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When I signed up for this course earlier in the year, I never thought it would expand my taste in music the way that it has. I've found myself genuinely enjoying the sliding melodies of Arabic music, the exotic sound of Indian ragas, and the steadfast beat of Native American drumming. In class, we weren't able to touch on any of the Slavic or Nordic cultures, so I'd like to explore a few examples here. Kalinka Continent: Asia | Country: Russia This is a recording of one of the most recognizable Russian folk songs, the Kalinka. It's traditionally performed on the balalaika, the triangular instrument pictured in the video. It's a plucked chordophone with only three strings, but, as you can hear, it's capable of producing a wide range of notes. I'm not sure how its triangular shape contributes to its sound, but I've never seen anything like it. I chose the Kalinka because of its popularity in Russia and its incredibly complex rhythm. The progressively...
