I don't know what the hell "World Music" is supposed to define. It seems to depend upon where the music (CD's, sheet music,etc.) is being sold. I have seen English, Irish and Scottish traditiional music labeled as such, along with various music with African and eastern European origins, Peruvian pan pipe tunes, Caribbean music of varying sorts and Greek and middle eastern music usually associated with belly dancing. Isn't this, after all, simply a catch-all label for retailers who don't know how else to categorize the music they place in it?

I'm certain that Liam Clancy will be amused to know that at least one major U.S. chain of book and record shops has his work with The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem categorized as "World Music."