Okey this is probably the wrong section but I will not bother evryone with it but maybe can be moved to genreal music.

i just wonder what is the differnces between the terminology(genere Folk Music and World Music? i probably know it and I sertanly have my perception on it but then it hits my is my local Norwegian tradional music or folk music like world music for a person from f.eks in Japan or Marocco or will Japanese folk music be regarded as world music in Norway. what is the basic differnt.

my narrow perseption is that it is more drums/percussion and rythmic instruments in world music while in folk music Fiddles, flutes and accordions is dominant (again my narrow first impression), but then again that is probably wrong beacouse there is also drums in tradional folk music (nor particularly the rock style but tradd folk), and melodic instruments in world music
one eksemple localy will be that the Sami music will both be seen as Folk music and World music

but my question i repeat again what marks the difference

so pleas enlighten me


Edited by aginor - January 26 2010 at 11:48

I always thought of world as non-Western folk music, while folk music is Western. So even though I live the US, British or German is folk music, while China is world. It's a very ethnocentric way to label things, but it is useful as a catch all for traditional music that doesn't fit Western norms.

okey thanks  (it's verry nice too get different perspectives and variasions on this, since it is not verry eacy to describe this)

by the way I heard some Paul Simon songs on a cafè today and I love his mix of vestern pop/rock with world music instrumentation, he has some interesting songs like the hit You can be my Bodygard (or something) great funky/jazz influenced bass and some african rythems. (almost jazz (fusion) related). i think he actualy is the finest example of western musican that incorporate world music.

As Dean says, nowadays all 'ethnic' music tends to be called 'world music'. I have a book (in Italian) about 'the best 100 world music albums', which includes everything from English folk-rock bands like The Pentangle to African and Siberian artists. 

Thanks for the input Clijsters. Maybe you could find something more exciting for you elsewhere in the forum. 

Henry Plainview wrote: I always thought of world as non-Western folk music, while folk music is Western. So even though I live the US, British or German is folk music, while China is world. It's a very ethnocentric way to label things, but it is useful as a catch all for traditional music that doesn't fit Western norms.

I may be wrong but I thought Folk music as something that inherits the specific regional instruments and style.  On the other hand world music involves such ethnic instruments but also reaches outside to other cultures. For example, Prem Joshua (google) does a lot of world music.. as you may see he crosses boundaries by combining Indian classical music with Reggae, disco and what not.