Ragtime

A uniquely American genre, Ragtime music has its roots in Afro-Carribean music. Its name comes from the prevalence of syncopated or “ragged” rhythms. Ragtime flourished in the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and influenced classical European composers like Satie, Milhaud and Stravinsky. The name of Scott Joplin is, of course, pretty music synonymous with Ragtime, but there were many other excellent composers to write in this style.