A unique form of poetry performed by a female singer, Ca trù singing developed in northern Vietnam during the 15th century. A Ca trù group usually includes two instrumentalists playing a lute and a drum, while the singer uses unique vocal techniques and sometimes also dances. In 2009, UNESCO classified Ca trù as “intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding,” in part because a number of its remaining master artists were reaching old age.

Gamelan is a musical style originating in the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali. It is a percussive orchestra which uses instruments made of bronze and other hand-forged metals, including gongs, xylophones, chimes, and cymbals. Some gamelans also include stringed instruments, bamboo flutes, and vocalists.

The didgeridoo looks simple, but it is not easy to play, and it sounds like nothing else on Earth. A didgeridoo is made from a piece of wood, usually eucalyptus, that has been hollowed out by termites. One end is coated with beeswax for the mouthpiece, and the player blows into it while vibrating their lips. The best didgeridoo players must master circular breathing, so they can play without pause.

The roots of Malian popular music date to the 13th century, when King Sundiata Keita ruled the Mande Empire in West Africa. Generations of musicians continued the cultural lineage of musical storytelling, including performers called “djeli” (hereditary musicians). Today’s Mande pop music includes ancient Malian instruments alongside modern synthesizers and electric basses.

The bouzouki is a stringed instrument with a long thin neck and a round belly. It dates to the pre-Hellenic era in the Middle East, and early versions had just three strings. In the early 20th century, refugees of the war between Turkey and Greece used the bouzouki to create the foundation for rebetiko music, a style often compared to American blues music.

The calypso music of Trinidad and Tobago is known for the unique sound of its steel pan drums. The genre evolved from the kaiso music of West Africa, in which a storyteller known as a griot would sing and tell stories along with drumming. After British colonial authorities in the Caribbean attempted to outlaw African percussion instruments, musicians adapted by swapping out drums for frying pans, garbage can lids, and oil drums — eventually fine-tuning the sound of calypso.

Clarinets are classified as woodwinds, not brass. The rest of these are lesser-known brass instruments that are commonplace in Balkan brass bands. The flugelhorn resembles a trumpet, while the euphonium and helicon are similar to the tuba. Brass bands may have started as military marching bands, but their sound morphed into a popular style of folk music in the 19th century.

Cumbia music started in Colombia centuries ago, and in the 20th century, the musical style spread throughout Latin America. The music was heavily influenced by the instruments of Indigenous peoples in Colombia, including flutes, maracas, and drums. Panama also has its own version of cumbia originating with enslaved peoples of African descent.

Grunge music emerged in Seattle in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The term “grunge” referred to the distorted guitar and murky vocals, as well as the clothing style of thrifted T-shirts, torn jeans, and flannel shirts. Seattle-based bands Nirvana and Pearl Jam epitomized the grunge movement, and the alternative rock genre changed drastically after the death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain in 1994.

The earliest record of a yodel dates to 1545 in the Appenzell region in northeastern Switzerland, but the unique vocal technique is not exclusive to the herders of the Alps. Yodeling involves alternating between high and low notes, and mixing nonsense sounds with words. Yodeling is an efficient way to communicate in the mountains, as the sounds bounce and echo off of the peaks. The vocal technique is also used by shepherds in mountainous regions of Asia and Africa.

The sitar is a stringed instrument integral to Indian classical music, especially the Hindustani music of northern India. The word “sitar” derived from the Persian word for “three-stringed,” but sitars now have as many as 21 strings. The instrument became more popular worldwide after celebrated sitarist Ravi Shankar taught George Harrison of the Beatles how to play the sitar.

Fado music started in the 1800s in Portugal’s capital city of Lisbon, and performances continue in pubs and cafes all over Portugal today. The word “fado” means “fate” or “destiny,” and poetry has been an integral part of the lyrics. Melancholic lyrics are accompanied by at least one guitar or viola, but often more.

The Mississippi Blues Trail is a series of landmarks exploring the history of Blues music, which was born in the state in the early 1900s. Key landmarks along the triail include the “Robert Johnson Crossroads” and the B.B. King Museum in his hometown of Indianola. Visitors can also visit Muddy Waters’ birthplace near Vicksburg and Elvis Presley’s birthplace in Tupelo.

In the 1840s, polka was the latest dance craze sweeping Europe. The polka probably evolved from the waltz, and its origins are traced to Bohemia, part of modern-day Czechia. The polka was popular all over the U.S. in the 1850s and 1860s, too. It was associated with immigrants from Germany, Poland, and other central European countries.

The name “bossa nova” means “new style,” and Brazilian composer João Gilberto pioneered this new style of samba music in 1955. Gilberto’s guitar playing and singing brought traditional Brazilian beats together with American pop and jazz sounds. As bossa nova grew more popular in Brazil, the style eventually spread internationally. In 1963, Gilberto recorded “Garota de Ipanema” (“The Girl from Ipanema”), one of the best selling bossa nova records of all time.

Rap and hip hop music originated with DJs playing at block parties in New York City in the 1970s, particularly in the Bronx. One such party on August 11, 1973, has been declared the official birth of hip hop: DJ Kool Herc, aka Clive Campbell, rapped over the music while he mixed beats at his sister’s graduation party. The golden age of hip hop grew from there, and the first major national hit song was the Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979.

The harp has been a symbol of Ireland since at least the 13th century, but in the 1800s it also became a symbol of the Guinness brewery. In 1922, the newly formed Irish Free State officially embraced the harp. Other Celtic instruments include the Uilleann pipes (a type of bagpipe) and the concertina (a type of accordion). The fiddle is also key to the Celtic sound.

The term “reggae” can be traced to a 1968 song called “Do the Reggay” by Jamaican music group Toots and the Maytals. In Jamaica, reggae music grew out of a combination of Caribbean, Latin, and African musical styles. Reggae legend Bob Marley started recording music in 1962, and he gained worldwide popularity before his death in 1981.

K-pop is the popular name for Korean pop music, which in recent years has exploded in global popularity. The genre originated with a 1990s variety talent show on Korean television, when a band named Seo Taiji and Boys performed a song inspired by American hip-hop. Today, it is a multibillion-dollar industry known for producing earworms and sleek dance routines.

Tango originated in Argentina (and neighboring Uruguay) in the mid-19th century. Immigrants brought flamenco and other styles of European dance music to the cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo where they mingled with local folk music. A tango orchestra typically includes at least one guitar, a piano, a violin, and a bandoneon, which is similar to an accordion.