Music and Our New Playlist

 

• First Stop Is Italy

    Italy doesn't have one type of traditional musical style because the country wasn't unified until 1881. Anything before that time was separated politically and culturally. Italy was surrounded by many different regions, so there were amny divese music cultures including Arabic, African, Celtic, Persian, Greek, Slavic, and Latin. In 1956, Alan Lomax developed a musical division which in cluded of 4 diffenet parts of Italy. In Northern Italy, the musical influces was Celtic and Slavic, in Southern Italy, the musical influences were  Greek, Arabic, and African influences, and in Central Italy, the muscail influrces was a mix of northern and southern influences.

     Also, Alan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist best known for collecting and preserving traditional folk music through thousands of field recordings in the United States and around the world. So with further ado, I chose a peice was in Northern Italy, it was in Emilia-Romagna, traditional music is commonly known as liscio, a style that began in the 19th century and is often used for ballroom dancing. The instrumental setup is the accordion, the clarinet, and the double bass. In the video below, they have an accordion, double bass, and saxophone, which is still normal for this setup. When you are listening to it, you won't hear any lyrics. It kind of reminds me of a tango or a polka. I hope you enjoy it!

Cited Sources 

• https://italoamericano.org/traditional-music/
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alan-Lomax?utm_source=chatgpt.com

• Next Stop Canada

    Canada’s musical heritage reflects its multicultural roots and vast geography, spanning from Indigenous traditions to modern popular music. Canadian music begins with Indigenous peoples, whose spiritually rooted traditions use drums, flutes, and song to tell stories, conduct ceremonies, and connect with nature. European settlement (1600-1900) introduced French folk and religious music and British classical traditions to Canada. Churches, schools, and concert halls later helped formalize the country’s musical culture. Today, Canadian music is very diverse, with styles like hip-hop, pop, electronic, and indie music. Famous artists such as Drake, The Weeknd, and Justin Bieber, along with big music festivals, have helped Canada become well-known in the global music scene. 

    One of the modern songs that I found in Canada is Times Move Slow by BadBadNotGood feat. Samuel T. Herring. It was released on May 17th, 2016, and has a great mix of modern jazz and hip-hop influences. I chose this piece because I think it was a great representation of how Canadian music has evolved. A little bit of information about the song is song talks about loss, memories, and how hard it is to really leave something behind, and the chorus says, “Running away is easy, it’s the leaving that’s hard.” The music is with sax, keys, bass, and drums. I hope you enjoy!

Cited Sources

• https://youtu.be/GpSWv71IsVw?si=TufgNhgPfexHPJpQ
• https://grokipedia.com/page/time_moves_slow_and_running_away

• Next Stop Mexico

This is going to be more of Folk tradtional Mexican music. You have Northen, Sounthren and Central Mexican folk music.

     First, Northern (norteño) is one of Mexico’s most popular music styles, which was influenced by German, Polish, and Czech immigrants who brought the accordion. Rancheros became the most famous type of norteño music. From one simple Google search its a style of music that represents their love, patriotism, and nature. Other styles include corridos (storytelling songs), huapangos (rhythmic folk dance), polkas (upbeat dance tunes), and bandas (large brass and percussion ensembles). 

    Second Southern is a mix of cultures and eventually shaped into folk music. Veracruz (a major city in Mexico) is known for son jarocho (Indigenous and African influences), sones (traditional Mexican folk music), and boleros (romantic) music styles. The instruments of this style are jarana jarocha (a small guitar), harp,  requinto, pircussin and vocals.

    Third Central is Mariachi music,  and shows strong Spanish influences use instruments like the guitarrón, a large bass guitar. Their songs cover many styles, including corridos, polkas, and huapangos, often singing about love, betrayal, death, and politics.

    Here’s a piece from Northern Mexico that I really enjoyed; it’s a ranchera. The song is very heartfelt and features lots of string instruments. I like the call-and-response sections and how it makes you want to dance. It’s one of the most famous ranchera songs ever, written by José Alfredo Jiménez. I hope you enjoy!

Cited Sources

• https://amigoenergy.com/blog/mexico-music-folks-songs/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Rey_%28song%29?utm_source=chatgpt.com

• Last Stop Hawaii

When Hawaii was overthrown in 1893, Queen Liliʻuokalani was the last ruler. She was a powerful symbol of Hawaiian culture, sovereignty, and resistance. After she got overruled, she continued to preserve Hawaiian identity through her music and writing. She was a highly productive composer, creating more than 165 songs, including the well-known Aloha ʻOe. 

    Another famous person for Hawaiian music is Genoa Keawe. She was a famous Hawaiian singer and ukulele player who helped keep traditional Hawaiian music alive. She leanred a lot of music through the church, and her career grew after performing on the radio, and she became especially popular in Waikiki during the 1960s and 70s. One well-known song by her is Alika and the instrumentation is three ukuleles, bass, and guitar. I hope you enjoy!

Cited Sources

• https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2025/07/celebrating-hawaiian-music-in-the-archives-of-the-american-folklife-center/
• https://www.hawaiimusicmuseum.org/honorees/2001/genoa_keawe.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com