As the fastest growing sector of the U.S. music market, world music has embedded itself in the fabric of American life. Artists such as Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon and the Talking Heads have all utilized characteristics of the "world" sound in their music, while international performers are enjoying unexpected fame in the U.S. At the same time, in an era of unprecedented immigration and globalization, people all over the world are using music as way to preserve their local and ethnic identity.

Global Minstrels: Voices of World Music is an accessible introduction to international music and culture. Including conversations with dozens of artists from five continents, it explores the breadth of the world music experience through the voices of the musicians themselves. In the process, it gives a unique view of the interactions of a globalizing society and introduces readers to some of the most fascinating and thoughtful artists working on the current scene. Artists profiled include Oumou Sangare, Caetano Veloso, Ravi Shankar, Paco de Lucía, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and many more.

"Global Minstrels: The World of World Music" introduces today's leading performers from around the world. From urban nightclubbers dancing to salsa to suburbanites relaxing with Cuban and Brazilian melodies, to the host of pop and rock stars who have added international flavors to their music, "world" sounds have become part of the basic fabric of American life. At the same time, in every American city, immigrants have used musical gatherings as a way to bring their communities together. Including conversations with dozens of artists from five continents, "Global Minstrels" explores the breadth of the world music experience through the voices of the musicians themselves. In the process, it gives a unique view of the interactions of a globalizing society and introduces readers to some of the most fascinating and thoughtful artists working on the current scene.
Profiled artists include Ladysmith Black Mambazo; King Sunny Ade, The Mighty Sparrow, Reuben Blades, Los Tigres del Norte, Gilberto Gil, Dick Gaughan, Alan Stivell, The Master Musicians of Jajouka, The Gipsy Kings, Ali Akbar Khan, Ravi Shankar, and many more.
Global Minstrels will strongly appeal to the world music audience, from academic ethnomusicologists to general listeners who enjoy this new, vibrant musical style. "Whether you enjoy flamenco, salsa, tango or township tunes, Global Minstrels will extend and update your musical knowledge."--The City Paper, Nashville "World Music has made ethnomusicologists of us all, attempting to understand where music comes from and what it means. Elijah Wald, musician, author, and former world music critic from the Boston Globe, offers some answers of his own through the voices of over 75 musicians profiled in this new collection."--Dirty Linen "Perhaps the most significant contribution of Global Minstrels is the way it helps to rehumanize the discussion of world music by allowing the voices of the artists themselves...to be heard above the din of academic debate."--Ethnomusicology