Monday, July 11, 2016

What is World Music and How is it Defined



It's been said that ALL music is World Music, and, if taken in that context, that is correct. The term "World Music" was originally coined to distinguish various forms of music from the more traditional and popular music that most western countries and communities are used to. 

The average music listener or aficionado knows the genres of pop, rock, jazz, blues, country and their variations, but if they look a little further or broaden their musical tastes a bit more, there is a whole plethora of instruments, rhythms, vocalisations, songwriting and production techniques that are just waiting to be discovered and appreciated.

At almost every corner of our globe from the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, Pacific and all points in between, there is indigenous music that has been around for decades, if not centuries, that can open our mind and ears and take us on a musical journey that is practically endless.

World Music has now become a popular form of music within itself, and artists now tour the world to present their sounds to populations that may not have heard or seen them before, and there also many collaborations between western artists and indigenous musicians that have resulted in multi-selling albums and music awards. 

Take some time out and discover these sounds, you'll be enlightened beyond your dreams.




Next post: Music Rough Guides: Out of This World

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