Digest | Stories, Sounds & Culture

Qawwali and Gregorian chant emerged in different parts of the world for different purposes, yet they share striking musical characteristics. The similarities are easy to hear, even if the historical connection remains uncertain.

Before 1979, Iran produced one of the most exciting pop music scenes in the Middle East. Persian melodies met funk, soul, rock, disco, and psychedelia, creating a sound that still resonates today.

Artist five in The World Music CD Listener’s Guide series is Arrow. His career sits at the point where calypso evolved into soca, helping introduce Caribbean dance music to a global audience.

Artist four in The World Music CD Listener’s Guide series is Altan. Rooted in the traditions of County Donegal, they became one of the defining groups of modern Irish traditional music.

Artist three in The World Music CD Listener’s Guide series is Hossein Alizadeh. His music reveals the depth of Persian classical tradition through expressive improvisation, atmosphere, and remarkable restraint.

Sean-nós singing is one of Ireland’s oldest vocal traditions. Its ornamentation, phrasing, and modal qualities have led some musicians and researchers to draw comparisons with North African and Arabic music.