Music Around the World

Music is a part of every culture on Earth. People use music to celebrate, tell stories, and express feelings. Different cultures have created their own instruments and styles of music. From African drums to Indian sitars, the world is full of amazing sounds.

Instruments from Around the World

The didgeridoo is a long wooden instrument played by Aboriginal Australians for thousands of years. In West Africa, the djembe drum makes powerful rhythms for dancing. The sitar is a stringed instrument from India with a beautiful, buzzing sound. In the Andes mountains of South America, people play wooden flutes called pan pipes.

How Music Brings People Together

In many cultures, music is part of everyday life. West African griots sing songs that tell the history of their people. In Ireland, people gather in pubs to play fiddles and sing folk songs. In Japan, taiko drumming is performed at festivals. Music helps people celebrate, remember, and connect with each other.

Fun Facts

• The didgeridoo is one of the oldest instruments in the world, over 1,500 years old.
• Drums are found in almost every culture on Earth.
• The steel drum was invented in Trinidad and Tobago using old oil barrels.

Did You Know?

Scientists believe humans have been making music for at least 40,000 years. Some of the oldest instruments ever found are flutes carved from bird bones!