Joseph Kekuku invents steel guitar by sliding a piece of steel across the strings of a slacked guitar; at about the same time, Hawaiian traditional music with English lyrics (hapa haole) was invented
General Porfirio Díaz legendarily orders a mariachi band to wear upper-class clothing (a charro suit) when they played for the visiting United States Secretary of State; this is the beginning of modern mariachi, as well as the traditional dress of future mariachi stars
The American occupation of the Dominican Republic begins. This leads to a pop form called pambiche, invented for American soldiers that couldn't dance to the harder forms, and is also responsible for nationalist elements being added to the lyrics, foreshadowing the rise of Rafael Trujillo
The Bolsheviks come to power and persecute Gypsy musicians, who had long dominated Russian popular music, for having entertained the bourgeoisie; most Gypsies choose to leave
Manolo Caracol, one of the biggest names in early 20th century flamenco, is said to have walked from Jerez all the way to a distant cante jondo competition, which he won, thus beginning his international rise to fame
Ukrainian-American fiddlerPawlo Humeniuk releases "Ukrainske Wesilie", which sells about 150,000 copies and launches his career as the King of the Ukrainian fiddlers
A new type of microphone enables Bing Crosby to introduces a new style of "crooning" on his debut record
The rumba's popularity begins to spread in Cuba and abroad, while Arsenio Rodriguez develops the conjunto band, using the septeto as a basis and Don Aspiazu's Havana Orchestra brings "El Manicero" to the US, where it becomes a major hit; these changes signal the roots of salsa
As rural Mexicans begin moving into the cities, trumpets are added to traditional mariachi bands, and the music develops a more pronounced nationalist bent; Silvestre Vargas soon becomes the most popular mariachi performer
An orchestra of frying pans, oil drums and dustbin lids recalls earlier styles of makeshift percussion music and eventually evolved into steel pan music
O. C. Cash founds SPEBSQSA, the barbershop harmony society; women's society follows shortly; barbershop quartets become a popular music staple, particularly in radio commercials; over the next decades, groups such as the Buffalo Bills and the Chordettes will achieve mainstream popular success.
ASCAP strike against broadcasters leads to period in which only public-domain music was broadcast. More significantly, it leads to the creation and rise of BMI. BMI's search for non-ASCAP music in turn created channels for the emergence in the U. S. of Latin and black music, setting the stage for the decline of Tin Pan Alley and the rise of R&B and rock-and-roll.
Vassilis Tsitsanis writes "Synefiazmeni Kyriaki", which becomes an anthem for Greeks, who are under occupation; the song becomes a major event in the softening of rembétika music
Chinese Nationalists, led by Chiang Kai-Shek, come to Taiwan and begin promoting mainland language and culture, including musical forms, over traditional ones
