Regional Music

Regional music refers to music which developed from regional cultural traditions and that is or was predominantly played and produced in these regions. This applies to a variety of musical continuums irrespective of time, ranging from primitive Prehistoric Music through more sophisticated Ancient Music to Traditional Folk Music, regional Classical Music (Arabic Classical Music, Hindustani Classical Music, etc.), and modern developments which evolved out of older traditions (Cape Verdean Morna, Caribbean Calypso, Brazilian MPB, etc.).

Any form of regional music is strongly linked to the specific region it stems from in the perception of the audience. Genres stop being regional music when they stop being perceived as exclusively bound to the context of their region by audiences outside of their original culture or region. For instance, a performance of Peking Opera in an Italian opera house – as of now – will still be perceived as an extraordinary intercultural event. Jazz, Contemporary Folk, and Western Classical Music are therefore non-regional as they are not identified with a specific regional tradition, although their earliest forms did initially evolve from regional Northern American Music and European Music. They have undeniable regional roots and may carry Western or colonial connotations, but they have become worldwide concepts, continuously developing through artistic input regardless of region.

Regional music may be defined by unique characteristics emerging within a specific location, developing rhythms, time scales, meters, and other structural elements not found in other regions. For example, Japanese genres like Shōmyō and Gagaku often utilize the yo scale. Singing techniques, such as Yodeling, Central Asian Throat Singing, or Polyphonic Chant are also present, signifying regional genres as something more than mere geographical categories.

Traditional instruments such as the banjo, balalaika, cretan lyra and pontiac lyra and sitar may also be considered distinct local additions. However, although non-regional genres widely incorporate modern instruments and electronics, regional music such as Tishoumaren and Digital Cumbia innovate by adding the bass, electric guitar, drum machine, and synthesizer into their ensemble. Instruments associated with Western classical music (piano, violin, clarinet, brass, etc.) are also used in regional sub-styles, often as a variety of rendition.

There is still a notable amount of music that mixes regional traditions with global trends. Local variations of non-local genres may be considered regional if they incorporate prominent regional elements (Afro-Jazz, Latin Funk, Arabic Pop, etc.). However, genres and scenes such as Picopop, Neue Deutsche Welle, and Polish Yass, despite being regional in a geographical sense, are not considered regional music because they follow and extend global music trends rather than local traditions.