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World Music

    World Music Editor's Picks

    • Didgeridoos History

      The didgeridoo is a wind instrument first used by the Australian Aborigines. Simple in construction, didgeridoos are often said to be the oldest musical instruments in the world. Didgeridoos are traditionally made from living eucalyptus trees whose insides have been hollowed out by termites, forming a natural tube that functions... more »

    • History of Riverdance

      The history of Riverdance is illustrious, as this all-star Irish step dance performance is one of the most successful entertainment pieces to ever come out of Ireland. With its high-kicking, peppy music and highly skilled performers now spanning three separate companies, Riverdance first took the world by storm fifteen years ago, and... more »

    • Daily Activities for Black History Month

      There are many ways to celebrate Black History Month. Often, people choose only a day or so to celebrate, but some want to have activities for each day of Black History Month. No matter the ages of those celebrating, there is an easy, fun activity for Black History Month that you can do. more »

    • How to Plan a Weekend at the Salisbury International Arts Festival

      The Salisbury International Arts Festival is a massive three-week event held annually at the end of May and the beginning of June. It serves as an umbrella for various performing arts. If you are a lover of all things musical and theatrical, then plan a weekend at the Salisbury International Arts Festival. more »

    • Hip Hop Dancing Information

      Hip hop dancing is an important aspect of the hip hop subculture in America. Though it involves complex dance steps and rhythmic intensity, most hip hop dancers do not have formal training. This style of dancing is strong and evocative, and it is gaining respect in the world of dance. more »

    World Music Quick Guides

    • Piano Buying Guide

      Tired of Billy Joel being the only piano man? You should buy a piano and learn to play. If...

    • Gibson Guitars Guide

      Gibson is one of the top manufacturers of both electric and acoustic guitars. If you are...

    World Music Articles

    Wikipedia

    World music

    World music is the traditional music or folk music of a culture that is created and played by indigenous musicians that is closely related to the music of the regions of their origin.

    Terminology

    The term has been credited to ethnomusicologist Robert E. Brown who coined it in the 1960s.
    The term became current in the 1980s as a marketing/classificatory device in the media and the music industry, and it is generally used to classify any kind of non-Western music.

    In musical terms, World Music can be roughly defined as music that uses distinctive ethnic scales, modes and musical inflections, and which is usually (though not always) performed on or accompanied by distinctive traditional ethnic instruments, such as the kora (West African harp), the steel drum, the sitar or the didgeridoo.

    There are several conflicting definitions for World Music. One is that it consists of "all the music in the world", though such a broad definition renders the word virtually meaningless. Bohlman 2002, Nidel 2004, p.3 The term also is taken as a classification of music that combines western popular music styles with one of many genres of non-Western music that were previously described as folk music or ethnic music. However, World Music is not exclusively traditional folk music. It may refer to the indigenous classical forms of various regions of the world, and to modern, cutting edge pop music styles as well. Succinctly, it can be described as "local music from out there",fRoots magazine, quoted in NDour 2004, p.1 or "someone elses local music".Songlines magazine

    Music from around the world exerts wide cross-cultural influence as styles naturally influence one another, and in recent years World Music has also been marketed as a successful genre in itself. Academic study of World Music, as well as the musical genres and individual artists with which it has been associated, can be found in such disciplines as anthropology, Folkloristics, Performan read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World+music

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