The music of Southeastern Europe, sometimes characterised by complex rhythm, is a type of music distinct from others in Europe. This is mainly because it was influenced by the Ottoman Empire and also by the relatively common culture of these countries. Despite these, there are some differences among the region - the music of the Western Balkans (Serbia, Macedonia, etc) is more Slavic-influences, whereas the Music of Romania has more Latin influences, making it similar to that of Italy or Spain. The Music of Southeastern Europe, however, is quite significantly different to that the music of Eastern Europe, which includes the Slavic states of the former USSR. The latter was more influenced by Kievan Rus and the Slavic culture and, in recent times, the USSR, than the former. Rhythm (Greek ρυθμός = tempo) is the variation of the duration of sounds over time. ... The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 12+ million km² Establishment 1299 Dissolution October 29, 1923... Romania is a European country whose population includes ethnic Romanians, Hungarian and Roma (Gypsy) populations. ... Categories: Eastern European music | Music stubs ... Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Ру́сь, Kievskaya Rus in Russian; Київська Русь, Kyivs’ka Rus’ in Ukrainian) was the early, mostly East Slavic¹ state dominated by the city of Kiev (ru: Ки́ев, Kiev; uk: Ки́їв, Kyiv), from about 880 to the middle of the 12th century. ... The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (Russian: Союз Советских Социалистических Республик (СССР)  listen; tr. ...

Musical influence

Ottoman music

Main articles: Ottoman music

Dimitrie Cantemir was a composer of Ottoman music. Dimitrie Cantemir (Дмитрий Кантемир in Russian, Kantemiroğlu in Turkish), (October 26, 1673 - 1723) was a Moldavian linguist and scholar. ...

Many musical instruments were introduced to the Balkans during the time of Ottoman control. Some examples include:

• The Ottoman "Baglama Saz" was transformed into the Bulgarian "Tambura"
• The Ney and other forms of Turkish Kavals --> Bulgarian "Kaval"
• The Kemence --> Bulgarian "Gadulka"

etc... Saz is a musical instrument family from the Middle East which is very popular in Turkey. ... The tambura is a musical instrument used in various places around the world. ... see also ney (disambiguation) The ney (also nai, nye, nay) is an end-blown flute that figures prominently in Middle Eastern music--in some of these musical traditions, it is the only wind instrument used. ... A 1919 Kaval. ... Categories: Music stubs | String instruments ...

See also

• Music of Albania
• Music of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Music of Bulgaria
• Music of Croatia
• Music of Greece
• Music of Macedonia
• Music of Moldova
• Music of Romania
• Music of Serbia and Montenegro

Albanian drummers playing in the street of Prizren, Kosovo Albania is a Balkan nation that was ruled by Enver Hoxhas socialist government for much of the later part of the 20th century. ... Like the surrounding Balkan countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina has had a turbulent past marked by frequent foreign invasions and occupation. ... Bulgarian music is part of the Balkan tradition, which stretches across Southeastern Europe, and has its own distinctive sound. ... The music of Croatia, like the country itself, has three major influences: the influence of the Mediterranean especially present in the coastal areas, of the Balkans especially in the mountainous, continental parts, and of central Europe in the central and northern parts of the country. ... Greek music is a mixture of influences from its own indigenous culture with Western and Middle Eastern cultures. ... The Republic of Macedonia, formally known by international organizations and foreign states as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), is a diverse country, with a Slav Macedonian majority (65%) and a large Albanian minority (25%), and Turks, Cincars, Gypsies, Greeks and Serbs. ... Moldovan music is closely related to that of its neighbor and cultural kin, Romania. ... Romania is a European country whose population includes ethnic Romanians, Hungarian and Roma (Gypsy) populations. ... Serbia and Montenegro is a Balkan country, recently ravaged by war that has caused widespread migration and cultural oppression. ...

see also:

• klezmer (Eastern European Jewish Music)
• Roma music ("Gypsy" music)