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Now, more than ever, North American bands and music fans are becoming more open to music originating somewhere outside the continent. Sri Lankan-born M.I.A.’s unique sound rules the club scene, while the Afro-pop inspired Vampire Weekend have seen their debut album enter the Billboard Top 20. New York City’s Yeasayer have also recently garnered acclaim from music fans and critics alike for their experiments with Middle Eastern and African musical styles. Closer to home, there are the weekly drum circles held in Trinity-Bellwoods during the warmer months of the year (moved from Queen’s Park last year, much to my chagrin). The barrier of self-consciousness seems to be non-existent to those who allow themselves to be hypnotized by the tribal rhythms produced by at times, upwards of a hundred drummers, dancing in the middle of the circle in a spiritual/drug-induced bliss. The North American musical landscape has never been so diverse.Alas, all is not well in the music world. It has often been a cause for debate amongst those who take their love of music (too?) seriously, asking whether integrating other cultural styles into Western music is a good thing. What’s wrong with doing this, you may ask? For a number of critics, music biographers and internet bloggers, it’s a constant debate about whether it’s appropriate for a bunch of stoned twenty-something hipsters in T.O. and NYC to co-opt established styles from other cultures, to make their own music more interesting. This argument has been raging for decades, ever since the Beatles befriended Indian musician Ravi Shankar. Some critics go as far as to call it stealing, and say that it cheapens the cultures in which the various styles have their origin. When viewed through such a negative lens, the “stealing” perception makes sense, but what I think the critics are failing to realize is that these style-blending bands often produce some incredible music. It shouldn’t be seen as a form of musical robbery, but instead as songwriters from all over the world coming together and trading musical ideas. Writing original and inventive music in the new millennium isn’t easy; there are plenty of bands that have felt the strain of coming up with exciting rock music using the long-established and somewhat stale set-up of guitar, bass and drums. Some counter this malaise by delving into the world of electronics, but why spend countless hours trying to figure out a sampler that costs a fortune to buy, when there are plenty of wonderful musical ideas from around the world that have yet to be introduced to a Western audience? Vampire Weekend’s recent self-titled effort is the equivalent to a breath of fresh air for the ears. The Congolese rhythms, Afro-pop guitar melodies and energetic backing vocals on tracks like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, “Bryn” and “Blake’s Got A New Face” add an entirely new layer to well-written, but otherwise nondescript, pop music. Barcelona’s El Guincho has recently become the darling of American indie music scribes with his wonderful musical landscapes, fusing together elements of Afrobeat, Latin music and Spanish chanting. Like Vampire Weekend, he is only one example of the many talented musicians with ears for music outside the archetypal rock band sound. On the other side of the coin, musicians from around the world often collaborate with Western musicians and songwriters, in an effort to be introduced to a wider audience. Paul Simon’s 1986 album, Graceland is a perfect example; Ladysmith Black Mambazo had gained some notoriety on the world stage, but after the release of Graceland, which featured Simon collaborating with the South African choral group, they instantly became more appealing to Western audiences. Their success piqued an interest in other African acts, while Graceland itself sold over sixteen million copies. Some questioned whether it was appropriate for the intensely spiritual music of Ladysmith Black Mambazo to be imposed upon by Simon’s middle-class, angst-themed lyrics, but the remarkable music Simon and Mambazo songwriter Joseph Shaballah made together spoke for itself. Listen to great tracks like “Homeless” and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes,” and you can be the judge. It wouldn’t be right to assume that every musician wants international recognition, but it surely can’t be wrong to expose a set of fresh ears to styles of music from around the globe. For all those who think that music’s golden age of talent and originality is long over, I would say that a closer look at today’s music scene is all it takes to reveal that this is one of the most exciting times to be a music fan.