5 World Music Styles for Internationally Themed Events

Events with internationally focused themes are a great way to let people experience cultures different from their own that they might not otherwise witness or be a part of. An integral part of many cultures is music.

Many world music styles can be included in internationally themed events to make the experience more immersive. Finding entertainers who play salsa, Afropop, or mariachi for hire will add authenticity to the experience.

African

African music varies by region but includes Highlife, Makossa, Kizomba, and the better-known Afrobeat overall. This type of music is typically denoted by its drums, xylophones, and rattles. It’s highly rhythmic and often contains a “call and response” nature, where one voice or instrument plays a short phrase, which is echoed by another voice or instrument.

African music is also often improvised. It has a core beat that runs through it, but the surrounding melodies can be different patterns of music made on a whim.

An essential aspect of African music is the dance accompanying it, a movement geared towards making important life events and bringing communities together.

Asian

Asian music is very traditional and storied, given the country is host to some of the oldest civilizations on the planet. The four regions this music typically divides into are the Middle East and Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia, and North Asia.

The sound of traditional Asian music revolves around flutes, pipes, and unique stringed instruments. Its sound often feels methodical. Asian music was traditionally used to help tell stories that were passed on through generations.

Modern Asian music is primarily seen as K-pop or Korean pop music, which keeps the simplicity of traditional music while adding a contemporary twist.

Caribbean

Caribbean music combines African, European, Indian, and Indigenous influences. Genres of this music include Mombo, baithak Gana, bouyon, calypso, dancehall, reggae, reggaeton, and salsa.

Like African music, drums, and percussion are an essential part of songs. Dance also goes hand-in-hand with the melodies and is an integral part of the overall musical experience.

In addition to drums, Caribbean music also uses various guitars; the guiro, a hollow cylinder with ridges that a stick is passed over to make noise, and claves, small sticks that strike a wooden block for added percussion.

Latin American

Latin American music covers the traditions of Mexico, Central America, and the portions of South America and the Caribbean colonized by the Spanish and the Portuguese.

Both traditional and modern Latin music features upbeat tunes and complex rhythms. The most popular genres are salsa, merengue, bachata, and tango.

American

As expected, American music takes cues from various cultures, given the diversity of people on the continent. Some of the most distinct and popular genres include swing, jazz, soul, funk, country, zydeco, and bluegrass.

Most often, American music can be attributed to specific historical decades, such as jazz in the 1920s, swing in the 1940s, and varying rock genres in the 1960s.