India
The Indian subcontinent is rich with a variety of musical flavors, steeped in thousands of years of history. Traditionally, Indian music consists of intricate melodies and rhythms, with extremely complex rules governing an array of mood-changing tones. The complexity extends to instrumentation, with a wide range of percussive, string and wind instruments that each carry a specific tone and sonic purpose. Spirituality also plays a prominent part in classical and pop forms, influencing everything from the Sufi devotional singing known as Qawwali to any number of folk songs addressed to specific deities. The past hundred years have seen incredible shifts in Indian music -- synthesized rhythms have found their way into the Bhangra beats of the Safri Boys and most film music, while Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's twisting vocals and Ravi Shankar's sitar can be heard on many international collaborations.