worldbeat
- Different Lands - An independent label specialized in world, world fusion, jazz and ambient music. With artist roster, catalog, and related links.
- Global Fusion Catalogue - Details and sound samples from a variety of traditional world, classical world, and world fusion music ranging from acoustic English folk, to Latin jazz, to cutting edge dance remixes.
- Terre Differenti Records and Project - An independent record label aiming to explore new musical worlds extending to worldbeat, jazz and new instrumental music. Also featuring information on the musical project conceived and developed by Fabio Armani, an Italian composer who lives in Rome.
- World Fusion Music Links - Links page for the world music and dance movements, courtesy of the band Ancient Future. Includes both traditional and world fusion music, world beat.
- Worldbeat - History and description, key artists, essays, and other resources on the music genre from the All Music Guide.
- Ill Wind Ensemble - Completely spontaneous improvisation creates an unusual variety of sonic textures, from sparsely ambient to richly dense. The ensemble performs on instruments from western and world music traditions, homemade and found instruments, and percussion.
- Jah Wobble - Record label and site for musician and onetime member of Public Image Limited. With biography, release information, reviews, interviews, and links.
- Jalikunda - Site about traditional west African music and artists, including information about international kora player from Senegal, Seckou Keita, and his band Jamoral.world beat
- Juba - An African-influenced vocal group from Edmonton, Canada. Band information, sample MP3s and CD ordering.
- Jungular Grooves - Anglophone Caribbean music with blues guitar, sax, and doo-wop style vocals. Centered upon the baritone vocals, guitar work and songwriting of Reggie Benn. world beat
- Kwenda, Bonga - A multi-leveled lyricist and social critic with a "scratchy, soulful voice." Music includes rhythms from the Congo, Kilapanga, Cabo Verde, Brasil and (the Portuguese) Sodade.
- Oliver Shanti & Friends - A fan site for the artist with background and release information.
- Planet Josh - Official site for an upcoming Indian-fusion band. Featuring background, audio samples, reviews, and photographs.
- Ponce, Lorenza - Home of the violinist and singer featured on Sheryl Crow's 1999 world tour and John Tesh's PBS special "One World". With discography, biography, pictures and song clips.
- Radikal Sunflowers - Band from Germany combining reggae and rumba with a bit of jazz, samba, dub, ska, cumbia, and hip-hop, world beat. With description, MP3s, and pictures.
- Rainbow Nation - A London-based fusion project mixing funk, world music and ambient sounds to create a sensuous and upbeat mix. With upcoming release information and sound clip, world beat.
- Rajhans Orchestra - A Belgian musical ensemble that plays a fusion of styles based on Indian and Flemish music. With artist information, sound clips and background.
- SehSekHoi - A group experimenting with music and instruments across culture, including West Africa, Korea, Turkey, Indonesia, New Zealand Maori, China, India and South America. With member background and biographies, world beat.
In popular music, worldbeat refers to any style of music which fuses folk music from non-traditional sources (essentially, outside the Appalachian folk and Celtic traditions) with Western rock or other pop influences.
Worldbeat is usually said to have begun in the mid-1980s when artists like David Byrne, Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon began incorporating influences from around the world, especially Africa. Within the next few years, worldbeat became a thriving subgenre of popular music that influenced many more mainstream musicians. Some of the most commonly incorporated types of folk music include rai, samba, flamenco, tango, qawwali, highlife and raga.
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