Europe

This category amasses the large and varied amount of music composed on Europe's continent and islands. From French pop to Norwegian folk, Gypsy music to fado, Europe is a cultural melting pot whose folk and pop music reflects alternating trends of isolation and contact. The music of southern Europe is a vast body of work shaped by centuries of invasion, conquest and retreat. No folk music -- except that of Turkey, perhaps -- has remained untouched by this region's rich and complex history. Hear the Moorish and Gypsy influences in the flamenco guitar of Carlos Montoya, or thrill to Amalia Rodrigues' passionate fado singing, Portugal's African-derived folk form. Greece's mournful Rembetika originated with repatriated Turkish Greeks, while the Algerian/French dance craze Rai has seized on synthesizers and hip-hop to round out its folk roots. Europe and the Mediterranean play host to a diverse range of pop musicians and their regional influences, helping to enliven and transform the face of international rock, pop and hip-hop.