Brass Ensemble Music from Other Cultures

Jaipur Kawa Brass Band

The diversity and variety of brass ensemble traditions is rich and deep, and certainly not limited to Western European art music genres. Today, we will be listening to selections from a playlist of recordings of brass ensembles from around the world, as well as here in the U.S., that illustrate this diversity. 

My playlist for this particular class offering has grown over the years, and currently contains over two hours and twenty minutes of music and growing. Of course, I will not play every track or every second of every track. I will pick and choose as we go and highlight the many traditions and styles represented.

The different categories include:

• Balkan Brass Bands from the Roma tradition
• Fanfare Ciocarlia
• Boban Markovic Orkestar
• Brass Bands from India and Pakistan
• Jaipur Kawa Brass Band
• Bollywood Brass Band (U.K.)
• Brass Bands from the Kingdom of Tonga 
• Beulah College Band
• Mariachi and Banda from Mexico
• Pepe Gutierrez & Mariachi De Pepe Villa
• Band El Recodo
• Banda Carnaval
• (...and several others)
• Polka Music from U.S., Austria and Germany
• Kris and the Riverbend Dutchmen 
• Die Tiroler Blasmusikanten
• The Oktoberfest Oompah Band
• African Brass Band
• Gangbé Brass Band
• Klezmer and Shout Bands from the U.S.
• Frank London's Klezmer Allstars
• The Tigers