This is a list of folk music traditions, with styles, dances, instruments and other related topics. The term folk music can not be easily defined in a precise manner; it is used with widely varying definitions depending on the author, intended audience and context within a work. Similarly, the term traditions in this context does not connote any strictly defined criteria. Music scholars, journalists, audiences, record industry individuals, politicians, nationalists and demagogues may often have occasion to address which fields of folk music are distinct traditions based along racial, geographic, linguistic, religious, tribal or ethnic lines, and all such peoples will likely use different criteria to decide what constitutes a "folk music tradition". This list uses the same general categories used by mainstream, primarily English-language, scholarly sources, as determined by relevant statements of fact and the internal structure of works.
These traditions may coincide entirely, partially or not at all with geographic, political, linguistic or cultural boundaries. Very few, if any, music scholars would claim that there are any folk music traditions that can be considered specific to a distinct group of people and with characteristics undiluted by contact with the music of other peoples; thus, the folk music traditions described herein overlap in varying degrees with each other.
The Caribbean music area includes all the islands of the Caribbean, including Cuba, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla, Martinique, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe and Trinidad and Tobago. In addition, the mainland South American countries of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana are generally grouped with the Caribbean countries, as is the non-Caribbean island nation of the Bahamas. The island of Bermuda is not Caribbean, and its folk music is little studied; for convenience, it is included herein though it may or may not be typical of the Caribbean music area.
CountryElementsDanceInstrumentationOther topicsAntiguan and BarbudanMcDaniel, Lorna, "Antigua and Barbuda" in the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, pp. 798–800benna - iron bandHighland fling - quadrillebanjar - bass drum - boompipe - kettle drum - toombah - triangleOld Time Christmas Festival Aruban See Dutch Antillean – – –BahamianKaliss, "Junkanoo and Sloop John B.", in the Rough Guide to World Music, pp. 317–324ant'em - goombay - junkanoo - rake-and-scrape - rhyming spiritual - ring-play - shape-notequadrille - ring-dance - Heel-Toe-Polkagoombay - guitar - maraca - saw - banjo - accordion - Harmonica - cowbells - Trumpet ObeahBarbadianJanice Millington, "Barbados", in the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 2, pp. 813–821tuk bandhornpipe - Jean and Johnnie - jig - marchbanjo - bones - bow-fiddle - calabash - cymbal - guitar - pump - rook jaw - shak-shak - shukster - snare drum - triangle - tum tumcrop over - Landship - tea meetingBermudaballadGombeybagpipe - fife - gombey - guitar - kettle drum - snare drum Bonaire See Dutch Antillean – – – Carriacou See Grenada – – –Cayman IslanderChristmas carol - serenadeaccordion - drum - fiddle - grater - mouth organBatabano - Pirate's WeekCubanManuel, Popular MusicsManuel, Caribbean CurrentsTurino, "Sub-Saharan Africa" in Excursions in World MusicFairley, Jan, "¡Que Rico Bailo Yo! How Well I Dance" and "Troubadours Old and New", in the Rough Guide to World Music, pp. 386–407 and 408–413Leymarie, Isabelle 2002. Cuban fire: the story of salsa and Latin jazz. Continuum, London. pp. 9 - 43World Music Central afro - - bembé - bolero - bunga - canción - chambelona - changüí - cierre - cinquillo - cocoyé - criolla - décima - diana - fragaya - guaracha - guajira - habanera - kiribá - lloraos - martillo - montuno - nengones - pregón - punto guajiro - repique - rumba - salamaleco - son - sucu-sucu - tonada - toque - tumbaoareito - bembé - chuchumbé - columbia - contradanza - danón - guaguancó - guaracha - makúa - makuta - maní - mañunga - masón - quadrille - rumba - sucu-sucu - tango congo - yambú - yuba - yuka - zapateoaberikula - agogós - bandora - bandurria - batá - biankomé - bocú - bongo - bongó del monte - bonkoenchemiyá - botija - bulá - cajón - catá - cencerro - chachá - chaworó - chekere - cheré - claves - conga - cornetas chinas - ekwé - efí - efó - enú - güiro - guagua - guataca - guayo - guitar - ilú - itótele - judíos batá - junga - kinfuiti - kuchí-yeremá - laúd - maraca - marimbula - maruga - ngoma - nkembi - obí-apá - ogán - okónkolo - pailas - palito - quinto - segon - segundo - sese eribó - tingo talango - tiple - tres - tumba - tumbadoreabakuá - aché - arará - cabildo - Casa de la Trova - clave - comparsa - controversia - iremes - iyesá - ñáñigos - Palo - piquete - potencias - plantes - sandunga - Santería - toque - trovadore - tumba francescaCuraçaoSee Dutch Antillean – – –DominicaJocelyne Guilbault, "Dominica", in the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 2, pp. 840-844bélé - caristo - chanté mas - jing ping - kontbidjin (biguine) - flirtation - lancer - mazourk (mazurka) - mereng (merengue) - polka pil (pure polka) - quadrille - sotis (schottische) - vals o vyenn (Viennese waltz)chakchak (maracas) - lapo kabwit (drums) - tanbou bélé - triangle (tingting)lavèyéDominican RepublicHarvey, Sean and Sue Steward, "Merengue Attacks", in the Rough Guide to World Music, pp. 414–420bachata - gagá - jaleo - merengue - merengue típico cibaeño - perico ripiaomerengueaccordion - cuatro - güira - guayo - güiro - marimba - palo - tambora drum - vaksinmisterios - velacioneDutch AntilleanCharles De Ledesma Charles and Gene Scaramuzzo, "Dance-Funk Creole-Style" in the World Music, Vol. 2: Latin & North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific, pp. 289-303belua - dan simadan - remailo - seú - tambú - tumbabari - tambú - wapaagan (iron or ploughshare) - bastèl (calabash) - chapi (hoe) - conga (drum) - guitar - kachu (cow's horn) - karko - quarta - tambú (drum) - triangle - wiriSimadanFrench GuianeseManuel, Caribbean Currents, pp. 221–231awassa - cassé-co - kawina - mato - songé - soussabigi pokuGrenadancantique - chantey - lullaby - saracabig drum - heel-and-toe polka - picquet - quadrille - reelboula - cut drumCarriacou nations - saraca - Tombstone FeastGuadeloupede Ledesma, Charles and Gene Scaramuzzo, "Dance-Funk Creole-Style", in the Rough Guide to World Music, pp. 289–303gwo kaboula - gwo ka - markeur (maké)lewoz - masquerade - mizik vidéHaitianHarvey, Sean and Sue Steward, "Merengue Attacks" and "Compas Points", in the Rough Guide to World Music, pp. 414–420 and pp. 421–429Nettl, Folk and Traditional Musickongo - ibo - mereng - méringue - quintolet - ra-ra - ti - yanvaloucarabinier - chica - gragement - juba - menwat - méringuebig - boula - graj - guitar - kóné - lanbi - mamman - marimba - mosquito drum - ogan - segon - shekere - tambou - tcha-tcha - vaksinbann rara - Haitian Carnival - majó jonk - Rada - Petwo - twoubadou - VodouIndo-Caribbeanbhajan - birha - chautal - dingolay - gali - matkor (matticore) - maulud - nirgun (funereal song) - qasida - sohar - tan - tassamatkor (matticore)dhantal - dholak - tabla - tassaMariamman theater - Hossay - pandit - phagwa - picongJamaicanbaccra - burru - etu - gumbe - kumina - mento - nyabhingi - ring play - tambumentobanjo - bongo - fife - funde - guitar - kalimbajonkonnu - grounation - Pocomania - Revival ZionKittitian and Nevisianbig drum - iron bandbig drumbaha (blown metal pipe) - fife - guitar - quarto - shack-shack (tin can with beads inside) - triangletea meetingLucianJocelyne Guilbault, "Saint Lucia" in the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume Two: South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbeanblòtjé - chanté abwè - chanté kont (jwé chanté) - chanté siay - gém - jwé - jwé dansé - Kélé drumming - kont - koutoumba - listwa - sankey - séwinalbélè - comette - débòt (circle dance) - dézyèm fidji - faci - grande ronde (gwan won) - jwé pòté (circle dance) - koutoumba - kwadril (quadrille) - lakonmèt (mazurka, mazouk) - latwiyèm fidji (avantwa, lanmen dwèt) - manpa (maynan) - moulala - omans (waltz) - polka - pwémyé fidji - schottische - solo (couple dance) - yonbòt (circle dance)baha (wooden trumpet) - banjo - bwa poye (skroud banjo) - chak-chak (rattle) - cuatro - fiddle - guitar - gwaj (scraper) - ka - mandolin - tambourine (tanbouwen) - tibwa - zo (bones)chantwèl - Kélé - La Marguerite - La Rose - lang dévivé - wibòtMartinicanbiguine vidé - chouval bwa - groups à pied - gwo ka - ti bwabélè - biguine - manegeaccordion - bélè - bell - clarinet - chacha (rattle) - flute - kazoo - tanbour - tanbou débonda - tibwa - trombonelewoz - masqueradeMontserratianJohn Mesener, "Montserrat", in the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume Two: South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, pp. 922-926jumbiebam-chick-lay - country dance (goatskin, drum dance) - jumbie - polka - quadrilleaccordion - babala (jumbie drum, tambourine) - bagpipe - boom pipe - fife (pulley) - French reel (skin drum, woowoo, jumbie drum) - gradge - shak-shak - triangle - cuatro (yokolee, ukulele)obeah - rum shopPuerto RicanSweeney, Philip, "Not Quite the 52nd State", in the Rough Guide to World Music, pp. 481–487aguinaldo - bomba - copla (music) - danza - jíbaro - plena - requinto - seis - tipicabombabomba - bongo - conga - cowbell - cuatro - güiro - maraca - pandereta - requinto - seguidoracontroversia - parranda - trovadorSurinamesealeko - badji - birha - bigi poku - kaseko - kawina - lonsei - matkor (matticore) - tan - Baithak Ganakawinadhantal - dholak - djas - hari kawina - koti kawina - kwatro - papai benta - rattle - skratji - timbalampuku - kumanti - obia pee - vodu - WintiTrinidadian and Tobagonianbamboula - bele - calypso - gayap - juba - lavway - parang - steelpancalindabandolin - bo - cuatro - dhantal - dholak - omele - steelpan - tassacalypso tent - camboulay - chantwell - Jamette - j'ouvert - picong - Shango - Trinidad and Tobago CarnivalTurks and Caicosripsawaccordion - glass bottle - box guitar - musical saw - concertina - conch horn - conga drum - harmonica - maraca - mouth organ - triangleVincentianbele - Big Drum - string bandbig drum - quadrilleBig Drumchantwell - Vincy masVirgin IslanderSheehy, Daniel, "The Virgin Islands" in the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume Two: South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbeanbamboula - cariso - scratch (fungi) band - quelbe (quelbay)-iron bands- masqueradejig - quadrille (Imperial Quadrille, Flat German Quadrille)-Bamboulaaccordion - ass pipe - banjo - flute - drum (double-headed barrel) - gourd - guitar - squash - tambourine - ukulele - violin - washboardDavid and Goliath - masquerade - tea meeting
Notes
Sources