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world music
noun
: popular music originating from or influenced by non-Western musical traditions and often having a danceable rhythm
—usually hyphenated when used attributively
Examples of world music in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tyla could have also been submitted to best world music album — where most Afrobeats artists have submitted their albums including Burna Boy, Tems and Ayra Starr — but best progressive R&B album feels like the best home for the project, sonically speaking.
—Mesfin Fekadu, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Oct. 2024
Goldsmith brought blues, reggae and world music artists to the stage for six years before moving away and venturing into album production, working with such artists as the Blind Boys of Alabama, Charlie Musselwhite and Harper.
—Steve Donofrio, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
Mendes scored his only Grammy win in 1992 with Brasileiro, which won the 1993 Grammy for best world music album.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Sep. 2024
There's a bunch of different things — ballads, world music.
—Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1982, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near world music
Cite this Entry
“World music.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/world%20music. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
world music
noun
: popular music based on non-Western musical traditions and often having a danceable rhythm
world-music
adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on world music
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about world music
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