| World music | |
|---|---|
| Cultural origins | Indigenous music worldwide |
| Derivative forms | Folktronica |
| Subgenres | |
| |
| Fusion genres | |
| Regional scenes | |
| World music (term) | |
|---|---|
| Etymology | Coined early 1960s to describe non-European, non-North American music[1] |
World music is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English-speaking countries, including quasi-traditional,intercultural, andtraditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical category pose obstacles to a universal definition, but its ethic of interest in the culturally exotic is encapsulated inRoots magazine's description of the genre as "local music from out there".[1][2]
There are several conflicting definitions for world music. Music that does not follow "North American or Britishpop andfolk traditions"[3] was given the term "world music" by music industries in Europe and North America.[4] The term was popularized in the 1980s as a marketing category for non-Western traditional music.[5][6] It has grown to include subgenres such as ethnic fusion (Clannad,Ry Cooder,Enya)[7] andworldbeat.[8][9]
The term "world music" has been credited toethnomusicologistRobert E. Brown, who coined it in the early 1960s atWesleyan University inConnecticut, where he developed undergraduate throughdoctoral programs in the discipline. To enhance the learning process (John Hill), he invited more than a dozen visiting performers from Africa and Asia and began a world music concert series.[10][11] The term became current in the 1980s as a marketing/classificatory device in the media and themusic industry.[12]
Examples of popular forms of world music include the various forms of non-European classical music (e.g.Chineseguzheng music,Indianraga music,Tibetanchants), Eastern European folk music (e.g. the village music of theBalkans,The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices),Nordic folk music,Latin music,Indonesian music, and the many forms of folk and tribal music of theMiddle East,Africa,Asia,Oceania,Central andSouth America.
The broad category of world music includes isolated forms of ethnic music from diverse geographical regions. These dissimilar strains of ethnic music are commonly categorized together by virtue of their indigenous roots. Over the 20th century, the invention ofsound recording, low-cost international air travel, and common access to global communication among artists and the general public have given rise to a related phenomenon called "crossover" music. Musicians from diverse cultures and locations could readily access recorded music from around the world, see and hear visiting musicians from other cultures and visit other countries to play their own music, creating a melting pot of stylistic influences. While communication technology allows greater access to obscure forms of music, the pressures of commercialization also present the risk of increasing musical homogeneity, the blurring of regional identities, and the gradual extinction of traditional local music-making practices.[13]
Since the music industry established this term, the fuller scope of what an average music consumer defines as "world" music in today's market has grown to include various blends of ethnic music tradition, style and interpretation,[9] and derivative world music genres have been coined to represent these hybrids, such as ethnic fusion andworldbeat. Good examples of hybrid, world fusion are theIrish-West African meld ofAfro Celt Sound System,[14] the pan-cultural sound of AO Music[15] and thejazz /Finnish folk music ofVärttinä,[16] each of which bear tinges of contemporary, Western influence—an increasingly noticeable element in the expansion genres of world music. Worldbeat and ethnic fusion can also blend specific indigenous sounds with more blatant elements ofWestern pop. Good examples arePaul Simon's albumGraceland, on which South Africanmbaqanga music is heard;Peter Gabriel's work withPakistaniSufi singerNusrat Fateh Ali Khan; theDeep Forest project, in which vocal loops fromWest Africa are blended with Western, contemporary rhythmic textures andharmony structure; and the work ofMango, who combined pop and rock music with world elements.
Depending on style and context, world music can sometimes share thenew-age music genre, a category that often includesambient music and textural expressions from indigenousroots sources. Good examples areTibetan bowls,Tuvan throat singing,Gregorian chant orNative American flute music. World music blended with new-age music is a sound loosely classified as the hybrid genre 'ethnic fusion'. Examples of ethnic fusion areNicholas Gunn's "Face-to-Face" fromBeyond Grand Canyon, featuring authenticNative Americanflute combined withsynthesizers, and "Four Worlds" fromThe Music of the Grand Canyon, featuring spoken word from Razor Saltboy of theNavajo Indian Nation.
The subgenreworld fusion is often mistakenly assumed to refer exclusively to a blending of Westernjazz fusion elements with world music. Although such a hybrid expression falls easily into the world fusion category, the suffix "fusion" in the term world fusion should not be assumed to mean jazz fusion. Western jazz combined with strong elements of world music is more accurately termedworld fusion jazz,[17]ethnic jazz ornon-Western jazz. World fusion and global fusion are nearly synonymous with the genre termworldbeat, and though these are considered subgenres ofpopular music, they may also imply universal expressions of the more general termworld music.[9] In the 1970s and 1980s,fusion in thejazz music genre implied a blending of jazz androck music, which is where the misleading assumption is rooted.[18]
Millie Small released "My Boy Lollipop" in 1964. Small's version was a hit, reaching number 2 both in theUK Singles Chart[19] and in the USBillboard Hot 100. In the 1960s,Miriam Makeba andHugh Masekela had popular hits in the USA. In 1969 Indian musicianRavi Shankar playedsitar at theWoodstock festival.[20]
In the 1970s,Manu Dibango's funky track "Soul Makossa"[21] (1972) became a hit, andOsibisa released "Sunshine Day" (1976).Fela Kuti createdAfrobeat[22] andFemi Kuti,Seun Kuti andTony Allen followed Fela Kuti's funky music.Salsa musicians such asJosé Alberto "El Canario",Ray Sepúlveda,Johnny Pacheco,Fania All-Stars,Ray Barretto,Rubén Blades,Gilberto Santa Rosa,Roberto Roena,Bobby Valentín,Eddie Palmieri,Héctor Lavoe andWillie Colón developedLatin music.[23]
The 1979 American ensembleLibana was incorporated by founder Susan Robbins, specifically to represent world folk traditions through chants, dance, storytelling, and musical performance. Initially consisting of 25 women, it honed down to 6 "core" members who able to travel the world, all of whom toured in America, Canada, Bulgaria, India, Greece, and Morocco.[24] Libana has performed music of divergent cultural expressions, of the Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.[25] Libana musicians use instruments such as guitars,hammered dulcimers,ouds,bağlamas,pan flutes,charangos,djembes,davuls,frame drums,[26]double bass,clarinets,dumbeks,accordions, andnaqarehs.[25] They continue to be active as of 2024.
TheBreton musicianAlan Stivell pioneered the connection between traditionalfolk music, modernrock music and world music with his 1972 albumRenaissance of the Celtic Harp.[27] Around the same time, Stivell's contemporary,Welsh singer-songwriterMeic Stevens popularisedWelsh folk music.[28] Neo-traditionalWelsh language music featuring a fusion of modern instruments and traditional instruments such as thepibgorn and theWelsh harp has been further developed byBob Delyn a'r Ebillion.
Although it primarily describes traditional music, the world music category also includes popular music from non-Western urban communities (e.g.South African"township" music) and non-European music forms that have been influenced by other so-called third-world musics (e.g.Afro-Cuban music).[29]
The inspiration of Zimbabwe'sThomas Mapfumo in blending theMbira (finger Piano) style onto theelectric guitar, saw a host of other Zimbabwean musicians refining the genre, none more successfully than TheBhundu Boys. The Bhundu Jit music hit Europe with some force in 1986, takingAndy Kershaw andJohn Peel fully under its spell.
For many years,Paris has attracted numerous musicians from former colonies inWest andNorth Africa. This scene is aided by the fact that there are many concerts and institutions that help to promote the music.
Algerian andMoroccan music have an important presence in the French capital. Hundreds of thousands of Algerian and Moroccan immigrants have settled in Paris, bringing the sounds ofAmazigh (Berber),raï, andGnawa music.
TheWest African music community is also very large, integrated by people fromSenegal,Mali,Ivory Coast, andGuinea.
Unlike musical styles from other regions of the globe, the American music industry tends to categorize Latin music as its own genre and defines it as any music from Spanish- and Portuguese- speaking countries.[30]
The most common name for this form of music is also "folk music", but is often called "contemporary folk music" or "folk revival music" to make the distinction.[31] The transition was somewhat centered in the US and is also called theAmerican folk music revival.[32] Fusion genres such asfolk rock and others also evolved within this phenomenon.
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On 29 June 1987, a meeting of interested parties gathered to capitalize on the marketing of non-Western folk music.Paul Simon had released the world music-influenced albumGraceland in 1986.[33] The concept behind the album had been to express his own sensibilities using the sounds he had fallen in love with while listening toartists from Southern Africa, includingLadysmith Black Mambazo andSavuka. This project and the work ofPeter Gabriel andJohnny Clegg among others had, to some degree, introduced non-Western music to a wider audience. They saw this as an opportunity.
In an unprecedented move, all of the world music labels coordinated together and developed a compilation cassette for the cover of the music magazineNME. The overall running time was 90 minutes, each package containing a mini-catalog showing the other releases on offer.[34]
By the time of a second meeting it became clear that a successful campaign required its own dedicated press officer. The press officer would be able to juggle various deadlines and sell the music as a concept—not just to national stations, but also regionalDJs keen to expand their musical variety. DJs were a key resource as it was important to make "world music" important to people outside London—most regions after all had a similarly heritage to tap into. A cost-effective way of achieving all this would be a leafleting campaign.
The next step was to develop a world music chart, gathering together selling information from around fifty shops, so that it would finally be possible to see which were big sellers in the genre—so new listeners could see what was particularly popular. It was agreed that theNME could again be involved in printing the chart and alsoMusic Week and the Londonlistings magazineCity Limits. It was also suggested thatAndy Kershaw might be persuaded to do a run down of this chart on his show regularly.
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In most wealthy industrialized countries, large amounts of immigration from other regions has been ongoing for many decades. This has introduced non-Western music to Western audiences not only as "exotic" imports, but also as local music played by fellow citizens. But the process is ongoing and continues to produce new forms. In the 2010s several musicians from immigrant communities in the West rose to global popularity, such as Haitian-AmericanWyclef Jean, Somali-CanadianK'naan,Tamil-BritonM.I.A., often blending the music of their heritage with hip-hop or pop. Cuban-born singer-songwriterAddys Mercedes started her international career from Germany mixing traditional elements of Son with pop.[35]
Once, an established Western artist might collaborate with an established African artist to produce an album or two. Now, new bands and new genres are built from the ground up by young performers. For example, thePunjabi-Irish fusion bandDelhi 2 Dublin is from neither India nor Ireland, butVancouver,British Columbia, Canada. Country for Syria, anIstanbul based music collective, blendsAmerican country music with the music ofSyrian refugees and localTurkish music.[36] Musicians and composers also work collectively to create original compositions for various combinations of western and non western instruments.
The introduction of non-western music into western culture created a fusion that influenced both parties. (Feld 31)[37] With the quick demand for new music came the technicalities of ownership. As Feld states in page 31:[37]"This complex traffic in sounds money and media is rooted in the nature of revitalization through appropriation." There are collaborations between African and American popular music artists that raise questions on who is benefiting from said collaborations.(Feld 31)[37] Feld mentions the example of "That was your mother". Alton Rubin and his band the Twisters collaborated with Paul Simon on the song that possessed a zydeco feel, signature of Dopsie's band. Even though Paul Simon wrote and sang the lyrics with them, the whole copyright is attributed to Paul and not to the band as well. (Feld 34)[37] Because of crossovers like this one, where there was a disproportional gain when covering non-western music. Feld states that
"...international music scene, where worldwide media contact, amalgamation of the music industry towards world record sales domination by three enormous companies, and extensive copyright controls by a few Western countries are having a riveting effect on the commodification of musical skill and styles, and on the power of musical ownership." (Feld 32)[37]
Immigration also heavily influences world music, providing a variety of options for the wider public. In the 1970sPunjabi music was greatly popular in the UK because of its growing Punjabi diaspora. (Schreffler 347)[38]Bhangra music was also greatly covered by its diaspora in cities likeNew York andChicago. (Schreffler 351)[38] For a more mainstream integration, the Punjabi music scene integrated collaborations with rappers and started gaining more recognition. One of these successful attempts was a remix of the song "Mundiān ton Bach ke" called "Beware of the Boys" by Panjabi MC featuring Jay Z. (Schreffler 354)[39] Collaborations between outsider artists provided an integration of their music, even with foreign instrumentation, into the popular music scene.
Immigration, being a great part of music exportation, plays a big role in cultural identity. Immigrant communities use music to feel as if they are home and future generations it plays the role of educating or giving insight into what their culture is about. In Punjabi culture, music became the carrier of culture around the world. (Schreffler 355)[39]
World music radio programs today often playAfrican hip-hop orreggae artists,crossoverBhangra andLatin American jazz groups, etc. Common media for world music includepublic radio,webcasting, theBBC,NPR, and theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation. By default, non-region-specific or multi-cultural world music projects are often listed under the generic category of world music.
Examples of radio shows that feature world music includeThe Culture Cafe onWWUH West Hartford,World of Music onVoice of America,Transpacific Sound Paradise onWFMU,The Planet on Australia'sABC Radio National, DJ Edu presentingD.N.A: DestiNation Africa onBBC Radio 1Xtra,Adil Ray on theBBC Asian Network,Andy Kershaw's show onBBC Radio 3 andCharlie Gillett's show[40] on theBBC World Service.
Ethnomusicology scholars have examined the "world music" concept as more than a musical label, arguing that it reflects global power relationships between Western and non-Western traditions[41]. Kofi Agawu discusses that the term continues to uphold colonial hierarchies by framing African and other non-Western musical traditions as secondary to Western classical music. Many diverse local styles are grouped into one broad, marketable category[41]. Timothy Rice notes that "world music" blurs the line between academic study and commercial use, since the same piece can be treated as an ethnographic subject, a cultural symbol, or a global product depending on its context[42]. Deborah Wong adds that even listening is political. Using a label such as "world music" can amplify some voices while muting others, shaping how power and identity influence musical spaces[43]. Melonee Burnim highlights that researchers and performers have a responsibility to respect and prioritize the perspectives of the communities who created it, rather than studying or performing for their own purposes[44]. Steven Feld connects these idea to issues with ownership and profit. Global music circulation often benefits Western entities more than the community where the sound comes from[45]. As a whole, these scholars suggest that "world music" is a reflection of ongoing changes with regards to ethical responsibility and cultural exchange.
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The BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music was an award given to world music artists between 2002 and 2008, sponsored byBBC Radio 3. The award was thought up byfRoots magazine's editorIan Anderson, inspired by theBBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Award categories included: Africa, Asia/Pacific, Americas, Europe, Mid East and North Africa, Newcomer, Culture Crossing, Club Global, Album of the Year, and Audience Award. Initial lists of nominees in each category were selected annually by a panel of several thousand industry experts. Shortlisted nominees were voted on by a twelve-member jury, which selected the winners in every category except for the Audience Award category. These jury members were appointed and presided over by the BBC.[46] The annual awards ceremony was held at theBBC Proms and winners were given an award called a "Planet". In March 2009, the BBC made a decision to axe the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music.[47][48]
In response to the BBC's decision to end its awards program, the British world music magazineSonglines launched the Songlines Music Awards in 2009 "to recognise outstanding talent in world music".[49]
TheWOMEX Awards were introduced in 1999 to honor the high points of world music on an international level and to acknowledge musical excellence, social importance, commercial success, political impact and lifetime achievement.[50] Every October at the WOMEX event, the award figurine—an ancient mother goddess statue dating back about 6000 years to the Neolithic age—is presented in an award ceremony to a worthy member of the world music community.
Many festivals are identified as being "world music"; here's a small representative selection:
Australia
Bangladesh
Belgium
Canada
Croatia
France
Germany
Ghana
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Italy
North Macedonia
Malaysia
Mali
Morocco
New Zealand
Nigeria
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Serbia
Spain Spain's most important world music festivals are:
Sweden
Tanzania
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
