Top 10 Picks
-
-
Georgia Georgian S.S.R., chorus, “Tchakrulo” collected by Radio Moscow -
Peru panpipes and drum collected by Casa de la Cultura, Lima -
United States “Johnny B. Goode” written and performed by Chuck Berry -
India raga, “Jaat Kahan Ho” sung by Surshri Kesar Bai Kerkar -
Bulgaria “Izlel je Delyo Hagdutin” sung by Valya Balkanska -
Mexico “El Cascabel” performed by Lorenzo Barcelata and the Mariachi México -
China ch’in, “Flowing Streams” performed by Kuan P’ing-hu -
Java court gamelan, “Kinds of Flowers” recorded by Robert Brown -
Senegal percussion recorded by Charles Duvelle -
Germany Beethoven, Fifth Symphony, First Movement the Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer, conductor
-
This task took me a while to complete, as I wanted to keep an open mind while listening to the different sounds and considering their impact. I also reflected on my world music class from undergrad, trying to identify important instruments, sounds, and vocal styles. My goal was to create a playlist that featured a variety of musical signatures, instruments, and countries.
One thing I noticed about the original playlist was the strong presence of blues-inspired songs alongside traditional classical pieces. Because of this, I knew I had to select one from each category. Additionally, some instruments—like panpipes—were repeated, so I chose just one example to maintain variety, even though the different versions had distinct qualities. I also wanted to ensure the playlist was geographically diverse, so I spent time researching the locations of many of these musical styles.
One song I struggled with leaving out was the Navajo song. While it would have fit well with the traditional pieces I selected, I ultimately felt that the blues piece I chose represented a significant historical period. However, both had merit, and it was a difficult decision to make.