ONE WORLD, ONE MUSIC.

I read last week's Music Week world music supplement with interest, not least because I've never been quite sure what world music was. Charlie Gillett's definition that it's "music in a language other than English that appeals outside its own country" is a good starting place, but does that mean early Spanish vocal Julio Iglesisas was world music?

Then I saw Susheela Raman's Technics Music Prize-nominated album referred to as the first world music album on the list. So what makes this a world music album?

I haven't heard Salt Rain, but she sings in more than one language, she is British but born to Indian parents and it is produced by a "world music" producer. Do any of these criteria make the album world music? And wouldn't Talvin Singh have something to say about being the first on the list.

At the end of the day people like categories -- it makes them feel safe to put things into boxes. With the increasing diversity of multi-cultural societies, we will probably end up with just music. Online record stores ...