What is World Music?

World music can be indigenous music, which retrospectively means local music that is native to a certain area, for example Lady Smith Black Mambazo and Band of Gypsies. However, Lady Smith Black Mambazo was featured on Paul Simmons 1986 album Graceland, which was a number one hit in the UK and America and therefore becomes international music. Consequently I think world music is not simply indigenous local music. When going into a music store such as HMV there is a specific section for world music, which includes music from countries other than Britain or America, and includes music in different languages. World music could simply be explained as music that comes from all around the world. However it is not that simple. Deanna Robinson, Elizabeth B. Buck, and Marlene Cuthbert “clearly indicate that world musical homogenisation is not occurring, but rather that international and local sounds are being fused to create heterogeneous ‘world’ music.” (1991: p4). In this instance I agree.