from the same background
- Cultural preservation — Music helps maintain cultural practices, languages, and traditions in a new land
- Emotional expression — It allows migrants to express their feelings, struggles, loneliness, and hope
- Cultural exchange — When migrant music blends with local sounds, it creates new hybrid genres, enriching the culture of both communities
Yes, the mixing of musical genres as a result of migration is very beneficial. Here's why:
- New genres emerge — Musical blending creates exciting new styles like Chutney music and UK Bhangra, which would not have existed otherwise
- Cultural richness — Both the migrants and the host country benefit from a richer, more diverse cultural landscape
- Understanding and respect — When people listen to and enjoy each other's music, it builds bridges of understanding between communities
- Preservation through evolution — Traditional music is kept alive by adapting to new environments, making it relevant for new generations
- Global music heritage — World music becomes more diverse and interesting, as seen in flamenco (Indian-Spanish fusion) and Siddi Dhamāl (African-Gujarati fusion)
Far away from home I stand,
Missing the warmth of my mother's hand,
The smell of rain on our old street,
The laughter, the stories, the food we'd eat.
Though the miles stretch long and wide,
I carry my home deep inside,
In every song that the wind may hum,
I know to my roots I will always come.
Note: Students should express their own emotions — there is no single correct answer for creative questions like this.
| Feature | 🎻 Violin (Bowed) | 🎸 Guitar (Plucked) |
|---|---|---|
| How sound is made | A bow (with horsehair) is drawn across the strings to create continuous vibration | Strings are plucked with fingers or a pick, creating a short burst of vibration |
| Nature of sound | Smooth, flowing, continuous, and sustained — can hold a note for a long time | Sharp, bright, and short — the sound fades quickly after each pluck |
| Emotional quality | Often sounds expressive, emotional, or melancholic | Often sounds rhythmic, bright, or lively |
| Pitch control | Highly flexible — can glide between notes (like singing) | Notes are more distinct and separate |
The method of playing (bowed vs. plucked) determines the character and texture of sound, even if both instruments belong to the same string family.