Music Archives - Page 25 of 53 - Alliance for California Traditional Arts

Mutiple genres of traditional Mexican music rely on the sounds of stringed instruments, from mariachi’s guitarróns, vihuelas, and guitars, to son jarocho’s jaranas. The quality of music produced is a direct result of the quality of craftsmanship that went into the creation of the instrument, including the mastering of necessary…

Puerto Rican Bomba

Hindustani or North Indian classical music, a tradition that originated in the Vedic ritual chants, has been evolving since the 12th century. The sarod (or sarode) is a 25-stringed fretless instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is among the most popular and prominent instruments…

The skakuhachi is a bamboo flute whose origin is in China but migrated to Japan around the sixth century. It was primarily played by Buddhist monks, who used it as a spiritual medium in order to master breathing techniques. The primary genres of shakuhachi are honkyoku (solo), sonkyoku (ensemble), and…

Tsugaru shamisen is a three-stringed instrument which has its origins in the Tsugaru region of Aomori, Japan. The earliest form of shamisen made its way from China to Okinawa, Japan, in the 16th century. Of the three most common types of shamisen in Japan, the tsugaru shamisen is the largest…

Afro-Colombian Drumming

Japanese Koto Music

Salvador Ramírez learned how to play the guitar and violin from an aunt in his hometown of San Juan Mixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. He has been playing Mixtec (indigenous Oaxacan) chilena music for over twenty years, and is often invited to play at baptisms, weddings, and community festivals throughout Central California.

For the past decade, MESTO (Multi-Ethnic Star Orchestra) has engaged the Arabic community in Southern California by providing high-quality concerts, live events, and educational programs. MESTO combines the melodies and rhythms of the Middle East within a Western symphonic setting, creating a unique blnd of these musical traditions. MESTO accomplishes…

The mission of Zhena Folk Chorus is to perpetuate the tradition of choral music and culture of Eastern Europe and beyond, to heighten awareness of this beautiful and vigorous heritage, and to signify the primary role of women in preserving these important genres of world music. Based in San Pedro,…