World/Reggae

World music refers to music from all over the planet, spanning reggae's upbeat Caribbean rhythms to Scandinavian Joik, from Tuvan Throat Singing to African Juju and everywhere in between. True to its name, world defines itself as an incredibly broad and diverse "style," serving as an overarching category for anything that falls outside the genres of popular western music. While reggae broke internationally in the late 1960s/early 1970s, world music caught the attention of western audiences and recording artists in the '80s, as ex-Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel and former Talking Head David Byrne created their own record labels dedicated to promoting musicians from Brazil, Pakistan, Cuba and Egypt, among other countries. However, elements of music from non-western cultures have long influenced their western counterparts (and vice- versa) in an ongoing, centuries-long cultural exchange. But beyond the effect that global musical styles have had on western music, artists from all cultures are currently producing work -- both tradition-based and innovative -- that explores the infinite possibilities of melody, rhythm and harmony within and across regional frameworks.