Introduction to Southeast Asia as a Musical Area

Most major Southeast Asian musics bear strong similarities to one another, crossing boundaries of culture, language, and land. But although bronze gongs, xylophones, and bamboo fl utes link the musics of the region, there is nevertheless a remarkable diversity of peoples and music styles. For centuries, the unique sounds and organizational systems of these musics have attracted outsiders-including dozens of scholars and the Western composers Debussy, Britten, and Reich.