The Violin As A Musical Instrument In Different Musical Cultures.

There are many different shaped instruments originating from the different families of strings, all of which are united under the form of a violin thanks to the creation of the bow. It has been seen that the violin is an instrument for dancing and accompanying the voice, as long as it does not replace it, being a suitable instrument for this task. It is very interesting to observe how in the different continents of the world, the construction of indigenous violins gives people the possibility to express themselves in such different ways with an instrument that is very similar in many aspects.

Emigration is a common point in many cultures and it is here that music plays a major role in the lives of these emigrated people. An example of historical survival is that of the Jewish population in Europe and how music and an instrument such as the violin made life easier for them in many ways.

Another key point is the use of the violin as a symbol of survival and national pride, even going to the extent of travelling across entire countries in order to collect abandoned traditional music. The class difference between natives and gypsies has always been something difficult for the coexistence of countries, and the violin achieves something fabulous, uniting and connecting both cultures of the same country, as is the case in Hungary and Romania.

For centuries, the violin was the soul of the party in the United States, something that is unsuspected nowadays. The last great episodes of slavery took place on this continent, something so difficult to understand and to cope with that a violin in such a situation helped many slaves.

Violinists are getting closer and closer to more modern styles, creating very interesting fusions that take us to an immediate future, where the violin has a lot to tell. Finally, a quote from the British researcher Chris Haigh:

One common theme that emerges from studying the history of different folks is that there`s nothing quite like a few centuries of invasion, oppression, and emigration to ensure the vigorous survival of a country`s traditional music. (Chris Haigh, 2009, p. 119)