The term “World Music” was invented by an American ethnomusicologist in the 1960s. Originally intended to refer only to folk or ethnic music from non-Western cultures, over time its frame of reference expanded to include any form of popular music with ethnic instruments, style, or texture. A good example is Reggae music from Jamaica.
The 1970s introduced the radically new sounds and techniques of electronic music. Traditional World Music was, of course, 100% acoustic. Electricity wasn’t widely available until the late 19th century, but it grew fast. And by the 1980s, the ethereal atmospheres of electronic and ambient music were converging with the expressive acoustic sounds of traditional folk and ethnic music.
At the same time, electronics were expanding the spatial and tonal dimensions of World Music. And where musicians had formerly been identified by their instruments as “acoustic” or “electronic,” a new term was invented to capture the new, hybrid genre: “Electro-Acoustic” Today it’s becoming the dominant approach to all genres of popular music.
On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an Electro-Acoustic journey in musical time and cultural space called AMBIENT WORLD.
This edition of Hearts of Space was originated by guest producer DJ EGAN. There’s a whole lot more by DJ EGAN on Mixcloud.com. Go to https://www.mixcloud.com/the-armchair-traveler