Africanhiphop.com

A fascinating and fun look into the world of hip hop as it is performed on the African continent. "The Africanhiphop.com site serves the goal of unifying everybody who's inspired by hip hop and by the cultures of Africa and of African origins." Find interviews of rappers, music downloads, trends, listing of crews (groups), lyrics, and more.

URL: http://www.africanhiphop.com/

 

AfroCubaWeb

"Many people don't know that an estimated 70% of Cubans have African ancestors. ..." This Web site introduces different aspects of the African cultures of Cuba, such as music, art, theater, festivals, poets, and authors. There is a list of conferences and organizations that teach workshops and classes on African cultures of Cuba. Searchable.

URL: http://afrocubaweb.com/

 

American Roots Music

Explore roots music: blues, country, gospel, bluegrass, cajun, zydeco, tejano, and Native American music. This is a companion site to the four-part PBS series, with each part individually summarized. Included are Oral Histories of some of the artists, a discography for each episode, and histories of the songs and instruments heard in the programs. Additionally, there are related links and lesson plans.

URL: http://www.pbs.org/americanrootsmusic/

 

Australian Indigenous People: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Inhabitants of Australia

Extensive collection of links to websites related to indigenous populations in Australia. Topics include biographies, art and artists, writers, community leaders, music, politicians, athletes, culture, history, language, reconciliation, land rights, sacred sites, and more. From the P.L. Duffy Resource Centre, Trinity College, Western Australia.

URL: http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/indig/

 

¡Azúcar! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz

Companion to an exhibit about this Cuban singer who was known as the "Queen of Salsa." The site features an illustrated overview of her life (including her move to the United States in 1961), images of album covers and posters, music and video clips, a discography, and images of some of her costumes. In English and Spanish. From the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

URL: http://americanhistory.si.edu/celiacruz/

 

Basque Library

This site serves as a gateway to resources on Basque culture, including newspapers and other media, government, language, genealogy, music, dance, theater, food, and tourism. Also includes the searchable Basque Film Archive comprising "the largest collection of Basque cinematographic materials outside of Spain and France." From the University of Nevada, Reno Libraries. Note: films can only be viewed at the University of Nevada, Reno.

URL: http://www.library.unr.edu/basquelibrary/

Bibliography: Hip Hop Studies

Guide to books, articles, videos, magazines, and other material on hip hop, "a form of urban youth culture developed by African Americans and Latinos in New York in the seventies and eighties, originally in the Bronx." Covers music (DJing and MCing), the roots of hip hop music, break-dancing, graffiti, and related subjects. From the New York University Libraries.

URL: http://library.nyu.edu:8000/research/perform/hiphop.html

 

Buena Vista Social Club

Online companion to the album and film entitled The Buena Vista Social Club , a "re-living of the classic era of Cuban popular music." Features information on director Wim Wenders and musician Ry Cooder, a timeline of Cuban music history, a glossary of related terms, profiles of the musicians and excerpts of the songs featured in the film (including lyrics in English and Spanish), photographs, and interviews. From PBS Online .

URL: http://www.pbs.org/buenavista/

 

Cajun/Zydeco Music & Dance (ZydE-Magic)

Frequently updated, this site provides regional and date arranged lists of U.S. and international festivals. The full text of the ZydE-Zine, dance instructions and pictures are provided. A list of links include music available online, newsletters & zines, dance techniques and instruction, and other Cajun, zydeco, and Louisiana sites. An extensive list of bands and artists lead to official and fan sites containing a mix of bios, photos, and touring schedules. A link to the Encyclopedia of Cajun Culture is available. Pages have large graphics and MIDI music. The author, Gary Hayman, provides a page citing his sources. Gar voir!

URL: http://users.erols.com/ghayman/

 

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage

Gale Group observes Hispanic heritage with a collection of activities and resources, including biographies, a culture quiz and a timeline of events in Hispanic American history. Also features descriptions of Hispanic music genres such as salsa, tango, and Latin pop.

URL: http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/chh/

Ceolas - the Celtic Music Archive

Ceolas is a directory of Celtic music on the Internet, concentrating on the Irish & Scottish traditions. Includes profiles, links, discographies of musicians, reviews and sound samples of the music, a resource list with pointers to books, magazines, mail-order sources, radio shows, and information on dance and instruments, an index to traditional tunes, tour schedules, and related e-mail discussion lists.

URL: http://www.ceolas.org/

 

Charts All Over the World

Points to over 800 music charts on the Internet, arranged by country and by type. This resource is located in Latvia.

URL: http://www.lanet.lv/misc/charts/

 

Cultures of the Andes/ Culturas de los Andes

Music, photos, poems, and stories from the Andes mountain region of South America, which includes artists from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Chile. Information is variously provided in English, Spanish, and the Quechua indian language.

URL: http://www.andes.org/

English Folk and Traditional Music on the Internet: A Guide to Resources

"This is a guide to Internet resources relating to English folk music." Includes links to general guides, organizations, libraries, magazines, instruments, performers, and more.

URL: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/martin.nail/Folkmus.htm

Ethnomusicology, Folk Music, and World Music

A collection of links to Web resources about the study of folk and primitive music arranged by categories such as organizations, bibliography, recordings, and geographical region or ethnic group. Includes links to folk dance sites as well. From the University of Washington Music Library.

URL: http://www.lib.washington.edu/music/world.html

 

Ethnomusicology Musical Instrument Collection

This digital exhibit features photographs of traditional musical instruments from around the world which have been collected by the University of Washington Ethnomusicology Division Archives. Descriptions of images include instrument name, description, donor, and country of origin. The collection is searchable by instrument type, geographic region, and keyword. From the University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections.

URL: http://content.lib.washington.edu/ethnomusicweb/

 

Folk Music: An Index to Recorded Resources

A searchable and browsable database of about 50,000 song titles and 20,000 performers of recorded folk music. Entries for songs include cross references to related tunes, alternative titles, and parodies. See the "Publisher List" for a browsable list of record labels that issue music featured in the database. Also has listings for over 200 printed resources, including listings from major collectors. Created and maintained by librarian Jane Keefer.

URL: http://www.ibiblio.org/folkindex/

 

Folk Music of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and America

A searchable collection of folk and traditional music and popular songs, with lyrics, MIDI renditions, tune information, and history. These songs include Francis J. Child ballads, country tunes, the works of Turlough O'Carolan, and sea shanties. The collection is also browsable by country of origin, subject, or compiler. Also available is an introductory encyclopedia of folk music and related resources.

URL: http://www.contemplator.com/folk.html

French Polynesia

Listen to music from the South Pacific while browsing this site on the beautiful islands of French Polynesia. The site includes general travel information such as climate, language, currency, airlines, and hotels on Tahiti and other Polynesian islands; news from various media; a bulletin board and chat room. Also included are a historical timeline; breakdown of population on the islands; country listing from the CIA Factbook ; and numerous links including addresses of French consulates and embassies in the U.S.

URL: http://www.polynesianislands.com/fp/

 

A Guide to Harlem Renaissance Materials

Library of Congress resources on "African-American expressions of writing, music, and art during the 1920s and 1930s." Features exhibitions, photo collections, manuscripts, sheet music, biographies, "Today in History" essays, lesson plans, a selected bibliography, and more. Compiled by Angela McMillian, Digital Reference Specialist at the Library of Congress.

URL: http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/harlem/harlem.html

 

HebrewSongs.com

English translations and Hebrew transliterations (and some sound clips) of the Psalms, Jewish festival music, and other lyrics for Hebrew songs. Contains links to Israeli singers and musicians and dance sites.

URL: http://www.hebrewsongs.com/

 

Hispano Music and Culture of the Northern Rio Grande: The Juan B. Rael Collection

"A multi-format ethnographic field collection documenting religious and secular music of Spanish-speaking residents of rural Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado," compiled by Juan Rael in 1940. Includes audio of alabados (hymns), folk drama, wedding songs, and dance tunes; and writings by Rael. Additionally, features essays (also available in Spanish) on Rael, the Nuevo Mexicanos of the Upper Rio Grande region, and Hispano Folk Theater in New Mexico. Searchable by bibliographic record and browsable by performer and audio title. From the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress.

URL: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/rghtml/rghome.html

 

Indigenous Peoples Literature

An archive of cultural material by the indigenous peoples of the world, ranging from literature and music to prayers and history. Contains a listing of tribes, chiefs, and the complete texts of key documents such as the Iroquois and Seminole constitutions.

URL: http://www.indigenouspeople.net/ipl_final.html

 

Islamic and Middle Eastern Music and Dance

This detailed exploration of the music of the Middle East explores the differences between modern western music and classical Arabic music, views of music in relation to Islam, musical instruments, folk music and dance, Sufi dance and music, belly dancing, and related topics. Includes many related links (some broken). From a teacher at Horace Mann Middle School in San Francisco.

URL: http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Music/Islam_Music_&_Dance.html

 

Islamic Art, Music, and Architecture Around the World

Annotated links to websites about Islamic art, music, and architecture. Of special interest is a section on Muslim popular western musicians, with links to information about Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Richard Thompson, and Islam and hip-hop music. Compiled by a University of Georgia religion professor and director of an Islamic studies institute.

URL: http://www.uga.edu/islam/IslArt.html

 

Islam and Islamic Studies Resources for Studying Islam and the Diverse Perspectives of Muslims

A collection of annotated sites on "the study of Islam, Qur'an, hadith, the Sunnah, Shi'ism and Heterodox Movements Sufism, Islam in the modern world, militant Islam, jihad, Islamist or extremist Muslims, and terrorism, Islam in Iraq, Muslim women, Islamic art, architecture, music, as well as Islamic history, theology, philosophy, and Arabic and other Islamic languages such as Persian, and religion in general." From a professor of religion at the University of Georgia.

URL: http://www.uga.edu/islam/

 

Kabuki for Everyone

Features a brief history of Kabuki; audio clips and descriptions of musical instruments; traditional Japanese theater links; and a demonstration of a makeup session, showing the transformation of a male actor into a woman.

URL: http://park.org/Japan/Kabuki/kabuki.html

 

Lark in the Morning: A World of Music

This commercial music store has a large database that is very useful for verifying information about musical instruments. Search or browse.

URL: http://larkinthemorning.com/

 

Lithuania Online

A directory of Web sites from and about Lithuania. Searchable by keyword, and browsable by category (including news, business, travel, leisure, and music). Also available in Lithuanian.

URL: http://www.online.lt/

 

Mali

This site provides annotated links to information about Mali in the areas of economic development, the environment, health, education, history, culture, politics, and human rights. The cultural links emphasize the music of Mali. Some of the links are to French-language sites; these are clearly indicated by their abstracts. From Columbia University Libraries.

URL: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/africa/cuvl/Mali.html

 

 

 

Middle Eastern Rhythms FAQ

"Here are some traditional rhythms ... that are played as Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dance rhythms or as accompaniment to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean melodies" on instruments such as the Arabic tabla and the darabuka. The site also features resources for Middle Eastern drums and instructional materials, Middle Eastern percussion history, sample rhythms, and related material. From a drummer in a Middle Eastern dance and music troupe.

URL: http://www.khafif.com/rhy/

 

Mongolian Culture

Basic information, scholarly papers, and many links to sites about Mongolia's history and culture. Subjects include travel, wildlife and environmental conservation, Genghis Khan, the role of horses in Mongolian culture, music, art, storytelling, sports, traditional clothing, Mongolian film and portrayals of Mongolians in movies, and food. From the Indo-Mongolian Society.

URL: http://www.Mongolianculture.com

 

MusicAustralia

This site "helps you to find, access and navigate a rich store of information on Australian music, musicians, organisations and services. ... You can find music scores, sound recordings, websites and a range of other music-related material." Searchable, or browsable by theme, such as indigenous music, "Waltzing Matilda," and Australian places. From the National Library of Australia, the National Film and Sound Archive, and cultural organizations from around the nation.

URL: http://www.musicaustralia.org

 

Music and Dance of Africa

Annotated links to resources on African music and dance. Some of the topics covered include drumming, Afro-Caribbean music, black composers, hip-hop, dance theaters, and music and dance from specific African countries. From Columbia University Libraries African Studies Collections.

URL: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/africa/cuvl/music.html

 

Musica de la Frontera: Archive of Mexican-American Music

A collection of sound clips and images of labels of commercially produced musical recordings which are "primarily in Spanish, recorded during the first half of the twentieth century, predominantly in the United States and Mexico." Searchable, or browsable by title or subject (such as adultery, deportation, and drinking). Note: complete songs available only to the UCLA community. In English and Spanish. From the University of California, Los Angeles, Library.

URL: http://digital.library.ucla.edu/frontera/

 

Oddmusic.com: A Source for Unique and Experimental Music, Instruments, Players, and Listeners

This site provides resources and information for "anyone interested in unique, unusual, ethnic, or experimental music and instruments." Provides descriptions, photos, and sound clips for the theremin, didgeridoo, balalaika, clakamore, and dozens of other instruments. Other resources include a discussion group, a glossary of musical instruments and styles, and creative and experimental music links.

URL: http://www.oddmusic.com/

 

Roots of American Fiddle Music

Devoted to providing "historical information, clear MP3 recordings and rare photos of early fiddlers, string bands and other old-time performers from the 1920's." Early American Fiddlers features a hyperlinked map of the rural Southern United States and profiles of recording artists who "helped lay the musical foundation for all genres of country music that followed including bluegrass, western swing and country western music." Also contains annotated links.

URL: http://www.1001tunes.com/

The Roots of Tejano and Conjunto Music

"Music excerpts, liner notes, and photos" about the music of Mexican-Americans. Includes information on Tejanos; Norteños; musical styles of conjunto , orquesta tejana , Tex-Mex, and La Onda Chicana (The Chicano Wave); musicians Beto Villa, Isidro Lopez, Narciso Martínez, and Lydia Mendoza; early commercial recordings; record producers Armando Marroquín and Hymie Wolf; and accordions. Originally appeared on recordings from El Cerrito, California-based Arhoolie Records. From Craig Schroer, a librarian at the University of Texas at Austin.

URL: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/benson/border/arhoolie2/raices.htm

 

RootsWorld: Listening to the Planet

An online "world and roots music magazine." Includes news, reviews, interviews, and more.

URL: http://www.rootsworld.com/rw/

 

Slavonic Web

This site is for the Slavonic Cultural Center, which traces its roots back to "the Slavonic Mutual and Benevolent Society [which] was founded in San Francisco in 1857 by Slavic immigrants, primarily from the region of present day Croatia." The site features a virtual museum of historical photos and paintings, selections from oral histories, and audio clips of Slavonic music (such as music played on the tamburitza).

URL: http://www.slavonicweb.org

 

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

"Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution, the national museum of the United States." The site contains a searchable catalog of recordings (genres include folk, bluegrass, blues, humor, old time, poetry, and world music); events information; tour dates of featured artists; and more.

URL: http://www.folkways.si.edu/

 

Taiwan: Culture

Information on folk arts, painting, calligraphy, chop carving, Chinese opera, written language, music, festivals, dance, cinema, woodblock printing, literature, puppetry, museums and the art market, and much more. From the Taiwan Government Information Office, Republic of China.

URL: http://www.gio.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=19005&CtNode=2599&mp=807

 

Tibet Online Resource Gathering

A Web site "providing information on the plight of Tibet and serving as a virtual community space for the movement." Links to sites covering the culture, religion, articles, news, speeches, and reports on suspected human right violations in Tibet. Additional Web links direct the user to art, movies, books, music, software, and photo galleries on Tibetan society.

URL: http://www.tibet.org/

Welcome To Puerto Rico

Information about the population, geography, history, economy, government, and culture (architecture, arts, famous people, folklore, food, literature, music, recreation) of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Tourist information is also included.

URL: http://welcome.topuertorico.org/

 

The Wonders of Brazilian Music

This site features profiles of nearly seventy artists, lots of reviews of albums, and information on various Brazilian musical styles, including a glossary of musical terms. The author's interest in the subject is "primarily musical, not literary" and provides commentary on music rather than lyrics.

URL: http://www.slipcue.com/music/brazil/brazillist.html

 

World-Wide Black Radio Stations

A directory of radio stations (traditional and Webcast) with music formats such as Gospel, Hip Hop, Rap, R&B, Jazz, Blues, Soul, Reggae, Caribbean, Soca, Reggae Dancehall, Go-Go, African, and Talk relevant to the Black community. Indexed geographically.

URL: http://www.radioblack.com/

 

Yiddish Radio Project

This is the site of an NPR documentary about the golden age of Yiddish radio (1930-1950), which depicted the daily life of Eastern European Jewish immigrants in their new homeland. The dramas, political commentary, advice shows, talent shows, and music provided entertainment and comfort. The site has photos of radio personalities, sound clips, a documentary, and an explanation of the work of Henry Sapoznik, who found and restored the disks with the programs.

URL: http://yiddishradioproject.org/