By Tom Mulhern
World Music, World Beat, Global Music, International Music, Roots Music–dozens of names have been coined for sounds emanating from the many different peoples scattered about our planet. And while few agree on what the music should be called, almost everyone knows what it means. Loosely defined, it’s music from outside the mainstream of the U.S./British pop realm, often with its basis in folk music. Of course, the reality is more complicated, since there are practitioners of traditional Indian music in California, and bluegrass music in the Czech Republic, just for starters. Listen, and you’ll hear fusions of Latin styles in Japan, speed metal in South America, and a multitude of Afro-Caribbean amalgams in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and elsewhere. In some circles, American styles such as cajun and zydeco, as well as Native American music, are included, while reggae isn’t. And whether Celtic music is considered World Music or New Age remains somewhat vague. Let your ear be your guide.
It all goes to show that in a world where national boundaries are becoming less and less relevant, so too are the borders that once separated musicians and listeners. In fact, if it weren’t for the retailers who stock the CDs and tapes, and the magazines and programming services tracking them, there wouldn’t even be a category called "World Music." Consumers have shown that they don’t care if music comes from Bali, Yemen, Brooklyn, or Mars, as long as it’s something that they enjoy. The successful "mainstreaming" of reggae, due largely to Bob Marley’s efforts in the mid 1970s tells you that. The success of the Bulgarian Women’s Choir or South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo just serves as more proof. Paul Simon, an icon of American popdom, won a Grammy in 1986 with his Graceland album, a smash hit he recorded with a group of South Africans who added their distinctive pop-music approach to Simon’s. Crossovers and collaborations are becoming increasingly common.
In the decade since Paul Simon’s tour de force and two decades since Bob Marley reggaefied the U.S., the Berlin Wall came down, communism in most of the world sputtered and died, and the rules of the Cold War were tossed out. And World Music, in its many forms has become a major force, partly because of its overall sound, but also because of its rich assortment of instruments. The tantalizing tones of Japanese koto, Russian balalaika, and Scottish highland bagpipes have caused many people–musicians and non-musicians–to pursue these and many other "exotic" instruments. Pop musicians including Peter Gabriel and David Byrne have also been instrumental in presenting "new" musics to fans throughout the world (Gabriel’s WOMAD, World Of Music, Arts and Dance) tours introduced the Drummers of Burundi and Sheila Chandra to a large U.S. audience, and a collaboration by Ry Cooder and Mali’s Ali Farka Toure on Speaking Timbuktu earned them this year’s Grammy for the World Music category.
World Music certainly doesn’t require unfamiliar instruments. Just as traditional instruments from just about anywhere can be employed in nontraditional contexts, so can high-tech gear be applied to traditionally acoustic music (for example, keyboard synthesizers and drum machines have been successfully integrated into musics spanning from Turkey to the Caribbean). Tom Cheyney, a writer for several music publications, has followed international music for many years and offers this observation: "Some of the best musics come from cross-pollination. They didn’t invent electric guitars in Zaire, but can they play them! They didn’t invent choir singing in South Africa, but groups like Ladysmith Black Mambazo are terrific."
Indeed, the viability and appeal of international music, whether instrumental or vocal, has been shown time and again in the marketplace. Disney’s The Lion King was a huge hit as a movie, and Lebo M’s album The Lion King: Rhythm Of The Pride Lands (the African component of the movie’s soundtrack) has been at or near the top of World Music charts since its release last spring; its popularity attests to international music’s ability to "cross over" to mainstream interests. The Gipsy Kings, from France, likewise top the World Music charts, bringing their fiery multi-guitar sound to the masses in numbers that rival many acts in rock and pop. Similarly popular World Music from Ireland’s Clannad has proven itself a favorite, regardless of what charts are employed to measure their success.
David Eisner, owner of Takoma Park, Maryland’s House Of Musical Traditions, says that World Music is expanding, often in unexpected ways. For example, Klezmer music, which draws upon Jewish traditions, is growing, and its backbone is often nothing more exotic than bass, clarinet, and guitar, with other instruments added to suit each band. "There’s also a large hand drum movement, too," he adds. "This includes men’s groups, women’s groups, yoga groups, Grateful Dead-type people. It allows many people to express themselves through music in ways that they previously couldn’t, either because they didn’t have the musical skills, or hadn’t found the right instrument, or whatever. Now they learn to play a djembe or dumbek, or some sort of frame drum."
Mendocino, California’s Lark In The Morning handles a large number of international instruments, and has seen an increase in interest in all styles. Lark’s David Brown says, "We have people coming in daily, wanting to learn to play stuff that just five or ten years ago wasn’t even heard of. Drums are really big, and drum-circle stuff is selling well. We sell a lot of African-type drums such as djembes and ashikas. We also sell a fair amount of dumbeks and tablas, too." Celtic instruments have always been an important component in Lark’s sales, and reflecting the trend throughout the U.S., Celtic music is quickly rising in popularity. "We’ve always experienced a lot of interest in Celtic instruments here," Brown says, "but it seems that it’s done nothing but get bigger and bigger. Bodhrans are very popular. Pennywhistles, flutes, fiddles, and pipes are, too. So are instructional videos and books. And we’ve been selling a lot of stuff on how to play the Scottish bagpipes."
Australian didjeridus (or didgeridoos), Native American flutes and drums, and Latin percussion instruments of all types have been on the upswing over the past several years. Bruce Allen of Taos Drums of Taos, New Mexico, says, "As Native American music has become more widely acknowledged, Taos’ sales have increased. Drummers from many disciplines have picked up Native American drums, too, to augment styles ranging from rock to jazz, and studio percussionists have also expanded their setups with Native American frame and log drums."
Not only the traditional instruments are making headway. Newly designed instruments are fusing old traditions, too. For instance, LP Music Group’s Nada Drum combines elements of a dumbek with a talking drum. Taos Drums makes a Native American hand-drum trap set. Fat Congas’ Cajon Segundos are plywood drums with wood "heads" that look like high-tech congas, but sound decidedly different. New materials such as thermoplastics and composites are being substituted for wood, and high-tech machining processes are now applied to creating instruments that might otherwise have to be made entirely by hand.
Exposure for World Music isn’t as widespread as rock, or even jazz in many areas, although it is nevertheless heard almost everywhere via one medium or another. And even if MTV isn’t likely to become a bastion of international musical styles, and if VH-1 only provides occasional air time, there are many other avenues for world music. American college radio stations–on campuses large and small alike–thrive on music from outside the mainstream, venturing far beyond the range represented on commercial stations. In addition, NPR affiliates often carry eclectic programming with a large portion devoted to world music–sometimes mixing it in among such world-influenced artists as Talking Heads and Peter Gabriel. Cable TV’s proliferation has also provided a medium that’s perfect for world music. The International Channel, local stations, and public-access channels that target ethnic groups in specific cities or regions are prime examples of ways in which non-mainstream music reaches millions every day.
World Music is so vast, and with so many types to explore, where does someone begin? Many record companies have taken care of that problem by offering samplers, compilations of works by different artists on their rosters. These offer a "smorgasbord" approach to initiation, and as a bonus are often priced below single-artist CDs and tapes. So, a good start for most novices is listening to some of these samplers and then exploring the types of music that are most appealing. Another route is to find music from other cultures that’s similar to what you already like. Paul Hartman of Dirty Linen, a magazine specializing in world music coverage, says, "If you’re into rock or metal, you might like to check out a band like Wolfstone, from Scotland, or Hedningarna, who are from Finland and Sweden. If you check around, you will find music from other places that’s similar to what you’re used to." You can locate good material that has been accumulated by well-known players such as the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart (his recordings of drummers and percussionists of the world are excellent) and guitarists Henry Kaiser and David Lindley, plus certain labels like RealWorld, Rykodisc, Shanachie, Ellipsis Arts, JVC, Smithsonian/Folkways, and Rounder have a reputation for excellence.
Becoming exposed to the instruments isn’t too difficult, especially considering that most are related to instruments that you’re already familiar with (you may be surprised how many instruments are similar to marimbas, congas, bagpipes, flutes, and other "old friends"). If you have a computer, a good starting place is Microsoft’s CD-ROM called Musical Instruments. It includes descriptions and pictures of hundreds from around the world, and has audio samples and explanations of each instrument’s geographical and cultural context. A good general sourcebook on World Music is Penguin Publications’ The Rough Guide To World Music.
Besides creating new musical opportunities, both for players and for listeners, the rising interest in world music is helping to preserve music that comes from places where traditions and cultures are endangered. As interest in music and cultures that do not derive from the Western European "art music" or American popular music increases, and as musicians from diverse musical and cultural backgrounds collaborate, there may actually come a day when we can eventually drop the word "world" from World Music.
Where do you begin to wade into the sea of World Music? Check out any of the samplers listed here, or give some of the discs by the individual artists a spin. Most of these recordings can be found in the World Music or International sections at your local record store.
Samplers (Various Artists)
A Xenophile Collection: Music For A Changing World (Xenophile Records)
Discover A Whole New World Of Music (Shanachie)
Voices Of Forgotten Worlds (Ellipsis Arts)
Duende: The Passion & Dazzling Virtuosity Of Flamenco (Ellipsis Arts)
Africa Never Stand Still (Ellipsis Arts)
Tougher Than Tough: The Story Of Jamaican Music (Mango Records)
Trance Planet (Triloka Records)
Between Father Sky And Mother Earth: A Native American Collection (Narada)
GlobeStyle Worldwide Your Guide (Globestyle Records)
WOMAD Talking Book Volume One (WOMAD)
The Blind Musicians Of Cusco, Peruvian Harp & Mandolin (Music Of The World).
Celtic Heartbeat Collection, (Celtic Heartbeat/Atlantic)
Celtic Legacy: A Global Celtic Journey, (Narada Records)
Music For The Gods–The Fahnestock South Sea Expedition: Indonesia (Rykodisc)
Flutes & Strings Of The Andes (Music Of The World)
The Drones And The Chanters (Claddagh Records)
Hawaiian Drum Dance Chants: Sounds Of Power In Time (Smithsonian/Folkways)
Sif Safaa: New Music From The Middle East (Hemisphere)
Artists/Groups
Gipsy Kings, Best Of The Gipsy Kings (Nonesuch)
Ali Farka Toure with Ry Cooder, Talking Timbuktu (Ryko)
Mickey Hart, Planet Drum (Ryko)
Lebo M, The Lion King: Rhythm Of The Pride Lands (Walt Disney)
Paul Simon, Graceland (Warner Bros.)
King Sunny Ade, Juju Music (Mango/Island)
Jalal Zolfonun, Kord Bayat (Music Of The World; traditional music of Iran played on setar, a four-stringed long-neck lute)
Garcia Brothers, Talking Spirits (Music Of The World; Native American music)
Fairport Convention, Liege & Lief (Hannibal/Ryko)
Henry Kaiser and David Lindley in Madagascar, World Out Of Time, Vol. 1 & 2 (Shanachie records)
Hedningarna, Kaksi! (Xource Records; Finnish/Swedish rock)
Henry Kaiser and David Lindley, In Norway: Sweet Sunny North (Shanachie)
Wolfstone, Year Of The Dog (Green Linnett; Scottish rock)
Nightnoise, A Different Shore (Windham Hill; Celtic)
The label Music For Little People has a series of highly acclaimed albums of World Music, including Los Lobos’ Papa’s Dream, Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s Gift Of The Tortoise, and Buckwheat Zydeco’s Choo Choo Boogaloo.