Skip overpriced tourist venues and cliché music, which often mask the true depth of any country's musical culture. (How many times in Greece do you really need to hear "Zorba's Dance"?)

Seek places where local fans and seasoned travelers go. You haven't had a fado experience in Lisbon unless the club has Portuguese diners at the tables.

And before landing in Athens check out Rough Guides' Greece: 21 tracks—none of them "Zorba's Dance."

For more music news, scroll down.

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SOURCES AND RELATED WEB SITES TravelWatch National Geographic Expeditions (Travel With Our Experts) National Geographic Sustainable Tourism Resource Center National Geographic Traveler