The aim of this website is to educate its viewers on the different cultures and history of the world through traditional musical instruments. Each region has its own unique culture and history which is best represented in their traditional musical instruments. Just by looking at a culture’s instruments you are able to tell what has influenced that culture or what has been influenced by that culture. At the same time viewers can also learn a bit about their own culture if they have been unaware. Music is meant to bring people of all cultures together to celebrate and to better understand one another. Hopefully whoever visits this blog will be able to appreciate the diverse cultural backgrounds that the people of Earth has to offer.
Authors
Muhammad Danial Harith bin Zulkifli
Ni Hao, Konichiwa, Anyong Haseyo, Guten Tag, Buenos Dias, and Hello!!! Just call me Danial and I am a Malaysian. I am from the Victoria University Bachelor of Business (VUBB) Programme at Sunway University, KL. Personally I am not that musically inclined but nevertheless I still love music. I am also interested in learning the cultures and history of other countries. Music, I believe, is one of the many gateways into learning more about another’s culture and history. All the history and culture of a country and its people are preserved within the traditional musical instruments of a region. History is not boring, you just have to find a way to make it interesting for yourself.
Dhiviya Kannusamy (Dodo)
Hi there! I am from Malaysia, studying Victoria University’s Bachelor of Business program at Sunway College, Subang. I am currently doing second year first semester, majoring in marketing and international trade. Since, I am a very active and enthusiastic person when it comes to doing something creative no matter how hard it is. I had a great time searching about traditional musical instruments from all over the world while doing this blog. I have come across a big number of traditional musical instruments where some of it I did not even know they exist. Thus, all I can say now is have a fun time getting familiar with traditional musical instruments from all over the world. Thank you.
Oryngul Urazbayeva
My name is Oryngul Urazbayeva. I am from Kazakhstan. Currently, I am doing Bachelor of Business in Victoria University, Malaysia. This field plays a significant role in my life. I began to be interested in music and everything that connected with it from my childhood. And till now I do listen, read and try all about it. Traditional musical instruments of certain country help you in getting to know deeply about nation and culture. You will be able to know the folk of all countries better.
Rocio Davila Rojas
Rocío Dávila Rojas transforms mate gourds into a pair of maracas with a delightful spotted motif. Natural seeds inside make a seductive noise when they are shaken. Selecting the dry gourds according to their shape.
References:
http://www.incahillsdulcimerclub.com/Instruments-of-peru.html
Wooden Quena
This wooden quena is most often called a flute. Crafted by hand, it is a legacy of the Inca, an indispensable instrument in today’s traditional Peruvian music.
References:
http://www.incahillsdulcimerclub.com/Instruments-of-peru.html
The Jawbone Instrument
The quijada, charrasca, or jawbone (in English), is an idiophone percussion instrument made from the jawbone of a donkey, horse or mule cattle, producing a powerful buzzing sound. The jawbone is cleaned of tissue and dried to make the teeth loose and act as a rattle. It is used in music in most of Latin America, including Mexico, Peru, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Cuba.
References:
Zampona
Also called Siku in Aymara, the zampoña is a wind instrument which belongs to the pan-pipe or pan-flute family. The sound is similar to a flute but more varied. Zampoñas are made up of a series of cane tubes, bound together, open at one end and closed at the other. Bamboo pipes are mostly used to make the instrument.
References:
http://www.cocha-banner.org/issues/2014/october/the-zampona/
Peruvian Pendant
Dating from the time of the Incas, the Peruvian pendant was used as an instrument for festivals, rituals and ceremonies. Today they are made with designs of animals on them, or simply oval shaped 8 or 9 holes.
References:
Erkencho
The erkencho is a folk clarinet of the northen region of the Gran Chaco of South America, particularly northwestern Argentina. It consists of a tube 10-13 inches (25-33 cm) long, with a single reed and a cow or goat horn attached at the end, as a hornpipe.
References:
Bombo legüero
Argentine drum traditionally made of a hollowed tree trunk and covered with cured skins of animals such as goats, cows or sheep. It derives from the old European military drums and uses a similar arrangement of hoops and leather thongs and loops to tighten the drumheads, which are usually double. It is also called bombo legüero to differentiate it from similar large drums.
References:
Chocalho
A shaker of wood or metal in the shape of two cones, uniting at the base. Also spelled “xocalho,” it is an Angolan shaker made of either many small cymbal like metal pieces or large metal cans filled with rocks, sand or other materials.
References:
https://omeka1.grinnell.edu/MusicalInstruments/items/show/406
Traditional Instruments of the World 