Spain is where the Mediterranean begins, or ends, depending on your perspective. After the Strait of Gibraltar, the thin wedge of water that separates Europe and North Africa gradually widens and touches each of the countries we are profiling in Athens to Andalucía.

For more than seven centuries, much of Spain was part of an enormous Arab empire. The Moors were expelled from Spain (along with the Jewish population) in 1492, but they left an indelible mark on every aspect of Spanish culture. Hundreds of Spanish words derive directly from Arabic, including such common expressions as ojalá (I wish), which stems from the Arabic "Oh Allah" (If Allah/God allows).

Originally a region of independent kingdoms, Spain had its work cut out for it trying to keep the conflicted territories within its own borders united. Spanish is not even called Spanish in Spain. Though spoken in most of the country, it is called Castillian, to indicate that it is the language of the province of Castile, and not necessarily the language of Catalonia, Galicia or the Basque country. As could be expected, the music of these provinces varies greatly as well. Spain is not just the land of flamenco. It is home to a multitude of rich musical genres.

Images of France are so strongly linked to the grand boulevards of Paris and rolling vineyards dotted with chateaus, that one forgets it borders the Mediterranean. But southern France is home to many cultures that are inextricably linked to the rest of the Mediterranean. From the rustic Iberian town of Perpignan to the multicultural Marseilles, the French Mediterranean coast overflows with history and tradition. So much so, that it seeps inland and imparts upon the rest of France the ambiance of North Africa and the languid passion of Spain and Italy.

Today, with thousands of Algerian immigrants, Marseilles teems with North African energy, resulting in a distinct urban style that has become a rebellious fashion throughout France. The Gypsy music of southwestern France has generated perhaps the greatest impact, seeping into the mainstream as if it had been there all along. French popular music seems addicted to the South, as veterans of chanson regularly seek out musical partners from this warmer region. Italy's famous boot juts boldly into the Mediterranean Sea as if it is about to take a giant leap. Indeed, the country has been the starting point for many a world traveler, from Marco Polo to the Romans whose empire spread throughout Europe. Many people don't realize that Christopher Columbus was Italian, having been born in the Mediterranean city of Genoa. Italy has long been a destination, as people from throughout the Mediterranean and beyond have traveled to Rome, Venice, Florence, Naples and other cities that at various points in history were commercial and cultural hot spots.

While Italy was home to the ancient Roman civilization, it is also one of the youngest nations in western Europe. Since Roman times, Italy has been a jumble of politically and culturally distinct regions that were not formally unified until 1861. Italian traditional music maintains a strong regional character. Instrumentation, repertoire, and even dialect changes rapidly as one travels within the country.

Italian pop music has, for the most part, lost its connection with folk tradition. Around the country, however, Italian folk music is experiencing a revival. A new generation of musicians is renewing the traditional repertoire, enhancing it with contemporary compositions directly inspired by their heritage and the multicultural influences of the Mediterranean.

Greece's fifteen centuries of fame came a long time ago, when philosophers, scientists, mathematicians, sculptors and writers seemed as plentiful as olives. Indeed, the foundations of Western music theory were established in Ancient Greece, as modern music students who are forced to remember Ionian, Dorian or Phrygian scales will be the first to acknowledge.