Music of Asia and Northern Africa

 Something I had been curious about was what instruments are used in Northern Africa that makes it so different than those of Sub-Saharan Africa, and I found a few interesting examples. They are all in Northern Africa as a result of the strong Arabic influences that still hold strong today. One example I found was the rhaita. The rhaita is a double reeded aerophone that is similar to an oboe. It was actually used and featured in the Lord of the Rings soundtrack music. 

Another example is the arghul. It is another aerophone, but while this one has a single reed, it has two tubes. It is said to have a similar timbre to the clarinet, and it is often found in Egypt.

The last one I will be talking about today is the rebab. It is a small chordophone that is bowed. The rebab is also played in many Arabic countries and in Southeast Asia. 

A genre that I am sure everybody knows, whether they love or hate it, is Korean popular music, also known as K-Pop. K-Pop originated in South Korea in the 1990s, mixing traditional Korean music with R&B, EDM, hip-hop, and many other genres of music from around the world. K-Pop today is known for its idol culture, complex dances, and elaborate music videos. One of the earliest K-Pop groups that is credited with setting the stage for current K-Pop groups is Seo Taiji & Boys, which is what set the standards for music, dress, and more for future groups. There were several groups that followed that period, but PSY's "Gangam Style" video was the first YouTube video to hit one billion views, creating a huge shift for K-Pop groups. This genre has become incredibly widespread and popular all across the globe, with some notable groups being BTS, BLACKPINK, and G-IDLE.

I decided to look into the music of China as well. China is the most populated country in the world, so their musical culture has to be important to the music of Asia. I ended up being interested in their instruments, because there is a lot of variety in types and sounds. The Bianzhong is an idiophone made of bronze bells. They are played by hitting the bells with a mallet. They range greatly in size, and can be played by multiple people. 

Another instrument I found is the Sheng. It is a fairly small aerophone made of several pipes. The pipes allow for a very unique sound, and can produce a lot of variety in notes. It is one of the oldest Chinese instruments, with images depicting it that can be dated as far back as 1100 BC. 

China also has many cool chordophones, so it was hard to decide which one to talk about. However, I decided on is the guzheng, also called the Chinese zither. It uses twenty-one to twenty-six strings, and is a plucked instrument. It is generally a solo instrument, and is commonly played by women. It reminds me of the qanun by looks and playing style, but the guzheng is not microtonal. 

Sources:

https://geography.name/musical-instruments/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhaita

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arghul

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebab

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-pop

https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/classical-instruments.htm

https://icytales.com/top-10-amazing-obscure-chinese-instruments/

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/articles/10-obscure-chinese-musical-instruments/