Ok which is your favourite area for ethnic or world music?

Mine would definitely be Scandinavia... The dark sphere, the language(s), the fiddles (especially the hardanger), the nyckelharpa, the drones... all great...

Isn't this nearly the same thing? http://www.radiomute.com/musicthread10405.html

Although i suppose it's different, yours is a poll!

oh yeah, I remember that, but I focus on the region!

and btw why did you pick the Middle East?

I don't know, that's just what I've been listening to the most lately....in terms of ethnic music, I don't really have a preference, it all depends on who is performing it...I have music from every region you listed and love all of it, it just depends on my mood.

fair enough... I've as of yet focused mainly on Scandinavia and Flanders, but I want to explore other regions too...

A friend of mine who is of Turkish descent has recommended an immense amount of Middle Eastern music which I really loved. I found it to be intense and passionate. If anyone out there has suggestions for Middle Eastern artists to check out, I would appreciate it. I'm always looking.

Peace,

Marcus

Scandinavia is tied with Middle East. Someone else needs to vote for Scandinavian Folk.

Yeah of course I voted Scandinavia.

I'm Danish but have lived in Denmark only a year, Mostly America (which I hate and can't wait to leave) and Germany, which I'm returning to.

I must say that there's phenomenal talent in Middle Eastern music. It's very masculine, yet also very sensual, so it has this interesting balance between the masculine and the femine. Their percussionists are second only to India, and their string work is amazing, a huge influence on my guitar playing.

India has the microtones which is pretty much unlimited note wise, unlike the rigid chromatic western scales.

It was a difficult choice, I love them all.

But......

The sophistication of modern Scandinavian music is unmatched in my opinion.

Multiple counter melodies per song.

Enormous creativity, and the inclusion of other cultures such as Arabic.

http://www.content.loudeye.com/scrip...104_00_0002.ra

Värttinä uses Tuvan throat singers.
http://www.varttina.com/recordings/vihma/track-06.mp3

Amazing technical prowess and virtuosity. Their old drummer Marco Timmonen is the best drummer I've ever heard.
http://www.varttina.com/recordings/vihma/track-07.mp3
http://www.varttina.com/recordings/vihma/track-02.mp3

That last clip is in 7/8 or 9/8 (I'm bad with time signatures)

You hear bands playing in extremely difficult meter yet they remain melodic and don't sound mathmatical.

And most of all, they mostly each have a very unique sound and aren't just copying each other, or following formula which is greatly lacking in western music these days, and the reason I listen to mostly international music these days.

In my college years It was SST, Hüsker Dü and the Meat Puppets, but these days it's all corporate sound alike bands, be it alternative, indy, or singer song writer.

And I strongly agree with Orpheus, the instruments like hardanger and Nyklharpa are such amazing instruments. The Nyklharpa has 16 strings and 39 keys, yet is an old handmade wooden instrument.

I play probably about the same amount of Scandinavian and Arabic, but I personally listen more to Scandinavian.

Russian I love as well, the harmonies and the gradual tempo changes are so cool, and it sounds like acoustic punk to me, very fast very masculine and makes men dance very agressively together like punk does.

Scandinavia is ahead now. I would have picked ''Central Europe'' & ''Asian'' also , if it had been multiple choice.

Thank you.