What is world music, and what are the functions of it?

World music is the bringing together of local (national) and global (international) music. Everything in the world appears to be interconnected, world music may therefore be seen as a hybrid taking on various characteristics, including those of local and global styles. World music should be there to bring together and merge different talents, sounds and cultures. The main issue with world music seems to be the power relations behind it; which record company owns who? are the artists selling well? do they have a high revenue? rather than how enjoyable or well produced the music is. The function of world music is there to challenge the power relations offering people new sounds and experiences. Jocelyne Guilbault suggests that if we want to fully understand world music, we must look at its place within the complex and constantly changing dynamic of a world which is historically, socially and spatially interconnected.