What Is World Music and Why Does it Exist?

When considering world music, it is arguable to suggest that there is no clear definition of its meaning, as it delivers something different to each person. Yet, it is a category which has been summed up in its own genre; music shops have clearly labeled sections for what is classed as ‘world music,’ along with specific magazines, television and radio stations, etc. Due to this, Guilbault argues that world music has been institutionalized, and is usually associated with “the music’s of the first and third worlds.” Therefore, world music can be derived from stereotypical views of other countries and their cultures, and so forth exists to create an ideal of a type of world music that is different from music to which we are more commonly used to, e.g. popular. However, this idea is debatable as music today uses more cultural aspects than before, for example, The Zutons using a saxophone, Newton Faulkner using a sitar, and so on.