WELCOME TO
WORLDMUSIC OASIS

 

The story of this work began many years ago when I received an invitation to present a lecture on the concept of world music. The popularity of my record shop, which specializes in world music I ‘opened in the 90s in Gothenburg, along with my bookings of numerous world music and reggae artists over the years—such as Tinariwen, L'Orchestre National de Barbés, Papa Wemba, Tamikrest, Skatalites, Les Boukakes, etc.—and my contributions to most of the city's cultural and musical events have increased my knowledge and popularity in the field. Consequently, I was chosen because well-positioned at that time to present such a lecture.

 

MY TIME IN PARIS

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My move to Sweden from Paris in the mid-80s, when world music began to gain popularity and was heard everywhere — on the radio, in concerts, and on the streets — was exciting at first. Transitioning to the cold, calm, and quiet city of Gothenburg was a significant change. However, as time passed, I found myself increasingly feeling bored and anguished, despite the beauty of the country, the kindness of the people, and the love I had for my girlfriend, for whom I had moved.

One of the reasons I decided to open a music shop was to recreate the atmosphere I had left behind in Paris and in Algiers, which I missed dearly at the time. What I missed most initially was the human warmth, the sun, the friends, the neighbors, and colleagues I used to spend weekends with at Pompidou square, also known as "Beaubourg," and in the alleys of Saint-Michel in Paris, playing music for pleasure for tourists. Akli – D, an Algerian-Kabyle singer, was one of those friends we would meet with in the evenings at these tourist spots. I also missed the French baguette, couscous, merguez, and all the sounds of everyday life — the sound of the subway, car horns, and the cries of the fruit sellers in the market. They were all part of my daily life.

After a successful attempt to enter the Academy of Arts in Tidaholm, where I was admitted to continue my painting studies and reinforce the successes I had already achieved in my home country of Algeria and also here in Gothenburg with various exhibitions, I unfortunately had to abandon the project due to an uncertain professional future in the artistic field. The birth of my first child also dashed any hopes of moving from Gothenburg to Tidaholm.

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I left Paris at a time when France was filled with joy and hope for a better and fairer life with the arrival of the left in the early 1980s. François Mitterrand became the first socialist President of the Fifth Republic, and his government marked the first left-wing government in 23 years

A “March for Equality and Against Racism,” later renamed “Marche des beurs,” was organized in 1983 in Paris, in which I also took part. It was in this context that a new anti-racist association, SOS Racisme, was created in October 1984 to denounce the “ghettoization” of the population, the suburbs, and police violence against immigrants, of which I too was a victim. Undocumented immigrants were hunted down and immediately expelled. The French band Les Boukakes used the name in response to derogatory comments about North African immigrants. "Boukak" is a phonetic amalgamation of two typical racial insults.

On June 15, 1985, at the initiative of SOS Racisme, a mega concert was organized at Place de la Concorde in Paris, in which I took part. It was described as a "multiracial musical festival," with the participation of artists such as Khaled, Nass EL Ghiwane, Kassav, Djurdjura, Malavoi, Steel Pulse, Carte de Séjour, alongside French groups like Indochine. The objective was to fight against racism, anti-semitism, and discrimination and to advocate for "Living together with our differences" in a cohesive society. It's rare for African artists to share the stage with European and particularly French artists at that time of the 60s, 70s and 80s.

 

LAUNCHED THE STORE WORLD MUSIC

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The numerous record purchases made from Paris for my friends in Gothenburg, every time I visited my parents and friends, along with the high demand for world music albums in town, encouraged me to create a place where foreigners and Swedish world music lovers could find their happiness. This challenge became a reality a few years after my arrival in Sweden. The store was established in June 1993 and was named World Music Oasis.

Sonodisc, Mélodie Distribution, Buda Records, Lusafrica, CDA for Arabic music, and Blue Silver were among the main labels established in Paris in the 90s, from which I purchased most of my records. My knowledge of the French language, the city of Paris where I lived for several years, and where my parents and friends resided, greatly aided me in my record purchases, especially for shipping.

During the first ten years, I traveled to Paris almost once a month for record purchases. I visited record companies in Paris and returned by Eurolines bus with several heavy parcels of records. I bought Rai music in the Barbès Rochechouart district, African music at Sonima Music close to the subway station Gare de l'Est, and Indian and Pakistani music from Indian merchants in the Réaumur Sébastopol district. Cape Verdean, Angolan, and Zouk music were acquired at the Lusafrica music store, and Turkish music was obtained from small Turkish shops in the Faubourgs Saint Denis district in Paris.

New releases from artists like Salif Keita, Angelique Kidjo, Khaled, Rachid Taha, or Manu Chao were purchased at Virgin Megastore, Fnac, and Gilbert Joseph stores in Saint Michel and Chatelet les Halles in Paris. These artists were licensed to major labels like Universal, BMG, and Virgin. Their albums were expensive to buy, and the companies required a minimum purchase. Consequently, I usually bought only a few CDs which I sold at the same price just to maintain and satisfy my customers.

Vinyl records were purchased at the Clignancourt flea market "Marché aux puces" and various flea markets in the Parisian suburbs. Sterns Music in London, Fonomusic in Spain, and Ebreggae in the US were the other major record companies from which I bought African, Latin, and reggae music.

Direct purchases of CDs from record companies in Paris helped me avoid the sluggishness and monopoly of Swedish distribution and offered me the privilege of having a wide choice of African & Arabic albums that no Swedish distribution record company had at the time, such as albums with Koffi Olomidé, Franco, Nass El Ghiwane, Oum Kalthoum, or Fairouz, for example. Within a couple of years, I managed to acquire a large and diverse range of CDs from most countries in the world.

Gothenburg's main record stores like Bengans, Skivhugget, and CD Specialisten had limited offerings of world music records. They were dependent on Swedish music distribution, while I was independent and could shop and order myself. I quickly built up a reputation as the second most important record store in Scandinavia specializing in world music after MULTI KULTI in Stockholm.

 

 I established good relationships and gained the trust of most record labels in France, who saw me as an ideal partner for their establishment in Sweden. They needed me to increase their music exports and musical influence in Sweden. The world music market was still new at that time in Sweden. Some companies asked me to become their agent in Sweden, which I declined due to the enormous

I assisted  my friends from Tinariwen in getting their albums distributed by Border Music, a Swedish music distribution company based in Gothenburg, instead of Amigo Bonnier Company, whose sales were very low and slow. Border Music succeeded in selling a large quantity of the album and made a great profit for both parties, which helped the band establish themselves in the country. I was thanked by Andy Morgan, their tour manager, with two invitations to see Tinariwen play support for the Rolling Stones in Dublin.

Over the years, the store has become a mecca for world music customers in Sweden. Besides CDs from around the world, a wide choice of vinyl, musical instruments such as Djembe drums, Derbouka, karkabou, flutes, concert tickets, and information about all music events in town can be found

I was more or less involved in most of the music and cultural events in town and had good collaboration with most of Gothenburg's venues such as Musikens Hus, Storan, Pustervik, Oceanen, Göteborgs Stadsteater, Göteborgs Konserthus, KB West, Nefertiti, and Blå stället for marketing, booking, and advising. Bengans, Skivhugget, and CD Specialisten were the three major record stores in Gothenburg, but they had only a tiny selection of world music records and were dependent on Swedish distributors. Multikulti, the pioneer of world music in Sweden, to whom I owe all my respects, couldn't compete with me either because their store was based in Stockholm, far from me in Gothenburg. In addition to my supremacy in the quantity and quality of music, I deepened my knowledge thanks to customers who came to buy or order albums from their countries. This allowed me to get to know the music and artists from countries such as Panama, Zanzibar, Pakistan, Somalia, Comoros Islands, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Vietnam, and Sierra Leone. Music from these countries was rare and hard to find, as there were no record labels in Europe producing or distributing their albums. The few available albums in the market were traditional music. Customers were looking for popular music, often requested by libraries for their readers. I managed to obtain these artists thanks to my customers who picked some up when they went on holiday to their home countries.

I managed to acquire rare Ethiopian music from a small company called AIT Records. I bought Balkan music from a Bosnian dealer who had a stand in a weekend market, and Arabic pop CDs from EMI in Greece.

Worldmusic Oasis has become the main venue for all world music and reggae artists to promote and sell their albums. Bands like Celtic Connection, Yambu, Quartango, Bosnia Express, Amani, Andra Generationen, Cabaret Oriental, Giddabush, New Tango Orchestra, Räfven, UrbanTurban, Simbi, Cerro Esperanza, Agrin, Piri-Piri, Mayele, Dilawar, Okes Massima, Demboo the Rootsman, Vale Xalino, Lamine Cissoko, Soca Rebels, Emil Pernblad, Amanecer, Treva, Jerry Johansson, Gonzalo J Reyes and his friends from Hip hop Academy, all had their albums in my store, and most of them are still involved in music today.

 

It was similar for reggae and hip hop artists in Gothenburg, Sweden. Gubb, Ras Kerry, Zionists, Iskariots, Dubadown, Nazarens, G-Mansour, Horace Corn, Axxionpack, Kulturation, Aggravators, King Ital, Junior Eric, Jaquee, Anayah Roots, and Jah Zebi were among the leading figures in the reggae and hip hop scenes. I had a very close collaboration with these artists and carried their albums in my store.

 

WORLDMUSIC OASIS STORE

 

To my knowledge, there wasn't a music store that specialized solely in world music at the time, and there isn't one today either. I was told about a record store in Paris called 5 Continents, which I immediately visited, but it didn't have what I was looking for. The store specialized in traditional world music and didn't carry popular artists such as Koffi Olomide or Angelique Kidjo. The only store that existed was Sterns Music in London, launched in 1983 and still in business today, thanks to the strong resurgence of vinyl.

My store expanded a few years later with sections for pop, rock, soul, and funk vinyl, purely by chance. I purchased two large vinyl collections from a customer who wanted to get rid of them and which I sold a few days later at very low prices because I had no experience or knowledge in pop music and their value. The word spread among collectors, who stormed the store every day. I made many collectors happy with Coltrane and Fela Kuti records they bought for 4 or 5 Euros, while their market value was ten times higher. This loss also helped me to advertise my shop. The great interest in vinyl prompted me to start looking for more records to buy.

This was the period when CDs made their entrance, so people were happily getting rid of their vinyl. I was among the first to have the idea of placing an advertisement in the local newspaper GP to buy records. I received fifty calls a day and bought hundreds of records very cheaply each week. No one understood where and how I acquired all these records. I kept my source secret for a few years before others found out the trick. I continued my purchases of rare vinyl from record fairs in Sweden and flea markets in Paris.

Most of the radio broadcasters and DJs who came to play in the town had to pass by the store to buy, discover new sounds to experiment with, mix, or just to get inspired. Håkan Hällström, Ebbot, Bengt Berger, Ken Day, Dogge (Sweden), Huun Huur Tu (Tuva), Madjid Bekkas, Gueddra (Morocco), Jennifer Ferguson (South Africa), Rubem Dantas (Brazil), MC Yalla (Uganda), Piotr Pucylo (Poland) are among the few artists who visited the store in recent years. Many others have chosen the store to record their YouTube clips, such as the group LITTLE DRAGON.

 

THE END OF VINYL

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With the arrival of CDs, many people began bringing bags and boxes of vinyl records to sell. Often, it wasn't about the money but rather the desire to save space at home.

While some individuals donated their records to charity organizations like Emmaus or Saron Church, or sold them at flea markets for just a few crowns, others recognized early on that there was money to be made with vinyl, particularly collectors and DJs.

Most music stores typically use record collector guides to set prices. These guides require a deep understanding to accurately appraise records. There are numerous details and pressings to familiarize oneself with. Only a few individuals possessed the necessary knowledge to properly value records. Many albums have been released multiple times, resulting in various versions. Catalogue numbers, labels, tracks, titles, and condition are all factors that determine value. I remember seeking assistance from the owners of Satisfaction record shop.

 

DISCOGS

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When Discogs emerged in 2000, it sparked a revolution. Suddenly, the world seemed smaller, and everyone could find what they had been searching for, sometimes for years. However, the downside was that many people suddenly became record sellers. Private individuals were provided with free platforms on various websites like Tradera, eBay, and later Discogs to sell their albums and make money, often at the expense of established stores struggling to survive amidst all the expenses.

As a result, many individuals began spending their time scouring flea markets and different stores for records, hoping to find bargains they could resell at higher prices on Discogs. Eventually, it seemed that 8 out of 10 customers who entered record stores were not buyers but rather retailers (at least in my experience). It's disheartening to see the same people spending hours in my store, meticulously checking every record on their phones, only to leave empty-handed most of the time. Occasionally, when one of these "vultures" does purchase a record, it's often at a price that convinces me they've scored a bargain.

 

Over the years, I've encountered hundreds of customers with fascinating stories and diverse backgrounds. From obsessive collectors who seek every pressing of certain artists to those willing to invest substantial sums of money in a single record, the spectrum is vast. Some collectors have paid thousands of kroner for a single record and have since become quite wealthy.

In the early '90s, most customers were men, many of whom would bring their wives or girlfriends along. However, it wasn't long before the women grew bored of waiting around and the men, feeling pressured, would often refrain from purchasing expensive albums in their presence. Instead, they'd set aside their selections and return later alone to make their purchases in peace. It's always amusing to witness the expressions on the women's faces when their partners arrive at the checkout counter alone.

 

MY NETWORK

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In the 1990s, before the advent of Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Messenger, I was maybe the only person in Sweden who had direct telephone lines to most African artists in France. Koffi Olomide, Papa Wemba, Kanda Bongo Man, Bozi Boziana, Sakis, Touré Kunda, Rachid Taha, Petit Makombo, Hasna El Bacharia, Cheb Sahraoui,  Abdellah, and Ayadou from Tinariwen are just a few of them whom I could call directly.

Running the record store provided me with the opportunity to travel the world, where I discovered new music, encountered emerging artists, and met remarkable individuals. I covered numerous festivals and conducted interviews with many of the world's music greats, which you can find on my website or read about in the Swedish music magazine Lira. I've had the pleasure of meeting esteemed world music artists such as Mikhis Theodorakis, Khaled, Youssou Ndour, Salif Keita, Angelique Kidjo, Jacob Desvarieux, Cesaria Evora, Oliver Mtukudzi, Geoffrey Oryema, Abdullah Ibrahim, Joao Bosco, Marcos Valle, Manu Chao, Toumani Diabate, Cheikh Lô, Papa Wemba, Lokua Kenza, Richard Bona, Mahotella Queens, Toumani Diabate, Oumou sångare, Tinariwen, Rachid Taha, Balla Sidibe, Don Carlos, Lee Perry, Horace Andy, The Skatalites, Buena Vista Social Band, and many others.

 

FELA, NUSRAT FATAH ALI KHAN & MERIAM MAKEBA

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Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to meet Ravi Shankar, Fela Kuti, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, all of whom passed away early. I also regret not having booked Miriam Makeba, Manu Dibango, Rachid Taha, Jah Shaka, and Mad Sheer Khan, with whom I had started discussions. They too have since passed away.

 

MY BIGGEST REGRET

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My biggest regret is certainly not having taken the chance to interview the Algerian Kabyle singer Idir when the opportunity was offered to me in Montpellier during a festival. I had to choose between Idir and the leader of the group Nass El Ghiwane, Omar Sayed, for the interview. I opted for Omar Sayed, thinking that it would be easier to meet Idir later, knowing that he lived in Paris. Unfortunately, I bet on the wrong horse because Idir passed away a few years later after a long illness, without me ever having met him. Omar Sayed, founder of Nass El Ghiwane, was my idol. I grew up with his music. Despite everything, I am delighted to have met and interviewed him.

I approached some of the greatest Middle Eastern stars such as Nedjwa Karem, Assala, Nawal Ezoughbi, Sherrin, and Kassem Essahar, following a demand from the Gothenburg city. However, I didn't manage to book any of these artists. The prices were beyond imagination, and just being able to get in touch with their bookers was a nightmare in itself.

The fee is beyond imagination and just being able to get in touch with their bookers was in itself a nightmare.

 

MY FIRST YEARS IN THE STORE

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My first years in the store were intense, stressful, and demanding due to the numerous orders and daily calls I received. The demand for CD records was very high, and while I wanted to make everyone happy, it was impossible. This situation often stressed me out, to the point where I sometimes had to hide from annoying customers and turn off the phone completely. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my independent profession and looked forward to all the clients and friends who came to visit me; otherwise, I wouldn't have spent 30 years in the business.

 

FUNNY STORIES

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During all these years of the store's existence, I encountered hundreds of customers of all colors, nationalities, sexes, and professions, who came daily to shop, buy concert tickets, showcase their records, or simply to spend a moment talking about music. Among the hundreds of people who came to shop, there are some I will never forget. The ones that stand out the most are the prisoners who came with their bodyguard to buy the music of Oum Kalthoum and Fairouz. I felt sorry for them, so I added a few extra CDs to their bags for free.

I also won't forget the visit of a heavily armed police patrol, which rushed into the store and scared me, as I have a fear of the police. Fortunately, these police officers were there for just a few minutes to collect their orders.

I had a few unusual visits as well, including a priest looking for Russian funeral music and imams searching for Quran CDs. I was blessed by both of them because I managed to find what they were looking for when they couldn't find it anywhere else.

Two of the funniest visits I remember involved a pensioner who came with an old broken vinyl and asked if it could be repaired, and an elderly lady who came with a cassette tape whose tape was frayed and asked how much it would cost to get it repaired. Unfortunately, I couldn't repair the vinyl, but I gave the old lady a new tape for free.

 

However, most of the amusing stories tend to happen outside the store, when I visit people who contact me after I post an ad in the local paper to buy vinyl records. During some of these purchasing visits, someone offered me a real gun, another person offered stolen jewellery, and a woman offered sex since I found nothing interesting among the records they offered me.

One memory that always gives me chills is a visit to another person who called me. After waiting outside his door for more than half an hour and knocking several times without an answer, my friend Kent decided to open the door. As soon as he did, someone inside the apartment saw the door slowly open, screamed, and ran after us with a knife because we dared to enter without permission. We ran as fast as we could and managed to escape. It turned out they were drug addicts arguing inside the apartment. This and many other detailed stories can be found on my blog.

 

CHICK COREA & MULATU ASTATKE

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There were some great surprises as well, like the visit of the Stomps leader, who bought a few hundred vinyl records in a couple of minutes and invited me and my wife to his show. Chick Corea and Mulatu Astatke were two other surprises. I offered Chick Corea a CD by the French-Algerian female group Djurdjura, which he heard for the first time and loved. Mulatu Astatke received the album Live with l'O.N.B, which he had been looking for. He particularly enjoyed the song "Alaoui," which he had heard somewhere before but couldn’t find.

 

Tinariwen used to be guests at my home for couscous or a cup of tea each time they came to play in Gothenburg, and I still maintain friendly contact with them, as well as with the mother of singer Amazigh, who spent a few days with us to visit the city after her son's concert in Gothenburg at Pustervik. I will also never forget my meetings with the South African artist Bayete Jabu Khanyile and the “musical giant” Balla Sidibé from Orchestra Baobab, whom I had hoped to see again a few months later in Dakar but unfortunately passed away before my visit in autumn 2020. Jennifer Ferguson's visit to the store moved me deeply. We talked about Mandela, who was still in prison at the time, and the situation in South Africa. Jennifer Ferguson was a singer-songwriter, political activist, and former member of Parliament for the African National Congress in South Africa.

 

Thanks to Tinariwen, I met Bill Rahmy, the main producer of the groups REM, QOTSA, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Queens of the Stone Age, with whom I had a great time and who I hope to visit one day. day in Los Angeles. Bill Rahmy is a good friend of Tinariwen, who he opened to record their album Amannar in the Los Angeles desert.

 

YOUSSOU & CO

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I had the honor to meet Youssou Ndour for the second time in Gothenburg and managed to interview him, just a few days after he was nominated for the Songlines World Pioneer Award 2022. No one had succeeded in getting so close to him at that time.

 

EMERGENCE OF NEW MUSICAL STYLES

                                                                                                             

I remember feeling embarrassed many times when I played Ethiopian music on the speakers for local customers, only to see jeers and grimaces from the pop rock record buyers who stood in the corner, laughing and finding this music horrible. But ten years later, when Buda Records released the Ethiopiques series directed by Francis Falceto and the music of Mulatu Astatke was featured in Jim Jarmusch's film "Broken Flowers," those same customers who had mocked this music were among the first to rush to the store to inquire about Mulatu Astatke, Mahmoud Ahmed, or Girma Beyene albums.

Today, Somali, Sudanese, and Turkish music is fashionable and played in most exclusive European clubs. The music of Huun Huur Tu, Dakha Brakha, and Kayhan Kalhor is also well accepted and part of our daily lives, although this music was banned from record shelves and considered primitive only a few years ago. It's a bit weird, isn't it?

Over time, I learned how customers are influenced by reviewers who choose and decide for them what is good to listen to and what is not.

 

THE DECLINE OF THE CD

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The decline of the CD market and the ensuing crisis led to the closure of many stores worldwide. I managed to survive thanks to the various side jobs I had as a booker, DJ, lecturer, and assistant nurse. These endeavors somehow saved me from bankruptcy for a while, but Covid-19 didn't spare me either, with the store closing for almost two years. I was stubborn and fought through it.

 

THE PREMATURE DEATH OF THE STORE

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What hurt and disturbed me the most during these difficult times of the music crisis was a column in a Swedish newspaper, GP, written by a journalist after interviewing me about the future of the store. I explained to the journalist how the CD crisis had affected record sales and mentioned that record sales would continue online instead. However, this didn't mean that I would close the store. Worldmusic Oasis is not only a store; it's a booking agency, an office, and a meeting place for visitors for the various services I offer.

A few days after the interview, an article was published in the newspaper with a large headline: "WORLDMUSIC OASIS GOES UNDER." It surprised and shocked more than one person. Social media picked up on the information, and I had to field hundreds of calls every day to explain the misunderstanding. This was too much for me to handle after all the troubles I had already faced with Covid-19 and the decline of the CD market a few years earlier. The news spread like wildfire, but I worked tirelessly to explain to everyone that I was still there and people could visit me as usual. The difference is just the records will be online on the web; this will allow me to save time and be able to move and other things that I arrange as lectures, meetings, and be close to my bookings.

I survived GP's unwarranted UNDESIRABLE headline thanks to my loyal customers. Covid-19 increased online sales, and interest in vinyl tripled, which helped me get back on track financially.

 

MON BUT

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I would just want to remind that research on world music is a gigantic and complicated field that I have no intention of explaining or developing here. There are enough books, studies, articles written by music experts for those who want to document themselves seriously and in deeply on the subject. This work witch was supposed to be limited about en overview about what world music is for a group of school students led me to further deepen my knowledge on such vas complicated but fascinating subject.

In this work, I delve into the significant events that led to the creation of world music. Supported by numerous interviews, I aim to address questions posed by the originators of the concept and other prominent figures regarding why, how, when, and by whom the concept of world music emerged. I provide insights into defining the world music concept and elucidate why it differed from the perspectives of most music professionals.

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THE LECTURE

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With my experience, the help of Google and the numerous books that I had borrowed from the municipal library, I started my work which took me five years of work and never wants to end, because each time I keep coming across new interesting info that I ‘added and removed the others .  The subject was so vast and deep that I was drowning in it. The many different views and interpretations of the concept finally pushed me to get contact with those who coined the term in 1987. This allowed me to understand and shed light on the many questions that served me to write this work which, in addition to a brief presentation of my journey in world music business, a review of the different stages which led to the creation of world music. I´ll explain too when, why, how and buy whom the concept was created and gives answers about the criticisms that emerged after the creation of the term from those who coined it and how other music experts I interviewed explain the reasons why they dislike the term.

Robert Browning from the World Music Institute told me in an interview: I agree that it is a hackneyed term and people everywhere interpret it differently. But, as I say, in this imperfect world of ours we are always grasping for words to describe what we do and I guess this is the best we can come up with.

 

START OF MY ADVENTURE

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My quest to uncover the history and definition of world music for my lecture began with the search for those who coined the term. In an issue of the Folk Roots music magazine from 1988, I discovered the list of individuals who were present at the inaugural meeting on July 27, 1987. There were 29 participants in total, and it was during this first gathering that the term "world music" was chosen

 

Having obtained the list, the challenge that arose was how to contact these persons, many of whom now held prominent positions. This proved to be no easy task, especially since none of them were familiar with me. Nonetheless, this endeavor consumed several years of my time, involving cancelled appointments, long waits, and numerous trips to London, Bristol, and Paris. Eventually, I managed to establish contact with and interview a few of the key figures who were present at the 1987 meeting where the term "world music" was coined in London.

 

THE CONTACTS

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Thanks to Andy Morgan, whom I had known during his tenure as tour manager for the Tinariwen band, I was able to connect with Ben Mandelson, one of the two initiators of the meeting. We met in a pub near the train station in London and engaged in a lengthy discussion. Subsequently, I conducted interviews with Ian Scott, Mark Kidal, Thomas Brooman, Joe Boyd, Steve Haddrell, Roger Armstrong, Ian Anderson, Mary Farquharson, Nick Gold, Robert Urbanus, Lucy Duran, and Donald Vanrenen. All of these persons had been present at the three meetings held at the Empress of Russia pub in London. Over time, most of them responded positively to my requests for interviews, with the exception of Amanda Jones, Philip Sweeney, Jonathan Rudnick (Crammed US/freelance), Trevor Herman from Earthworks, Doug Veitch from Disc ‘Afrique, Chris Hawkins from Africa Beat magazine, and Nick Carnac from Carnac-disques.

Unfortunately, I was unable to establish contact with Scott Lund (Sterns/Triple Earth), Chris Stapleton (Blues & Soul), Chris Popham, Anne Hunt, and Charlie Gillett (Oval), who was part of the group during the meetings but passed away on March 17, 2010.

 

To add more weight and credibility to my lecture, I also managed to interview other renowned artists, journalists, radio broadcasters, promoters, and festival organizers such as Gilbert Mousset (Festival Métisses), Thomas Brooman (WOMAD), Youssou Ndour (Artist), Lucy Duran (British ethnomusicologist and record producer - BBC Radio 1), Nick Gold (World Circuit label), Angel Romero (World Music Central), Joe Boyd (Hannibal Records), Martin Meissonnier (promoter and journalist), as well as many other influential figures involved in the production, promotion, and expansion of world music. In total, I interviewed more than seventy recognized persons in the music industry.

 

WORLD MUSIC – THE DIFFERENTS LABELS

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The term "world music," or rather its German equivalent, Weltmusik, has been in circulation for nearly a century. It was initially coined by the German musicologist Georg Capellen in 1906 to describe the international influences found in the music of composers such as Debussy and Stravinsky, particularly the non-Western music of Indonesia, the Near East, and other regions.

In more recent times, the term has been employed by various groups, including the German scholar, promoter, producer, and jazz critic Joachim-Ernst Berendt, who began using the term "Weltmusik" around 1963 to characterize a movement in jazz that incorporated music from outside America. In 1965, he organized the first "world music" festival, featuring musicians from India, Java, Japan, Africa, and Brazil performing their music within a jazz context.

The ethnomusicologist Robert Brown is credited with being among the first to use the term "world music" in America in the early 1960s. Alongside David McAllester, Robert Brown established the World Music program at Wesleyan University in 1965.

 

From the 1970s onward, other persons, labels, programs, and institutions began to emerge in Europe, particularly in France, England, the United States, and elsewhere, using the term "world music." This included the Center for World Music in San Francisco (established in the early 1970s), Kent State University's Center for the Study of World Musics (founded in 1980), and the World Music Institute (established in 1985), among others. This period also saw a proliferation of "world music."

Ken Day, a Swedish promoter, and Christer Bothén, a ngoni and gumbri artist, have both informed me that the term "World Music" was also used by Don Cherry in the late 1970s.

Ken Day: I ‘was working at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, New York from 1977-80. It was Don who got me a job there. We started a concert series at the Tinker Art Gallery called "World Music" around 1978, where we presented musicians from India, Africa, US, Latin America Jazz and traditional and classical musicians... sometimes playing together and creating something new... sometimes just on their own.” Ken Day has been also using the term as a name for his booking agency.

Christer Bothén says: I played a lot with Don for several years and became his teacher in playing Don's ngoni. In return he introduced me to his and Ornette Coleman's musical world and their ways to improvise. It was also in connection with Don when the word world music was used. We toured Italy and sits after the concert with a lot of European and non-European instruments behind us. Some music journalists asked us what kind of music we played. Does it have a name? A slightly confused Don Cherry replies: No, it is just music, it is the music of the world, it is world music

The Algerian producer Mohand Anemiche, owner of the record companies "Disco Music" and "Numidie Production" in Barbès (France), began using the term "world music" for his label in 1971.

A festival in Rålambshovsparken (Sweden) in 1979 was named World Music Festival and in 1982 Scania Tågarp in Sweden issued the first and only issue of the magazine World Music.

 

THE ROAD TO THE EMPRESS OF RUSSIA IN LONDON

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Music has existed in the world for over a thousand years. It is found in every known culture, past and present, varying widely between times and places. All peoples of the world, including the most isolated tribal groups, have a form of music. Music has always been present, but it was waiting to be shared with people. In 1987, the term "World Music" opened the doors to the music of the world to one another, bringing people closer and making communication more effective worldwide.

 

The cultures of the “Green Sahara” left behind a vast gallery of iconographic documents in the form of rock paintings, among which are some of the earliest internal sources on African music. One is a vivid dance scene discovered in 1956 by the French ethnologist Henri Lhote in the Tassili-n-Ajjer plateau of Algeria. Attributed on stylistic grounds to the Saharan period of the Neolithic hunters (c. 6000–4000 bc), this painting is probably one of the oldest extant testimonies to music and dance in Africa. The body adornment and movement style are reminiscent of dance styles still found in many African societies.

An authentic Bianzhong was excavated in China's Hubei Province in 1978 and exhibited in the Hubei Provincial Museum. The complexity and exquisiteness of the instrument stunned the world upon its discovery, as it was difficult to believe that it dated back over 2,000 years.

 

THE LONG MARCH OF AFRICAN MUSIC

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To understand the reasons for the emergence of world music in 1987 and the various stages that led to its inception, we must journey back several centuries. It's important and intriguing to recall the arduous and extensive trajectory of African music over the decades. Without African music, the concept of world music would likely not exist.

Between the mid-15th century and the late 19th century, over 12.5 million captives were forcibly transported from Africa to the Americas and the Atlantic islands. Tragically, more than 1.5 million perished during the treacherous transatlantic voyage.

Approximately 1.4 million of these enslaved individuals were brought to Cuba to toil in the plantations. Their presence exerted a profound influence on Cuban music, infusing it with the rich tapestry of percussion, rhythms, songs, and dances brought by these African slaves.

These slaves brought with them not only their physical labor but also their cultural heritage, including songs from their respective African cultures and knowledge of musical instruments. Instruments such as African drums, gourd rattles, and the banjo, crafted by African Americans in the New World, remain among the most recognizable instruments today.

Later, these African melodies, which had traversed continents centuries ago and fused with overseas musical traditions, made their way back to Africa in the 1940s through GV Records. Mixing with local musical styles, they gave rise to new genres such as rumba in the Congo and salsa in Senegal. Three notable precursors of these styles were Paulo Kamba (Congo Brazzaville), Jimmy Zakari (Central African Republic), and Wendo Kolosoy (Congo Kinshasa). Subsequently, artists like Franco, Grand Kalle, and others modernized and popularized rumba music.

This historical trajectory underscores why Africa has consistently been a wellspring of inspiration, production, and talent for some of the greatest musicians in the world music landscape. Artists such as Prince Nico, Joseph Kabasele, Fela Kuti, Franco, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Miriam Makeba, Youssou Ndour, Salif Keita, Manu Dibango, Abdullah Ibrahim, Hugh Masekela, Aster Aweke, Cesaria Evora, Mulatu Astatke, and many more stand as pillars of world music today.

In contemporary Western popular music, the influence of African music is immeasurable. Genres like R&B, Jazz, Hip Hop, Rock and Roll, Blues, among others, all bear traces of their roots in African music, showcasing the profound impact of African musical traditions on global cultural expression.

 

JAMES MOONEY - The first ever field recordings - March 15, 1890

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Many expeditions and recordings were conducted in the early 1900s in Africa and the Caribbean by French, English, and American musicologists. Among the earliest known recordings was made by James Mooney in 1894, documenting various Native American ghost dances.

 

GAUHAR JAAN

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India's first disc had Gauhar Jaan recorded on 2 november 1902, by Fred Gaisberg, an assistant to Emile Berliner, the father of Gramophone record, who left America to become the first recording engineer with the Gramophone Company, London. 

 

ETHNOMUSICOLOGISTS

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Laura Crayton Boulton, Noël Ballif, Alan Lomax, Henri Lhote, Gilbert Rouget, Pierre Gaisseau, David Lewiston, Paul Bowles, They recorded the shamanic chants of the Siberian rim; the dying folk music of isolated European villagers; the ecstatic gamelon sounds of Bali; the trance drumming of Africa the haunting sounds of the Tuareg Imzad, and the captivating karkabou of the Gnawa people.They lugged their ponderous gear into the High Andes and to remote Pacific islands.  They did more than bring back sound. They brought back adventure; they broadened the idea of what music meant and what culture could produce, they undertook more than mere documentation; they embarked on adventures that expanded the very notion of music and broadened our understanding of cultural production.

 

THE LONG ROAD TO WORLD MUSIC - EXOTICA MUSIC

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If we go back to the 1950s and even before, it is clear that African music was almost unknown to Western audiences, and even less so was the music of South America with its tango and mambo, or that of the Caribbean with its calypso, and India with its raga. The Western circuits, particularly the French, were mainly interested in ballet performances. Colonial exoticism rather exhibited a few black artists as curiosities, as we see with the acrobats in the circus. Keïta Fodeba was one of those curiosities that the European public came to admire, enjoying the sounds of the drums and acrobatics

 

THE ETNICS LABELS

 

Back in the 60s when labels like Nonesuch, Chant Du Monde etc…, were releasing what was proto–World Music; it was mainly field recordings from ethnomusicologists and so by definition was less obviously influenced by wider cultures. At the time these labels would have had no interest in releasing, say a Franco or Dr Nico record - that was pop for the local population. But the revival that became World Music in the 80s was more interested in pop and embraced music with outside influences and modern sounds, said to me Roger Armstrong i an interview.

 

THE 50 - 60´S IN AFRICA

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The 1950s and pre-Beatles 1960s were the golden years for Congolese musicians, marked by the emergence of famous groups like l'African Jazz, OK Jazz, Negro-Band, Novelty, Congo Jazz, Rock-A-Mambo, Les Bantous, Beguen Band, L'African Fiesta, Sinza, and many more. All were influenced by Cuban rhythms.

Joseph Kabasele was the very first to found and popularize Afro-Cuban rumba in 1951 by introducing Western musical instruments and folk music into his modern African jazz band.

The 1950s and 1960s also saw the birth of highlife, Afrobeat, juju music, makossa, and many other music styles.

In 1956, Miriam Makeba wrote her greatest hit, the song "Pata Pata," with which she toured the world.

 

The 1950s and pre-Beatles 1960s were also the golden years for Latin musicians. The "Mambo Kings" had the country dancing to the music of Tito Puente, Pérez Prado, and Xavier Cugat. Desi Arnaz was singing "Babalu" on TV, and tourists swarmed Havana to enjoy the warm Caribbean breezes and hotter nightclubs.

 

Caribbean music has been profoundly influenced by the transatlantic slave trade and later, by the resistance and emancipation of slaves, as well as various African, European, and Indigenous Latin American influences. The fusion with local music gave rise to numerous genres, including bachata, merengue, palo, mambo, baithak gana, bouyon, cadence, calypso, cumbia, chutney-soca, compas, dancehall, jing ping, parang, pichakaree, punta, ragga, son, reggae, tumba, dembow, salsa, soca, and zouk, among others such as merengue, bachata, cadence, kompas, ska, Kadans, and benna.

Lord Shorty was to Soca and calypso music what James Brown was to funk, DJ Kool Herc was to hip-hop, and Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto were to Brazil’s bossa nova. Mighty Sparrow, Belafonte, Lord Kitchener, Byron Lee, The Mighty Gabby, Lord Shorty, Arrow, and Calypso Rose are just a few among the long list of famous Caribbean artists."

 

INDIA

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Indian music is renowned for its different genres as well as its contributions to cinematographic productions. Indian music became internationally known mainly thanks to Ravi Shankar and other artists such as Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ali Akbar Khan, Ustad Imrat Khan, Bismillah Khan, Ustad Amir Khan, Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Madurai Shanmukhavadivu, Bhimsen Joshi, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Parveen Sultana, Alla Rakha, and many more.

 

EUROPA

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In Europe, the popularity of pop and rock attracted the attention of music lovers worldwide. Yet, there were also notable artists who brought prestige to each European country and filled theaters. Amália Rodrigues in Portugal, Manitas de Plata and Paco de Lucía in Spain, Mikis Theodorakis and Maria Farantouri in Greece, The Dubliners and The Chieftains in Ireland, and Édith Piaf in France are among them. However, these artists often appealed to an older audience compared to pop, rock, or soul artists, whose appeal cut across all age categories.

 

THE INFLUENCE OF THE WESTERN MUSIC & VICE VERSA

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The influence of Western music on world culture is largely credited to bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, known for their collaborations with artists like Ravi Shankar in India and the masters of Joujouka in Morocco. Other Western bands such as The Yardbirds, The Doors, and The Byrds were also notably influenced by Indian classical music, incorporating it to enhance psychedelia in their music. This trend continued into the late sixties with British progressive rock bands like Quintessence, Jeff Beck, Donovan, The Moody Blues, Them, The Pretty Things, Traffic, Jenny Boyd, Mia Farrow, Mike Love, and more. Even earlier, groups like the Incredible String Band skillfully integrated Gnawa elements, helping pave the way for what would later be termed "world music."

This approach by Western musicians in the 60s and 70s subsequently influenced artists worldwide, leading to the creation of numerous new music styles and genres. Examples include Beatlemania in the Balkan countries, Anatolian rock, Turkish psychedelic rock, Sharki in Arab countries, Azerbaijani rock, Shadow Music, Zam-Rock, modernized Thai music, Thai sound, Luk thung, Afro Psych, Cantopop, and Group Sound in Japan, among others.

The influence of Western music has also played a significant role in the creation of major festivals worldwide. Examples include Piedra Roja in Chile, festival de Ancon in Colombia, Havelock Park in Colombo, Sri Lanka and the Rock y Ruedas de Avandaro festival in Mexico (also known simply as Avandaro), which was a historic event organized on September 11 and 12, 1971. Additionally, one of the most notable Woodstock-inspired concerts was the Camp Semangat held in July 1972. Organized by members of some of the performing groups and the Boy Scouts of Malaysia (Persatuan Pengakap) at Kem Semangat, Cheras, it stands as a testament to the global impact of Western musical culture.

 

I mentioned all these festivals to point out how great the influence of western music was on the rest of the other cultures in the rest of the world. These festivals attracted huge crowds, filled arenas and brought out renowned artists during the 1970s and 1980s. No European or Americain producer has had the curiosity to be interested in what is happening outside its borders. Apart from the entomologists who continued to produce traditional music intended more for schools, museums and  libraries.The West and the US were caught up in the euphoria of the success of the Beatles, the Stones, Hendrix, James Brown, and other pop, rock, and jazz artists.

Here are some artists and groups who made the heyday of thousands of fans and whose albums have today become a rarity and cost fortunes.

 

INDIA – SRI LANKA MUSIC.

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In India and Sri Lanka, The Mustangs, the Combustibles, the Savages, Fentones, Susmit Bose were among few of the popular psychedelic groups at the time.

 

Rock music in Sri Lanka dates back to the early 1970s when Kumar Navaratnam and his friends staged the first Rock Festival at Havelock Park in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Kumar Navaratnam could be hailed as the main driving force behind the evolving rock music scene, alongside other artists and bands such as Prins Jayaratnam and the Unwanted Generation, Prasanna Abeysekara, Coffin Nail, Neville of Acid, Gobbledegook, and Sweetie Pie.

 

ARAB & MIDDELE EAST MUSIC

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In the Arab countries and the Middle East, bands such as Les Abranis, Les Djinns, Freedoms, and Djamal Allem emerged in Algeria. In Tunisia, notable bands include Les 4 Dés and Carthago. Morocco saw the rise of Goldan Hands, Fadoul, Attarazat Addahabia, and Faradjallah. In Iran, artists like Googoosh and Behrouz Vosoughi gained prominence, while Zahir was notable in Afghanistan. Lebanon witnessed the emergence of The Sea-Ders. Additionally, Al-Bara’em (The Blooms) gained attention in Palestine, and Hany Mehanna and Al Massrieen in Egypt.

Hassan Megri from Morocco founded and created the "Mégri Musical Movement," which contributed to the emergence of "Arab World Music" in the 1970s.

 

TURKEY – GREECE MUSIC

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Anatolian rock, often referred to as Turkish psychedelic rock, is a fusion of Turkish folk music and Western rock. From 1966 to 1975, psychedelic rock gained significant popularity in Turkey, largely due to the influence of guitarist Erkin Koray. Other influential musicians and groups who contributed to the popularity of this style include Cem Karaca and Moğollar, whose albums "Safinaz" and "Düm-tek" pushed Anatolian rock towards a more progressive direction.

Barış Manço, Selda Bağcan, and Fikret Kızılok, along with bands like Kurtalan Ekspres and 3 Hürel, were among the most popular artists and psychedelic rock bands in Turkey during this period.

 

JAPAN

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In Japan, the influx of beat music, particularly following the Beatles' tour in 1966, ushered in a new and intriguing musical experience. "Group Sounds" (GS), a genre that emerged in the mid-1960s, was born from a fusion of kayōkyoku music (the foundation of modern J-pop) and Western rock. This genre gave rise to bands such as Happy End, the Spiders, the Tigers, the Mops, the Tempters, and the Golden Cups, among others. Additionally, psychedelic bands like Kikagaku Moyo, Dylan II, Masato Minami, and Itsutsu No Akai Fuusen also made notable contributions to the Japanese music scene during this period.

 

ASIA - COMBODIA – INDONESIA – VIETNAM – MALAYSIA – SINGAPOUR - THAILAND

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Countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia have rich folk music histories, but the influx of music from Europe, Latin America, and the United States helped inspire and create new forms of composition.

This musical evolution was particularly fuelled by the presence of the U.S. army, which brought psychedelic, rock, soul, and funk music overseas through guitars, records, and radio stations broadcast from military bases.

We can see this influence in the fusion of Luk Thung and Funk in Thailand, the blending of folklore with rock'n'roll and psychedelia in Cambodia, the vibrant beat music scene in Singapore in the late 60s and early 70s, and Indonesia's emergence as a treasure trove of hard rock and progressive rock gems in the 70s.

Artists like Ros Sereysothea, Pan Ron, Sin Sisamouth, and Drakkar Band from Cambodia, Phạm Duy, known as the "Bob Dylan of Vietnam," The Rollies from Indonesia, the Blackbusters from the Philippines, Mai Le Huyen, the Vietnamese "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll," and Chaweewan Dumnern, the Thai empress of molam (country-psych), combined traditional elements with psychedelic characteristics such as surreal lyrics, modal melodies, and infused their local music with pop, jazz, and groovy disco. Some drew inspiration from Santana's style, while others leaned more towards the soul and funk of the Funkadelics.

The sixties were arguably the golden era for local bands. In 1961, British singer Cliff Richard and his rock group The Shadows performed at the "Happy World Stadium" alongside a local band called The Stompers. This performance proved to be a defining moment, inspiring and motivating many young music lovers to form Singapore’s own home-grown bands.

In Singapore, the local music scene flourished with bands like The Crescendos, The Quests, The Trailers, and The Thunderbirds making their debuts between 1962 and 1964, producing several chart-topping hits and record-breaking singles.

 

BALKAN

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In the early 1960s, a new music style called Beatlemania emerged in the Balkan countries. Many bands drew initial inspiration from popular groups like Cliff Richard and the Shadows, resulting in the formation of bands such as Uragani, Bijele Strijele, Siluete, Crveni Koralji, Zlatni Dečaci, Samonikli, and Crni Biseri, among others.

By the mid-1960s, additional bands like Džentlmeni, Roboti, and Siluete were influenced by rhythm and blues artists, while others leaned more towards pop music. Mod-oriented bands also began to emerge. Notable groups such as Indexi, Korni Grupa, Grupa 220, and Ambasadori became some of the most prominent and influential bands from the former Yugoslavia.

 

By the mid-1960s, additional bands like Džentlmeni, Roboti, and Siluete were influenced by rhythm and blues artists, while others leaned more towards pop music. Mod-oriented bands also began to emerge. Notable groups such as Indexi, Korni Grupa, Grupa 220, and Ambasadori became some of the most prominent and influential bands from the former Yugoslavia.

 

AFRICA

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African musicians and bands such as Ofo and the Black Company, the Hykkers, Ebo Taylor, BLO, Lijadu Sisters, Amanaz, and Zamrock from Zambia, The Funkees with "Slipping Into Darkness" (1973), The Hygrades with "In the Jungle" (1972), and Wrinkar Experience with "Ballad of a Sad Young" were all influenced by artists like Jimi Hendrix, Santana, and James Brown, particularly in terms of guitar sounds.

 

LATIN

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The first traces of psychedelic rock in Latin America date back to the late 1960s. A wave of Mexican rock heavily influenced by psychedelic and funk emerged in the northern Mexican states, particularly in Tijuana, Baja California. Among the most recognized bands from the 'Chicano Wave' were Three Souls in my Mind, Love Army, El Ritual, and Los Dug Dug's. The music continued to spread with the consumption of illicit records from American and British bands. Local musicians were fascinated by the rock sounds and began creating their own groups, incorporating their musical traditions such as tango, cumbia, and Andean folklore.

 

CHILE

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Psychedelic rock and blues made their way to Chile in the 1970s. From these influences emerged groups such as Aguaturbia, Los Blops, Los Jaivas, El Congreso, Congregación, Escombros, and Sacros.

 

ARGENTINA

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In the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires, a burgeoning psychedelic scene gave rise to three of the most significant bands in Argentina’s rock history: Los Gatos, Manal, and Almendra, along with Arco Aris.

Across the entire South American continent, numerous psychedelic and rock bands emerged, including Los Saicos in Peru, Os Mutantes in Brazil, Fuzzkrank in Paraguay, Las Cobras in Uruguay, Las Robertas in Costa Rica, Los Ácidos in Argentina, Matus in Peru, Necro Hail and Augusto Martins Côrtes in Brazil, and Red Sun Cult in Colombia. Additionally, festivals such as Piedra Roja in Chile and the Festival Rock y Ruedas de Avándaro in Mexico were created during this period.

 

RUSSIA

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The 1960s witnessed the emergence of the VIA (Vocal & Instrumental Ensemble) movement. VIAs were state-produced bands comprised of professional musicians. They blended traditional songs with elements of rock, disco, and new wave, often followed by Bard music.

Among the most notable VIA bands and vocalists were Pesniary, a folk band from Belarus; Zemlyane; Poyushchiye Gitary; Yuri Antonov with Arax; and Stas Namin with Tsvety.

1960-70s: Bard music. the most popular were Bulat Okudzhava, Vladimir Vysotsky, Yuri Vizbor, Sergey and Tatyana Nikitin

Rock music arrived in the Soviet Union in the late 1960s, coinciding with Beatlemania. Many rock bands emerged in the late 1970s, such as Mashina Vremeni, Aquarium, and Autograph. During Perestroika, Russian rock became mainstream, with popular bands like Kino, Alisa, Aria, DDT, Nautilus Pompilius, Grazhdanskaya Oborona, and Gorky Park, as well as 10,000 Russos, Black Bombain, Asmov and Cosmic Mass, and Sokol

 

THE 60´S - 70´S – THE PANAFRICANISM 

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In the 1960s and 1970s, as most African countries gained independence, the rising pan-African ideology aimed to consolidate aspirations of African unity. One fundamental goal was to reclaim their musical heritage by subsidizing and supporting national and regional orchestras and creating festivals to showcase the rich cultural and musical potential of the continent. Key festivals such as Rumble in the Jungle, FESMAN, FESTAC 77, and Festival Panafricain Algiers played pivotal roles in nurturing a pan-African identity.

During this era, musical styles such as highlife, afrobeat, and juju music flourished and expanded in Nigeria and Ghana, while rumba thrived in Franco's Congo, and salsa in Senegal. Other styles like mandinge emerged in Mali, and Ziguiboulo and Makossa in Cameroon.

Notable musical groups from Senegal included Le Star Band de Dakar, L’Orchestre Baobab, and L’Etoile de Dakar; from Mali, L’Orchestre régional de Mopti, L’Orchestre régional de Kayes, Le Tijwara band de Kati, Le Mystère jazz de Tombouctou, Le Kanaga de Mopti, and Le Kéné star de Sikasso; from Guinea, Bembeya Jazz National; from Benin, L’Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou. In central Africa, Grand Kalle, L’African Jazz, Tabu Ley’s African Fiesta, L’Orchestra TPOK, and L’Orchestre Veve (Congo), Massako from Gabon, and Super Mazembe (Tanzania) were among the influential musical groups of that time.

 

One of the most memorable songs of the 1960s was Kabasele's "Indépendance Cha Cha" from 1960, celebrating Congo's independence from Belgian colonial rule. The song became a continent-wide hit, symbolizing the independence of several other countries.

 

The 1960s also witnessed collaboration between Cuba and the newly independent African countries. Cuba invited Malian students to study music, leading to the formation of the famous band Les Maravillas de Mali in 1965, led by the Malian musician Boncana Maiga.

 

The 1960s and 1970s are often referred to as Nairobi’s glittering epoch. The city became the ultimate recording epicenter. Individual musicians and bands from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Tanzania would arrive in Nairobi principally to record, but would also seize the opportunity to perform at a host of vibrant venues and clubs. The presence of South African cabaret band Lo Six, Zambian band Mosi O Tunya, Tanzanian band Jamhuri Jazz, and Congolese bands such as Orchestre Baba National and Les Mangelepa all left an indelible mark on Kenyan musical traditions that stretched beyond music.

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In 1969, Fela Kuti toured the United States and became inspired by the political activism of African Americans. He studied the life of Malcolm X and was inspired by his pro-Black speeches.

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Miriam Makeba became the first African woman to win an American Grammy for the album 'An Evening with Belafonte', released by RCA Victor in 1966. She was the first artist from Africa to popularize African music around the world. She is most known for the song 'Pata Pata', first recorded in 1957 and released in the U.S. in 1967.

 

In the 1960s and 1970s, notable journeys by iconic bands left indelible marks on the global music landscape. The Rolling Stones embarked on a transformative trip to Morocco, culminating in the recording "Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka." This album is often regarded as one of the earliest examples of what later became known as "world music" to gain recognition in the pop mainstream. Similarly, the Beatles' influential pilgrimage to India yielded significant artistic results. Their time spent in India resulted in the album "Collaborations" between George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, showcasing the fusion of Eastern and Western musical influences. These historic voyages not only expanded the musical horizons of the bands involved but also left lasting impressions on the global music scene.

The 60s and 70s were the Rolling Stones trip to Morocco resulting on a recording ” Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka”, and perhaps the first album of what came to be known as “world music” to enter the pop mainstream. Another historic trip was made by the Beatles to India resulting with the album”Collaborations” between Georges Harrison & Ravi Shankar.

 

The 1960s saw the emergence of significant events like the World Festival of Black Arts in Dakar, Senegal, in 1966, the FESTAC festival in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1977, and the Pan-African festival in Algiers in 1969. These events served as bastions for the emergence of many world music artists who continue to influence the genre today.

 

Indeed, the 60s and 70s marked a period of significant musical movements around the world. In Brazil, the Tropicalia movement emerged, blending elements of traditional Brazilian music with avant-garde influences, creating a rich and innovative sound. Meanwhile, in New York, salsa music was born, fusing Afro-Cuban rhythms with elements of jazz, resulting in a vibrant and dynamic genre that quickly gained popularity. In Jamaica, reggae music emerged, with its distinctive rhythms, social commentary, and spiritual themes, making a profound impact both locally and internationally.

 

During the 1960s and 1970s, notable memorial concerts were held, including those featuring James Brown in Abidjan, Oum Kalthoum in Paris, and Fairouz in London.

 

The Harlem Cultural Festival was a series of events, mainly music concerts, held annually in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, between 1967 and 1969 which celebrated African American music and culture.

Mickey Hart, Robert Plant, Don Cherry, Ry Cooder, were among the first great artists to contributed each one in his own way to discover, experiment, produce and promote African, Latin and Caribbean music through collaboration with artists from countries of other continents. Paul Simon, David Byrne, and Ry Cooder played a vital role a few years later in helping to expand the world music market.