WHERE TO HEAR WORLD MUSIC ON YOUR TRAVELS

Some people buy souvenirs on their vacations. We collect world music by scheduling regional performances into our travel itineraries.

It undoubtedly enhances our cultural appreciation of the destinations. Music festivals, shows and recordings also inspire wanderlust for future trips.

Here are some melodious highlights from our journeys, ordered alphabetically by country –

Australia

When we think of "the land down under," we recall the haunting sounds of the world's oldest woodwind instrument. The didgeridoo is central to Australian Indigenous culture.

Musicians mimic the sounds of native animals by blowing through these long, cylindrical wood instruments. The rhythmic tapping of wooden clapsticks sometimes accompanies them.

You can hear didgeridoos and clapsticks on some of the Aboriginal Cultural Experiences described in a downloadable brochure on the Tourism Australia website.

Bhutan

Although most people enjoy local music in theaters and clubs, we discovered that temples were the best places to hear traditional music in Bhutan.

In Thimphu Temple, in Bhutan's capital city, we watched spellbound as monks blew horns and beat drums during ritualistic ceremonies.

Caribbean

You can't miss traditional pan music when you visit the Caribbean islands. It is a highlight of annual Carnivals in Trinidad & Tobago and on other islands.

You can also hear steel band music at the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, the largest cultural festival in North America. Don't be surprised if the contagious beat inspires you to dance.

Musicians play a variety of genres on steel pans—from jazz to classical music—but calypso is the most popular. We heard impressive pan music performances at the Barbados Crop Over Festival, where crowds fill stadiums to watch steel band competitions.

China

Even if you don't understand the lyrics, a Peking opera performance is fascinating, with its traditional music, songs, dances, mime, acrobatics, colorful costumes and elaborate makeup.

We first viewed the art form in Beijing. The cast depicted folkloric and historical themes involving emperors, empresses, servants, clowns, marriages and sword-wielding martial artists. You can also see performances in Taiwan, Hong Kong and in some international Chinese communities.

Greece

Bouzouki music is synonymous with Greece. We enjoyed traditional folk music played on these long-necked lutes in Greek tavernas and at festivals.

Invariably, the fast-paced music motivates listeners to dance. The syrtaki is one of the most popular dances, done Zorba the Greek-style with outstretched arms thrown across each other's shoulders.

India

In the Indian state of Rajasthan, most musicians don't have formal musical training. Fathers pass on their instruments and the techniques for playing them to their sons.

One highlight of our visit was the folk music created by a man blowing into an earthenware pot, while a fellow musician played a 17-string bowed instrument called a kamaicha.

The music played on an ancient sarangi—a broad-necked fiddle carved from a single piece of wood—was equally mesmerizing. A mustached man played a morchang (jaw harp) to make a realistic rendition of the sound of a train. He appeared to be playing his mustache.

Japan

During a Japanese cultural show in Tokyo, we enjoyed music played by kimono-clad women on kotos (13-string zithers). The instruments were first used in the Imperial Court. They are now occasionally played in combination with western music.

The show also featured a gagaku (court music) ensemble. As we listened to the musicians playing flutes, mouth organs, drums and gongs, we time-traveled back to the 8th century when China introduced the classical music to Japan. We also heard gagaku musicians during sacred rites in some shrines and temples.

Korea

The traditional Korean kayagum (12-string zither) resembles the Japanese koto. It was also once used to play court music.

A musician wearing elegant hanbok clothing entertained diners with classical kayagum music in our Gyeongju hotel restaurant. The music was as memorable as the delicious Korean food.

Mexico

Most people associate mariachi music with sombrero-wearing musicians playing violins, guitars and trumpets at Mexican eateries. More than just restaurant singers and musicians, mariachis perform their broad repertoire of songs at weddings, family events, festivals and downtown plazas.

In Mexico, we encountered a mariachi band leading a flower-filled truck in a religious procession.

In 2011, UNESCO added mariachi to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Nashville

You can find most genres of live music in Nashville's honky-tonks, restaurants and theaters—from country and blues to rock and jazz. We especially enjoyed the bluegrass bands, which play acoustic stringed instruments.

Whether you listen to a big-name performer or a local artist, you will find it hard to resist tapping your toes or jumping up to line dance.

Don't miss a show and tour at the Ryman Auditorium. It's known for the Grand Ole Opry and performances by legends such as Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline.

New Orleans

Music is the beating heart of New Orleans, whether it's Cajun, Zydeco (Louisiana Creole), gospel singing, classical or marching brass bands. You can hear it in restaurants, cafés and music clubs and during festivals ranging from Mardi Gras to Jazz Fest.

The birthplace of Louis Armstrong is noted for its jazz. We especially enjoyed the jazz music played by street-corner buskers as well as the old-timers in Preservation Hall, where we clapped our hands to a rousing version of When the Saints Come Marching In.

Polynesia

Whether you hear them in Hawaii or Tahiti, ukuleles are symbolic of Polynesian music. An integral part of a Polynesian band, the four-stringed instrument is often accompanied by guitars and a one-string inverted washtub bass.

We have enjoyed ukulele music in restaurants, clubs, luaus, resorts, cruise ships and during Hawaiian aloha welcome ceremonies.

Another traditional instrument is the wooden drum or pahu. Musicians play it with their palms and fingers. It is often adorned with carved tikis (Polynesian deities) and other symbolic decorations.

Prince Edward Island

Few gatherings are more fun than a traditional PEI ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee), shindig or kitchen party. Whether it's an informal get-together in a home or a larger gathering at a community hall, the focal point is the fiddler, often accompanied by a spoon-player and a guitarist.

Their rousing renditions of Gaelic folk music celebrate the island's Irish and Scottish heritage and motivate guests to tap their feet, sing along and dance, space permitting.

Scotland

Although you can hear the wailing skirl of bagpipes around the world, especially in Commonwealth countries, the woodwind instruments are most frequently associated with Scotland.

We watched kilt-clad pipers march at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, as well as in parades and Remembrance Day ceremonies in Canada. Our most enduring memory of bagpipe music was during a Hebridean Princess cruise. As the sun set, the ship's bagpiper strolled along the decks, playing Amazing Grace. It gave us goosebumps.

Tunisia

During our tour of the Tunisian Sahara, a trio of Berber musicians entertained us, surrounded by sand dunes and illuminated by headlights from our jeeps.

One musician played a reed flute. Another blew through a rhaita (a double-reed wind instrument). The third musician accompanied them on a double-sided bass drum.

We clapped our hands in time to lively tunes traditionally played at Berber weddings. It was an evening to remember.

There you have it—a start to an inspiring playlist for your next vacation. Feel free to personalize it with your favorite musical genres.

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MORE WORLD MUSIC

Bodhran Music in Ireland

Newfoundland Accordian & Fiddle Music