Introduction

Music is a universal language. It crosses cultural and ethnic backgrounds. People relate to music
through expressive and receptive communication.
Music is the heart of Brazil. From a simple family gathering to carnaval. Music is the foundation for
many of their festivities. In many religious ceremonies the music is one of the main focal points.
Brazilian music as well as music in general is soothing, healing, inspiring, and energizing. Music
influences Brazilian life a great deal.
We will investigate the history of music in Brazil as well as making discoveries of the different sounds
and styles of music. We�ll learn about cultural events and how the music is depicted culturally. In
collaboration with team members we will investigate a variety of experiments to incorporate the
science of sound for a science fair project. Utilizing our music teacher instruments will be made and
students taught how to play them.
Before each section is introduced the students will know what will be covered in the lesson.
Information should be posted on blackboard or poster board. An oral discussion of information is
shared by teacher. Questions asked orally (inferential) and in written form. Quizzes and tests will be
teacher made. The types of tests will be objective, matching or multiple choice.

Music
Throughout South America music is the heart of the country. Brazil has a flavor of its very own. The
type of music in Brazil is the Samba which has a rich African style mixed Portuguese and Indian
influence. Samba is the heart beat of Carnival. Bossa Nova is the mixture of American Jazz and Samba.
It became popular in the 1960�s.
Classical music is also part of the Brazilian culture. A man by the name of Heitor Villa Lobos is the
country�s most famous composer. He composed operas and symphonies. Combining Brazilian folk
melodies and classical orchestra music together, he created a style of his own.
Capoeira (kay-pooh-ay-rah) is sport and dance. It originated from the African slaves who were brought
to Brazil. The instrument used is called a Berimbau (beh-reem-bow) with a metal wire attached to a
gourd at the bottom. The player shakes the bow which makes the seeds rattle, the wire is struck with a
cooper coin. The slaves would kick and leap in perfect time with the sound of the berimbau. The slaves
did this to distract the masters when they were fighting. Today Capoeira is a popular dance done
professionally as well as a sport.
Lambada is also a well-known dance throughout Brazil. Forro and Frevo are also favorites in the
northeastern part of Brazil. These dances are popular in dance halls.
Music has an influence on most of the world. Music is universal language. It reaches people across
cultural and socio-economic boundaries. Communication through music reaches a variety of
populations in our a society, regardless if people are verbal or non-verbal.

Brazilian Roots
Historically Brazil has had many influences from other countries. The first people came to Brazil
approximately ten thousands years ago. There was a strip that connected Russia and Alaska thus
making their way south. Many others came also in the 1800�s from Italy, Japan, German, Ukraine,
Israel and Arabia.
In the early 1500�s the Portuguese settled in Brazil; the country was rich with natural resources.
Mainly at this time sugar cane was a lucrative business and was exported to Europe. The Lupi Indians
and other tribes were forced into slavery. Many died from diseases brought over by the Portuguese.
Over the next two centuries millions of slaves were brought from Africa by the Portuguese. They
worked the sugar cane plantations. Around the time there were Portuguese adventurers who called
themselves bandeirantes. They went about the country through hostile territory exploring the interior
searching for gold and slaves. In 1888 slavery was abolished and Blacks from the Bahia Region began
migrating to Rio de Janeiro. Gold was discovered in the southeastern town of Minas Gerais. Along with
the discovery of gold, Brazil had and still has a wealth of natural resources. Diamonds and colored
gems, coffee beans. Between the 1700-1800�s ten tons of gold and diamonds were mined. The sugar
cane grew in the northeast region of the country.
Rubber trees were at one time quite profitable. During the late 1800�s rubber made Brazil rich. Brazil
was the only country with rubber trees.
In 1914 the wealth ended. Rubber trees were being cultivated in Southeast Asia. Brazil was no longer
the only country with the trees.

Brazilian Music
Folk music has a diversity of many cultures. It�s a combination of Indian chants and rituals; an
African flavor from the migration of slaves, and Italian influence from coastal towns. The three racial
origins of Brazilian music relate to the folklore of Europe, Africa, and America.
In earlier times the Indian influence was quite strong. Even today in the remote regions of the Amazon
Basin, the Indian culture is still prevalent in Brazilian music. The rhythm of the music is non-harmonic
with short phrases and is separated by long holds. The complete range of the music is based upon the
pentatonic scale. In all Brazilian folk songs the major mode is the most predominant.
Brazilian music has managed to attain its original ethnic expression. However, the sources have been
derived from not one but several backgrounds. A small percentage is influenced by American music.
African music more than half and a large proportion goes to the Spanish culture mainly from the
Hispanic-American aspect. The European influence can be found in parlor dances; the Waltz, Polka,
Magurka, and the Scholthische. The structure of the Modinha has European influences as well. The
Modinha are songs that can be characterized as little arias, which represented the Brazilian empire,
1882-1889. Today, the Modinha has a sentimental flavor, reflecting the mood of the music. The
Modinha is the purest strain represented from Europe. The word itself comes from the word Moda and
is directly derived from Portuguese songs of that name. A priest by the name of Domingos Caldas
Barbosa popularized Modinha and initially crystallized it as a musical form. A historian by the name of
Jose Ramos Tinhorao described the Modinha as the Brazilian style of playing Portuguese lyrics songs
which were called modas. This style was invented by people of the popular class, and of mixed races.
Eventually, elite intellectuals would join the poor musicians in the appreciation of the Samba music.
Brazilian airs and dances reflect African American rhythms. The names of these dances are the
Batuque, Coco, Congada, Jongo, Lundu, and the Mar a catu. These are only a few dances mentioned,
and they�re from African dialects rather than European influences.
The Batuque has been popular in concert balls and performed by orchestras in the United States. The
Batuque also known under the name Batucada is considered most expressive of all the African-
Brazilian airs. Batucada is danced by people forming a circle, there is a great deal of clapping hands,
beating on the drums, and making noise with pieces of iron, glass and wood. The basic rhythm is
common to most African-Brazilian dances.
Another familiar type of music is the Congada. It has an orchestral version but into dance from by
Francisco Mignone. The work Congada derives from congo. This was a religious play among the
Brazilian Blacks. It was celebrated in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, a patron saint among Blacks.
The Coco is a dance and falls along the same type of the Batuque. In song form it comes close to the
primitive African incantations, which are short phrases shouted out.
The Jongo is accompanied only by drums. Lundu is a song and dance accompanied by guitars.
Music for the children is an integral part of Brazilian folklore. Villa-Lobos has written many Cirandas
(round dances). Rodas are children�s marching songs. One example of Brazilian folk music is a well
known song called Cae, Cae, Balao. This song accompanies the game of sending a balloon flying into
the air. Representations of all these dance forms are exhibited during Carnival.
Those living in the jungle continued to cultivate their art styles of music. The Indians held the rites of
Yurupari. The Brazilian Blacks practiced the ritual of the Macumba. From this came many Brazilian
dances. The Macumba is also known under other names such as Candombl(, Babacu(, Catimbo, and
Pagelanea. Another close connection to the Mcumba is the Cucumbi, which is an African-Brazilian
pantomime.
An interesting feature of African-Brazilian folklore is the mixture of jungle elements and Christian
symbolism.
Brazilian Opera - the first Brazilian opera in the Portuguese language was written by Elias Alvares
Lobo (1834-1901). Other composers like Fernandez, Mignone, and Luis Heitor wrote operas as well.
They were performed in the Rio Opera House. Musical organizations societies and clubs flourished
throughout Brazil, in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Musical education in Brazil consists of excellent conservatories and music schools. In 1932 the
development in modern musical education in Brazil came about. Villa Lobos was appointed General
Director of Music Education. He introduced novel methods of musical instruction particularly in choral
singing. Included also in the curriculum of Brazilian schools was the subject Califasia (the art of fine
speech), California the art of singing. Other musicians include Ernesto Dos Santos. He is noted as an
African American composer of popular music as well as the Sambas. Oscar Fernandez wrote
symphonic and operatic compositions. Francisco Mignone has written compositions for the piano and
the orchestra. There are over 25 musicians who contributed to Brazilian music.

Samba Music
When the abolishment of slavery occurred in 1888, the Bahians and poor families migrated to Rio.
These individuals brought with them the rites of African-Brazilian religions such as candombl( and
various musical rhythms. These musical rhythms became incorporated into carioca samba. The
northern part of the city became the main residence of these families. They were considered to be the
Carioca society.
Samba was looked upon as the poor man�s music. When the importance of Carnaval started to
emerge, Samba music took its place among the elite group of Brazilians. Samba music is now the
national music of carnaval.
Brazilian instruments utilized in the culture are the reco-reco, a agogo which is a double cow bell, the
panpipe. Music where the Indians lived along the Amazon River remained isolated from other cultures.
They used a slit-log drum for signaling each other. Drum conversation was common among the culture.
Large and smaller drums were the most popular.
The Portuguese influence brought social dancing and playing the guitar. Dance and poetry played an
important role in public and private ceremonies of a particular village.
Other instruments used were different types of flutes, fiddles, folk harps, and mandolins. These
instruments changed the music to a sound that was mixed with the sound that both cultures valued
highly. Mestigo music was known as mixed blood music. Combined with the instruments and the
sounds of both European and the native cultures; rhythms were added as well as the call and response
patterns of Africa, thus making the sound we know today, as Latin American music.
http://braziliangringo.com/carnaval-marchinhas-songs/

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

The music of Africa is as vast and varied as the continent's many regions, nations, and ethnic groups.
The African continent comprises approximately 20 percent of the world's land mass and has a
population of roughly 934 million. African music is as diverse as its cultures and peoples and has
flowered in many indigenous forms as well as been shaped by foreign influences.
Although there are many different varieties of music in Africa, there are a number of common elements
to the music, especially within regions. The concept of music in Africa, especially in sub-Saharan
Africa bears a difference from other regions and cultures. The roles of music and dance are tightly
woven together in sub-Saharan Africa, and music intersects with every aspect of life, expresses life
through the medium of sound. By helping mark the important moments in life, music helps to
underscore the divine and eternal value of human life.
African music also helps to connect people together in a variety of ways, strengthening the fabric of the
community, which in turn reinforces people's commitment to support each other and the community,
toward mutual health and prosperity. Another crucial role of music in Africa is as a mode of
communication. Talking drums, signal drums, songs, and the sagas of the historian griots each
communicate different types of important information.
When discussing African music, the term "traditional music" is used to refer to the characteristics of
African music prior to the colonization of the continent by European countries, which was most
widespread during the late nineteenth century. This pre-colonial period was full of social changes and
dynamism. Great African empires and kingdoms rose and fell, many of their traditions and cultures still
prevalent to this day throughout African villages.
Because of the extensive Arabian influence of the music on north Africa, which gives it a separate and
distinct style, this discussion will be focused on the music of sub-Saharan Africa, which shares many
characteristics from region to region. A great deal of African traditional music as it occurred in African
life and culture throughout the years, was performed by full-time musicians. Although the terms
"traditional music" and "folk music" are often used interchangeably in the literature describing this
music, the term "traditional music" is more accurate, because some of it belongs to court music or
sacral music traditions, therefore the term "folk music" is not always appropriate.
Music is an integral part of African ethnic life, accompanying many kinds of events, including
childbirth, marriage, hunting, and even political activities. Many cultures use song and dance to ward
off evil spirits, and pay respects to good spirits, the dead, and ancestors. The majority of sub-Saharan
African folk music and traditional music is functional in nature. There are, for example, many different
kinds of work songs, ceremonial or religious music, and courtly music performed at royal courts, and
typically none of these are performed outside of their intended social context.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Music_of_Africa
http://www.britannica.com/art/African-music
SOUTH AFRICA

South African Folk Music

South Africa spans the entire southern tip of Africa and counts a population of 40 million people in an
area slightly larger than California and Texas. Today a mixed population that descended from the
original Africans and immigrant Europeans and Asians make South Africa a truly broad and vibrant
mix of cultures.

The earliest inhabitants of South Africa were ancestors of the San and the Khoikhoi peoples. Centuries
before Europeans arrived, a group of people historians call the Bantu spread from a homeland in west-
central Africa and migrated south, eventually reaching South Africa. Their ancestors include the Zulu,
Xhosa, Sotho, Tsonga, and Tswana, and Venda peoples. Today the ancestors of both the original Bantu,
as well as the San and Khoikhoi, live in the country.

In 1652 people from Holland arrived on the shores of South Africa. Later, French and German settlers
arrived and mixed with these people to form a culture called the Afrikaaners. English people came in
the early 1800s, and eventually people from India, China, and other parts of Asia arrived as well.

The apartheid political system dominated South African history during the twentieth century.
Indigenous Africans suffered horrendously in the face of forced relocation, travel restrictions, and
generally oppressive laws. Music was often one of the only outlets in these troubled times, and much of
the music in South Africa today still reflects the ache of the years under this system. Because of the
major differences between the music of South Africans of European and Asian descent, this discussion
will focus on the music of black South Africans.

Common Themes
Though there are numerous cultures and music traditions within those cultures in South Africa, there
are some commonalities found throughout the country. First and foremost, vocal music-and specifically
choral music-is the primary mode of musical expression. In addition, the call-and-response form with
one soloist alternating with a chorus is found in nearly every culture. Among the Zulu, the "call" and
the "response" often overlap so that the soloist begins before the chorus has finished its line.

Because of this emphasis on choral music, European church hymns were adopted and transformed
rather rapidly, so today church music is one of the more popular forms. In the 1880s and 1890s, several
groups of African American minstrel singers from the United States traveled to South Africa and
performed spirituals, blues, and other popular styles of the day. These styles had a lasting effect on
musicians in South Africa, and account for some of the similarities seen today.

Many music styles reflect the common emphasis on choral music. Isicathimiya is a Zulu style that
features an all-male choir. One solo singer calls to other choir members who respond with their low,
rumbling, rich harmony. Ladysmith Black Mambazo, led by Joseph Shabalala, is the most well-known
isicathimiya group in South Africa and throughout the world.
Instruments
Another common thread through South African music traditions can be seen in the instruments of the
area. All indigenous African cultures have some type of musical bow. Much like a hunting bow, it is
made of a curved piece of wood with a string attached to each end. Often, a gourd resonator is attached
to one end and a player is able to produce harmonics and change the timbre by pulling the gourd to and
from the body. Unlike most other areas of sub-Saharan Africa, drums are not prevalent in South Africa
and do not generally accompany dance. Dance is usually accompanied by choral singing, and dancers
often have rattles tied to their legs to produce percussive sounds. Flutes of all different shapes and sizes
are also common throughout the region.

European explorers and then settlers brought instruments with them and indigenous African musicians
quickly adopted. The guitar, accordion, and tin whistle spread throughout the country and became a
part of the instrumentation of many styles.

Contemporary Sounds
With the introduction of records and the radio, popular music transformed the South African
soundscape. The slick guitar work of marabi and the amazing pennywhistle jazz of kwela spread all
over southern Africa. In the 1960s and 1970s mbaqanga replaced the pennywhistle with a sax and
conquered South Africa. Local blends of jazz, hip-hop, and new styles like kwaito which mixes hip-hop
with Jamaican reggae and dancehall, demonstrate that the spirit of innovation still electrifies South
African music.
http://www.southafrica.info/about/arts/music.htm#.Vsd8F9Buf5c
EGYPT
Egyptian music has been an important part of Egyptian culture since ancient time. The ancient
Egyptians credited the god Thod with the invention of music. The earliest material and representational
evidence of Egyptian musical instruments dates back to the pre-dynastic period. In the Old Kingdom,
harps, flutes and double clarinets were played. Percussion instruments, lyres and lutes were added
by the time of the Middle Kingdom. Cymbals frequently accompanied music and dance, as they still
do in Egypt today. Ancient Egyptian religion included many rituals designed to appeal to their pantheon
of Gods and Goddesses and special troupes were formed and trained specifically for this purpose.
Musical troupes also found patronage in royal and private households and entertained the elite during
their sumptuous banquets. Ancient Egyptian music was linked to religious rituals as well as worldly
entertainment: it was skilful, rich and diverse and influenced by religion, politics, trade, conquest and
invasion.Egyptian folk music, including the traditional Sufi zikr rituals, is the contemporary music
genre that is closest to ancient Egyptian music. These rituals have preserved many of its features,
rhythm and instruments. Egyptian folk instruments bear a striking resemblance to their pharaonic
ancestors. An ancient arghul for example was found in the tomb of Tutakhamen and can be seen in the
Egyptian Museum. Ethnomusicologists can also draw conclusions on how certain instruments were
played in ancient Egypt from the position of the hands, for example, and from how they are played
today in different regions in the country. Here again, striking similarities between the past and the
present have been found.
The Christian era (beginning in 43) and the Arab conquest which followed (639) had a profound
influence on the arts and culture of Egypt. The liturgical music of the Coptic Church is said to have
preserved features of ancient Egyptian music. After the Arab conquest, musical tradition entered a new
era and thrived. As they did with all other art forms, the Arabs promoted music, enabling a fine and
complex art to develop, which spread and flourished across the Arab Empire.  Arabic music is usually
said to have begun in the 7th century in Syria during the Umayyad Dynasty. Early Arabic music was
influenced by Byzantine, Indian and Persian forms, which were themselves influenced by earlier
Greek, Semitic and ancient Egyptian music.
Egyptian music throughout history has blended indigenous ancient Egyptian traditions with African,
Arab, Turkish and Western elements. Diverse music genres have derived from these influences, each
of which is characterized by a particular lawn (colour). The music genres found in Egypt are
interconnected and have impermeable borders through which a constant flow takes place from one
genre to the other.  For example, an Egyptian qanun player may perfom for a small gathering of music
lovers, be a member of a radio ensemble and play in night clubs in Cairo or London. An accordion
might accompany a classical orchestra and the next day play at a baladi wedding in the streets of
Cairo. Keeping this special situation in Egypt in mind, we can today distinguish 6 different genres:
• Egyptian shaabi or folk music traditions
• Egyptian religious music traditions
• Egyptian baladi or urban folk music tradition
• Arab/Egyptian art music
• Egyptian film music
• Egyptian pop music
The Egyptian shaabi or folk music traditions are rich and diverse and differ according to the region:
the first, southernmost area around Assuan with its Nubian and African influences; the second called
Upper Egypt or the Sa´id from Luxor to Gerga; thirdly the region from El Minya to the Nile Delta
and the shores of the Mediterranean, and finally Egypt’s deserts and oases. Egypt’s rural people, the
Fellahin, the Sa´ida, the Bedu, the Nubi and other tribes like the Nawar settled along the Nile
throughout the centuries and have formed a complex society with diverse ethnic, religious and social
backgrounds. They have passed on their music traditions orally, without any system of notation, from
generation to generation, throughout Egypt’s long history. These traditions are always closely
intertwined with the social and religious life of the ethnic groups of each region, but are increasingly
threatened by socioeconomic changes in society, politics and growing religious fundamentalism. In
Egypt itself, music has not been documented to a large extent and few good quality recordings exist.
Egyptian religious music, such as the liturgical music of the Coptic Church, the Sufi music of the
mystical branch of Islam, or the Islamic Koran recitations, is threatened by the growing influence of an
aggressive version that is being spread by the conservative Islamic branches. The Egyptian urban
music tradition, baladi music, was born out of Egyptian city life at the turn of the last century
(1920s). It has been influenced by European instruments like the accordion but follows the musical
structures of the Egyptian shaabi music. This music form is also called Egyptian jazz and reached its
creative climax in the 1970s. Today, the masters of this music form have reached old age and baladi
music is almost a thing of the past. Like the shaabi music traditions, this particular form of music has
not been documented much in Egypt because it belonged to and derived from the lower social classes.
Arab/Egyptian art music and Egypt’s film music are well documented in recordings and films as
Egypt was the centre of the Arab film and music industry for many decades (1940s – 1950s). These
music forms are taught in conservatories and art schools around the country. This is also true for
Egyptian pop music which follows the rules of business and commerce. These facts also explain why
we have our focus on the shaabi and baladi music traditions, which are in danger of dying out.
http://arabicmusicband.com/articles/baladi-music-in-egypt
https://egyptiancentermakan.wordpress.com/about-us/traditional-music-at-risk/
http://www.worldmusic.net/guide/music-of-egypt-ancient-civilisation-modern-nation/
SYRIA
http://www.traditionalarabicmusic.com/music_of_syria.html

CYPRUS
Music as an art innate in humankind may be associated with the visions, socio-political struggles, the
historical course and the self-awareness of a people. Through this perspective music appears as a
dynamic and composite phenomenon which "potentially" absorbs all the influences and effects of
cultural co-existence and interaction of people, thus nurturing the promotion of cultural specificity,
diversity and intercultural dialogue.
Due to its unrivalled geopolitical and strategic position, Cyprus was subject to a number of conquerors
and came under the influence of many foreign cultures and civilisations, something which is reflected
in the musical tradition of the country. Indeed, in the music of Cyprus, ancient and primordial sounds
meet within the lyrical intensity and depth; thus, the island's musical wealth incorporates elements and
influences from the island's centuries-long and turbulent history as well as the Mediterranean
temperament and collective identity. As it appears through various historical sources and writings, from
antiquity, the musical influence of mainland Greece was not only obvious but also of substantial
significance. As Plutarch notes, the kings of Cyprus sponsored the organisation of musical contests of
circular dances and songs with actors and singers whom they brought from mainland Greece1.
Moreover, from the representations on the various vases and from other historical sources, it appears
that both in Cyprus and in the mainland Greek space the same musical instruments were used. Another
very characteristic element was the fact that music was indissolubly interwoven with all aspects and
manifestations of both private and public life2.
Apart from the above musical influences, one can discern in the musical wealth of the island the
existence of elements that refer to the space of the wider Mediterranean basin; in most cases, indeed,
these influences concern some musical "borrowing back" of ancient Greek music3.
In the Medieval period, even though the existing sources on musical life in Cyprus are not many, there
are, nonetheless, two very important works which give us valuable information. The one is a major
work by Guillaume de Machaut (La Prise d'Alexandrie)4 and the other is the "Manuscript of Cyprus" of
the fifteenth century (Manuscript Torino J.ii.9)5 which is considered to be a work of fundamental
artistic worth and constitutes living evidence of the music which the Lusignan rulers of Cyprus were
accustomed to present in their daily life. Moreover this work stands out for its uniqueness since no part
of it appears in any other manuscript. The manuscript is in the National Library of Turin and was
miraculously saved with very little damage from the fire which broke out in the library in 1904.
During the period of Ottoman rule, because of poverty and oppression, the island was cut off from the
rest of Europe and thus the artistic and cultural currents of Europe did not have any effect in Cyprus.
The main genres of music which appear in this period are Byzantine ecclesiastical music and the
traditional folk music of Cyprus. the pioneer teachers, Stylianos Hourmouzios was the one whose work
as regards the interpretation of Byzantine music had an important influence all over Cyprus. From the
start of the decade of the 1920s, a significant turn is observed to the systematic study, research and
preservation of our Cypriot musical tradition by the most important researchers of the great wealth of
traditional music: Theodoulos Kallinikos, who published his very well-known book "Cypriot Muse" in
1951, and Sozos Tompolis. In 1967 Sozos Tompolis' book "Cypriot Rhythms and Melodies" was
awarded a prize by the Academy of Athens.
From the end of the 1920s the first schools of music, conservatoires, made their appearance through
which a more systematic approach to the dissemination of musical knowledge was attempted.
Within the framework of the intense musical activity comes the projection of the work of important
Cypriot composers who laid the foundations for the creation of classical music in Cyprus.
Moreover, between 1920 and 1939 there appears a very dynamic and intense musical development, and
the foundations and groundwork were laid for the subsequent promotion of artistic music in Cyprus
with the staging of Cypriot musical productions including operas and oratorios. The intense musical
activity of this period created the conditions and the preconditions for the formation of the first
orchestras (the Bedelian Symphony Orchestra, the "Olympiakos" String Orchestra in 1934, the
"Olympiakos" Symphony Orchestra in 1935 and the Mozart Orchestra in 1938). The Mozart Orchestra
was an important nucleus of musical development till 1963.
Reference to another musical genre which began to appear at about 1920, the revue, also merits
reference in this short account.
The first Cypriot orchestras which began to be created from the late 1920s are a worthy successor in the
continuation of the orchestral musical tradition in the State Orchestra of Cyprus and the State Youth
Orchestra which were founded in 1987. Throughout all these years, the State Orchestra of Cyprus has
played an invaluable role in the cultural revival of the island. It has served not only the needs of the
community but was at the same time an important factor in the creation of professional opportunities.
Furthermore, it functioned as an incentive for talented young people who wished to pursue professional
training and a career in music. The State Youth Orchestra, which from the beginning functioned within
the framework of the State Orchestra of Cyprus, was a nursery for the promotion of talented young
musicians. From its foundation, the State Orchestra of Cyprus functioned within the structure of the
Ministry of Education and Culture. However, in accordance with a decision of the Council of
Ministers, the operational status of the State Orchestra and the Youth Orchestra have changed since 1
January 2007. The State Orchestra of Cyprus has been turned into an independent organisation and
renamed the "Symphony Orchestra of Cyprus".
Contemporary Cypriot musical creation is characterised by a variety of expression and styles. More
specifically, it includes all the genres of music (contemporary classical, jazz, Greek entechnon songs,
pop, rock and others). Influences from the international milieu as well as from the musical currents
prevailing in the wider European area are evident. Because of its geopolitical position, Cyprus has been
at the crossroads of civilisations, a fact which has affected and still affects the musical process. All the
influences, currents and trends are assimilated creatively through the contemporary reality of the
Cypriot temperament, thus making the music of Cyprus a free sounding highlight in the intercultural
vastness....

http://www.kypros.org/Real/Music.html