Celebrating World Music Day: discover unique instruments across the globe

Music transcends cultural barriers, geographic locations, and spoken languages. In honor of World Music Day on June 21, we’re sharing a musical journey that takes you from the island of Cuba all the way to China and West Africa by way of diverse, iconic instruments that you can use in your own productions.

And during Summer of Sound, you can get all of these instruments sampled within the Spotlight Collection from Native Instruments at a discount.

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What is World Music Day?

World Music Day, also known as Fête de la Musique, is an annual celebration held on June 21. Originating in France in 1982, it has since spread globally, encouraging musicians of all levels to perform in public spaces. The day promotes the joy of music and aims to make music accessible to everyone, fostering cultural exchange and community spirit.

Let’s take a listening journey through some of these beautiful instruments from different cultures across the world.

East Asia: Guqin

The Guqin is a traditional Chinese string instrument, known for its delicate, expressive sound and cultural significance. With over 3,000 years of history, it features seven strings and is typically played by plucking with the fingers. The Guqin is highly regarded for its association with scholars and its role in Chinese art, literature, and philosophy.

The Guqin is a great choice to blend with electronic music tracks. Combining its serene, melodic tones with modern beats and synths can create a unique, cross-cultural soundscape.

You can also incorporate the Guqin into soundtracks for films or video games, using the evocative sound to enhance emotional scenes, from a historical or fantasy setting that benefit from an ancient, mystical atmosphere.

Explore Guqin in Spotlight Collection: East Asia

Middle East: Doumbek

The Doumbek, also known as the darbuka or goblet drum, is a traditional percussion instrument common in Middle Eastern, North African, and Eastern European music. It is characterized by its goblet shape and produces distinct, resonant tones when played with the hands. The Doumbek is highly versatile, capable of intricate rhythms and both deep, bassy sounds and sharp, high-pitched strikes.

The doumbek is a great choice to provide a rhythmic backbone in world fusion music, combining its traditional Middle Eastern beats with instruments and styles from other cultures to create a dynamic and eclectic sound.

It can also be used in other acoustic genres such as folk, jazz, or even pop, to replace standard drums with its unique percussive texture.

The Spotlight Collection features two Egyptian-style doumbeks – one slightly larger drum, usually referred to as sombaty, and a classic doumbek.

Explore Doumbek in Spotlight Collection: Middle East

India: Sitar

The sitar is a traditional stringed instrument from India, renowned for its distinctive, resonant sound and complex structure. It typically features a long neck, a gourd-shaped body, and numerous strings, including both melodic and sympathetic strings that resonate to enrich its tonal quality. The sitar is a key instrument in Indian classical music and has influenced various genres and artists worldwide.

The sitar is a versatile instrument that can be easily integrated into rock or pop songs, similar to how bands like The Beatles did, to add an exotic and psychedelic flavor.

It can also be used in ambient or chillout music to create soothing, meditative soundscapes. Its expressive and ethereal tones can enhance the atmospheric quality of these genres.

Explore sitar in Spotlight Collection: India

Cuba: Timbales

The Timbales are a pair of shallow, single-headed drums used in Latin American and Afro-Cuban music. They consist of metal shells with a drumhead stretched tightly across the top, typically played with sticks or hands.

Timbales produce bright, sharp tones and are known for their prominent role in salsa, mambo, and other Latin genres, providing rhythmic accents and fills.

Timbales can be used in many different ways. Try using them in a pop or electronic dance music production to add rhythmic accents and energetic fills. Their sharp, percussive sound can enhance the groove and excitement of the track.

Explore Timbales in Spotlight Collection: Cuba

West Africa: Balafon

The Balafon is a traditional West African xylophone made of wooden bars, typically mounted on a resonating frame. It is played with mallets and produces a bright, melodic sound with distinct overtones. The Balafon is widely used in the music of the Mandé peoples, including genres like traditional griot music, as well as in contemporary African and world music contexts.

The Balafon, with its resonant wooden keys and vibrant, percussive sound, can add a distinctive flavor to modern music production across many genres – including blues and soul, rock, electronic, fusion, and many others.

Explore the Spotlight Collection: West Africa

Start using instruments from around the world

Now that you’ve heard some unique timbres from Africa, the Middle East, Cuba, and more, it’s time to incorporate them into your music! Get the Spotlight Collection Series on sale now during Summer of Sound and share with us your music that celebrates World Music Day on our Instagram.

Explore the Spotlight Collection