The category of world music was first formalized to create space for sonic works that emerge from distinct, often underrepresented cultural contexts across the globe, moving beyond the narrow boundaries of mainstream Western music industries that have long sidelined traditions outside of their commercial core. This classification does not flatten the diversity of the works it holds, but rather creates a shared frame through which listeners can engage with sonic creations rooted in specific cultural geographies, each carrying the weight and nuance of the communities that shape them.