World music

People make many kinds of music.

Some music comes from far away. It comes from lands like Africa or Asia.

This music can sound very different. You might hear a flute or a drum. Some people use a wooden string tool.

Musicians can mix new sounds together. They might blend old songs with pop music. This is called fusion. It makes a new sound.

New tools help us hear these songs. We can use planes to travel. We can use tools to record sound.

Learning these songs is fun. It helps us know our world. Do you like to hear new songs?

World music is a name for many different sounds. It includes music from many non-English speaking lands.

This can mean traditional songs or new styles. It includes sounds like Chinese guzheng music or Indian raga music. You might hear Tibetan chants or Latin music too.

In the 1980s, the music industry used this name for marketing.

They wanted to help people find music from other places. Some artists make a mix of styles. This is called ethnic fusion. For example, the group Afro Celt Sound System mixes Irish and West African sounds.

Other artists make worldbeat. This often blends local sounds with pop music. Paul Simon made a famous album called Graceland. It used music from South Africa.

New tools help musicians share their art. Sound recording and planes make it easy to travel. Musicians can now hear sounds from all over the globe. This helps them make new, mixed styles.

It also helps us learn about different cultures.

World music is a name for many different kinds of sounds. It is an English phrase used for music from non-English speaking countries.

This category includes traditional songs and new styles that mix different cultures. It covers many things like Chinese guzheng music or Indian raga music. You might also hear Tibetan chants or Latin music. People use this term to find music that feels special or new. It brings many different sounds from across the globe into one group.

Musicians often mix different styles to create something new. This is sometimes called ethnic fusion or worldbeat. For example, the group Afro Celt Sound System mixes Irish and West African sounds. The group AO Music creates a pan-cultural sound. Some artists blend local sounds with Western pop music. Paul Simon used South African mbaqanga music on his album Graceland. Other artists like Peter Gabriel worked with Pakistani Sufi singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. These blends create a melting pot of many different influences.

This term has an interesting history in the music world. An expert named Robert E. Brown first used the term in the early 1960s. He worked at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He invited performers from Africa and Asia to play concerts there. Later, in the 1980s, the music industry used the name for marketing. On June 29, 1987, people met to help sell this kind of music. They even made a special music chart to see what was popular. This helped more people discover sounds from other lands.

Many different instruments make these unique sounds. You might hear a wooden instrument with strings called an oud. Some groups use the charango or the djembe drum. The ensemble Libana uses many tools like the hammered dulcimer and pan flutes. They even use the bağlama and the davul drum. These musicians travel to places like Bulgaria, India, Greece, and Morocco. They share stories through chants and dance. Each instrument helps tell a story from a specific place.

New technology has changed how we experience music today. Sound recording and cheap airplane travel make it easier to share art. Musicians can now listen to recordings from far away. They can visit other countries to play their own songs. This makes it easy to create "crossover" music. However, some people worry about the risks of this change. They hope that local music traditions do not disappear. We can use technology to keep these beautiful sounds alive for everyone.

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.