World Music

World music is a broad, flexible term for diverse non-Western musical traditions, folk music, and contemporary styles that blend cultural sounds, originating as a marketing category in the 1980s for non-English recordings in the US/UK. It encompasses traditional music from various regions (Africa, Asia, Latin America, etc.) and their modern interpretations, often focusing on unique instruments, rhythms, and cultural contexts, acting as an umbrella for genres like Cumbia, Highlife, or Samba that differ from mainstream Western pop, classical, and folk. Key Characteristics

• Cultural Roots: Strong ties to specific regions, countries, or ethnic groups, using traditional instruments and scales.
• Non-Western Focus: Primarily includes music from outside North American and British pop/folk traditions, though it's not exclusively non-Western.
• • Broad & Vague: A catch-all category that can be hard to define precisely, encompassing everything from traditional folk to modern fusion.
  • Marketing Origin: Coined in the 1980s by labels to sell international music, growing into a recognized genre and counterpoint to Western pop.