The traditional folk music of Croatia is mostly associated with the following: Ganga is a type of singing
which is characterized by a lone singer singing one line of lyrics and then others joining in for what can be best
described as a wail. It is a very passionate form of singing, which is one of the reasons it has been limited in
popularity to small towns. The klapa music is a form of a cappella singing that first appeared in littoral Croatia
during the middle of the 19th century. The word klapa is derived from a word in slang Italian spoken in Trieste
at the time. It refers to "a group of people" and the singing style traces its roots to liturgical church singing.
Tamburica (diminutive of tambura) music is a form of folk music that involves these and related string instruments.
The main themes of tamburitza songs are the common themes of love and happy village life. Tamburitza music
is primarily associated with the northern, Pannonian part of the country. The gusle music is played on
this traditional string instrument. It is primarily rooted in epic poetry with emphasis on important historical or
patriotic events. It is the traditional instrument of inland Dalmatia and of Herzegovina, the part of Bosnia and
Herzegovina with predominant Croatian population. Diple is a traditional woodwind musical instrument
in Croatian music. It is played from Istria, Lika, over Dalmatia Islands and Coast to Herzegovina. The folk music
of Zagorje, an area north of Zagreb, is known for small orchestras consisting of Violins, Cimbule, Tamburice and
Harmonike. The Tamburica (also known as tambura) is the Croatian national string instrument.