Music

Timor-Leste's music, which includes genres like gamelan and fado that were imported, reflects its history as a colony of Portugal and Indonesia. The likurai dance, which was performed by women to welcome back men from battle, was the most widely practiced type of indigenous traditional music. A contemporary variation of the dance is performed by females during courtship. They used a tiny drum and occasionally carried enemy heads in processions through communities.

Teo Batiste Ximenes is one of the most well-known musicians from Timor-Leste. He was raised in Australia and incorporates folk rhythms from his own country into his work. East Timorese folk music has been spread throughout the world thanks to the large East Timorese populations in emigrant communities in Australia, Portugal, and other countries. East Timorese music was combined in refugee camps in Portugal with music from other former Portuguese colonies like Mozambique and Angola.

Despite being an import brought by colonists, the guitar has long played a significant role in Timor-Leste music. However, the country also boasts several native string instruments that are somewhat comparable to the guitar. Rock and roll, hip hop, and reggae are just a few examples of popular music genres that include foreign influences.