Comparing and contrasting India, China, and Indonesia music cultures Essay

Comparing and contrasting India, China, and Indonesia music cultures - Essay Example This "Comparing and contrasting India, China, and Indonesia music cultures" essay outlines the cultural differences between this countries. China has the longest standing history of its culture among all countries in the world; with archaeological evidence indicating that China is one of the foundations of mankind. Dating back to the 4th BC, the Chinese people began living together in large groups which resulted in the cultivation of land, domestication of animals, building of pit dwellings and emergence of pottery. Chinese cultural history is recorded according to the different dynasties that make up its culture as it is today. The Chinese people today show much pride in the Han culture which saw them make great scientific discoveries, most of which even the Western countries were not aware of. This culture is most renowned for the introduction of the art culture practiced in China today. The ancient Chinese music, which dates back to the 3rd millennium, was slow and solemn with lar ge orchestras heard in the background. The Chinese people value the single tone produced in their music more than they do the melody itself. Their musical instruments used are divided into eight groups depending on the materials they are made of. The musical notations used are all an indication of rhythm. Indian culture is attributed to the various religious groups that exist in India. The religions include Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. The ancient architectural monuments of India are a testament of the existence of these religions., all of which held different cultural beliefs and practices. The religions also introduced the traditional food of India from their different cuisines at that time. During the Stone Age period, early man in India began drawing animal figures and painting them in the caves he lived in. This has evolved to modern day art of painting where Indians decorate their front house porches. India is braded the land of many great philosophers, scho lars and thinkers due to its ancient literature. Indian language has evolved slowly, leading to the writing of many Indian plays and literature works. The characteristics of Indian music depend on the type of music being played; classical, folk, Lavani or the Rabindra Sangeet. The most frequent used instrument in all these musical types is the Sitar which resembles a guitar. They also use the table, a small drum that is played using the fingertips. The most unique characteristic is that every type of music has a spiritual or meditative connotation. Cultural background and musical characteristics of Indonesia Indonesia is known for its multiethnic and diverse religious nature. It is believed that the Indonesian culture is highly influenced by the Indian and Chinese cultures due to migration of the people during the ancient years. Indonesian culture id determined by the region that one is studying. For instance the North Sumatra and East Java are ethnically mixed while the South Sumat ra and South Kalimantan have similar art, dressing, social and political cultural affiliations. There are two distinct agricultural methods practiced in Indonesia; the permanent irrigated rice farming and the rotating swidden rice farming; both of which aim at farming of rice, the staple food in many parts of Indonesia. Due to the many ethnic groups in the island, there are many local languages but the Malay