Jazz Articles about Hong Kong Dragon Club

Hong Kong Dragon Club: Take Out

by Jim Santella
June 1, 2000

What was music like 4000 years ago? Singing with native instrumental accompaniment? Folk songs that told interesting stories? Communicating in the native language while incorporating some form of melody, harmony and rhythm? The music was probably quite different in Asia than in Europe, Africa, or India. Different civilizations developed widely separate tonal foundations and characteristically unique musical instruments.

While common factors such as timbre and expression reveal a “universal language," each region was generally not influenced by the other back ...