World music

World music is a broad English phrase used to describe musical styles from non-English-speaking countries.

It serves as an umbrella term for many different sounds. These include quasi-traditional, intercultural, and purely traditional music. The category is highly elastic and lacks one single, universal definition. Some describe it simply as "local music from out there."

It covers everything from isolated ethnic music to modern urban pop. This diversity makes it a complex subject for musicians and listeners alike.

To understand how world music works, we must look at its various forms. It includes non-European classical music, such as Chinese guzheng music or Indian raga music. You might also hear Tibetan chants or the village music of the Balkans. The category also encompasses Nordic folk, Latin music, and Indonesian music. It reaches into the tribal and folk traditions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. These different sounds are grouped together because of their indigenous roots. They represent the unique cultural identities of many different geographical regions.

Many musicians create new sounds by blending these traditions. This process often results in subgenres like ethnic fusion or worldbeat. Ethnic fusion might blend Irish and West African sounds, as seen in Afro Celt Sound System. Other artists create a pan-cultural sound, like the group AO Music. Some performers mix indigenous sounds with Western pop elements. For example, Paul Simon used South African mbaqanga music on his album Graceland. Peter Gabriel worked with the Pakistani Sufi singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. These hybrids create a melting pot of global stylistic influences.

The history of the term is tied to both academia and industry. Ethnomusicologist Robert E. Brown is credited with coining the term in the early 1960s. He worked at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He invited more than a dozen performers from Africa and Asia for a concert series. Later, in the 1980s, the music industry adopted the term as a marketing category. On June 29, 1987, industry leaders met to capitalize on the growing interest in non-Western folk music. They coordinated to create a compilation cassette and a dedicated world music chart. This helped move the genre from a niche interest to a commercial reality.

Significant historical moments helped popularize these sounds. In 1964, Millie Small released "My Boy Lollipop," which became a hit in the UK and US. In 1969, Indian musician Ravi Shankar played the sitar at the Woodstock festival. By the 1970s, Manu Dibango's "Soul Makossa" became a popular track. The ensemble Libana, founded by Susan Robbins in 1979, also played a role. They used chants and storytelling to represent world folk traditions. They toured extensively through countries like Bulgaria, India, Greece, and Morocco.

Instruments play a vital role in expressing these diverse cultures.

Musicians use a vast array of tools, such as the oud, charango, or djembe drum. The Libana ensemble uses hammered dulcimers, pan flutes, and the bağlama. Other traditions include the Mbira, a finger piano from Zimbabwe. In Wales, musicians use the pibgorn and the Welsh harp. These instruments allow for specific regional textures and rhythms. They are the physical tools that carry a culture's musical history.

Modern technology has deeply changed how music is shared. The invention of sound recording and low-cost international air travel helped create "crossover" music. Musicians can now access recorded music from across the globe easily. They can visit other countries to perform and learn from different cultures. However, this connectivity brings challenges. The pressures of commercialization can lead to musical homogeneity. This means regional identities might blur, and traditional local practices could face extinction. While technology provides access, it also changes the way music is preserved.