Arabesque: Music of the Arab World

George Collinet, host of Afropop Worldwide, explores the rich history and culture of the music of the Arab World. Arabic musicians and scholars demonstrate the sounds of string, wind and percussion instruments that directly influenced the development of musical instruments common to the modern Western world. The importance of universal musical concepts, such as improvisation, ornamentation and audience participation are discussed in the context of the Arab World, as are the ideas of musical nationality and folk tradition in the face of modern cultural globalization. This project was conceived by ArtsEdge (the educational website of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts).