World Harmony

Save the sounds of your journey with a musical souvenir

Besides enhancing almost any experience, music can offer an entertaining introduction to another culture. Travel the world, and you might get to hear a few of the exotic instruments described here. And if you visit the shops in one of the following locales, you might even get to take one home with you. (Learning to play it, of course, is another matter.)

1

Memphis: Gibson Guitar Corp. can’t guarantee that you’ll see luthiers in action when you visit its factory in downtown Memphis. But stop by for the 45-minute tour and you will have a chance to watch some part of the process of crafting the company’s prized instruments. Want to see a particular stage of the work? Call ahead to see how tour and manufacturing schedules mesh with your plans. If the visit gets your fingers itching to play, check out the adjacent Gibson store, which has hundreds of guitars for sale. While in Memphis, visit the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum on Beale Street. It features a gallery dedicated to the legendary artists of Sun Records. You also can tour Graceland for a glimpse of some of the guitars Elvis Presley played in his movies and concerts; two of his pianos also are among the tour’s attractions.

2

Delhi: West Patel Nagar market is located in a loud, bustling neighborhood crowded with clothing stores, street hawkers, and places to grab a quick bite to eat. In the midst of it all stands Amar Music House. “The most beautiful instrument they sell is called a dilruba,” says Monica Bhide, an author and journalist who writes about Indian food and culture. “It is native to the northern part of India, primarily Punjab. It looks like a sitar but is played like a violin and produces melodious, melancholic music.” The store also stocks such instruments as harmoniums, damroos, and tablas. Other well-known instrument vendors in the city include Akhila Musical Instruments and Amrit Music Store.

3

Cleveland: If rock and roll is your religion, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is your cathedral. There are no musical instruments for sale here, but you can pay homage to those that were touched by greatness, including a drumhead that got pounded by the Who’s Keith Moon and electric guitars played by the likes of Chuck Berry and Jeff Beck. Neil Young’s fringed leather jacket and Janis Joplin’s 1965 Porsche 356c Cabriolet are among the other memorabilia on hand. If all this nostalgia inspires you, check out local music dealers like Prospect Music, an indie store that has been located downtown since 1941. Owner Mike Rubin, who bought the store from its founder, says Prospect’s appeal is that it “handles everything from band instruments to ethnic percussion.” The shop also displays a huge archive of autographs of famous visitors, including Glenn Miller, John Coltrane, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and some stars of the Metropolitan Opera. Fifteen miles outside the city, the chain store Guitar Center houses a museum of its own that includes a guitar autographed by Les Paul, a road case used to transport amps on Ramones tours, and other artifacts. Guitars available for sale include Fender’s new Eddie Van Halen replica model, which goes for $25,000.

4

São Paulo: Thanks in part to a large population descended from Italian immigrants, São Paulo has established a strong tradition influenced by the Cremona School, a particular style of violin craftsmanship. According to São Paulo native João Erbetta, a professional guitarist now based in Washington, D.C., one of the city’s most promising young violin luthiers today is Ivan Labussiere, who builds and restores instruments at his workshop, Atelier Labussiere. His instruments take three to seven months to construct and are modeled after the creations of Stradivari, Guarneri, and other Italian masters. Erbetta recommends several old stores with some history, including Casa Bevilacqua, Casa Manon, and Irmãos Vitale, which he says were all established by Italian families in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

5

New York: Midtown Manhattan is home to Steinway & Sons’ flagship store, which has more than 150 pianos available for sale. Cross the East River to Astoria, Queens, and you can tour the Steinway factory to see how its baby grands are built. If you are in the market for something a little more portable, check out Sam Ash Music, which carries thousands of new, used, and vintage stringed, woodwind, and percussion instruments, as well as keyboards, sheet music, and other musical paraphernalia for sale or trade. The company, based just northeast of Times Square, also sponsors clinics and appearances by recording artists who stop by for special events.

6

Morelia: Michoacan’s state capital is well known for its colonial splendor and for the recorridos — day trips through the countryside — that draw visitors who want to experience the real Mexico. Venture west of the city to Paracho and you’ll find a community famed for its handcrafted guitars, including the guitarrons and vihuelas so essential to the music of the mariachis. You can watch the artisans at work, choose the sound, style, and ornamentation that most appeal to you, and buy a guitar direct from the family that built it. Paracho is also home to Mexico’s annual National Guitar Fair, which will mark its 35th year in 2008.

Continental is the official airline of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

Getting There: All the destinations covered in “Go to Town” can be reached by flying Continental Airlines. To book your trip, visit Continental Airlines Vacations at covacations.com.