What is world music?

My initial thought on world music was that it sounded like the obvious name, music that is produced and listened to worldwide. World music is often associated with Third World countries, but is not subject to. Other countries i.e. Canada, New Zealand and France, are countries that are also involved. They are all incorporate cultural imperialism; here consumers prefer to listen & buy foreign music or songs, rather than the product of their own local artist. History provides evidence that the rise of global dominance and subordination was primarily seen in the USA and Western Europe. A number of things we find within our culture today are heavily influenced by the American way of living i.e. fashion (baggy clothes, Hip-Hop) music is the same. We predominantly follow a one way international media flow, the Anglo- American way. When you listen to music from different countries whose first language is not English for e.g. African Hip-Hop music, you realise that a major influence of styles and patterns from America has been imported within their (African) traditional sounds.