The rhythm and vibes of Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is a treasure trove of many cultures, and within these cultures are numerous musical traditions and styles. Interestingly, most of these age-old musical styles, or at least traces of them, can still be found in some of our current varieties of pop music.

While K-pop has ruled the roost in the region for more than two decades, other Southeast Asian pop groups and bands are slowly but surely catching up. We take a look at some of the region’s current musical flagbearers.

Southeast Asia consists of eleven countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Hundreds of ethnic groups are found within this region and together they offer a rich tapestry of musical styles that owe much to the prevalence of the many languages used by each ethnic group. Throughout history, music in this part of the world…