Challenges and Opportunities

Current Challenges

- Gentrification: Rising rents displacing immigrant communities and venues - Commercialization: Pressure to create "world beat" over authentic expression - Generational shifts: Young people potentially losing traditional knowledge - Political tensions: Anti-immigrant sentiment affecting cultural expression - COVID-19 impact: Touring restrictions hitting world music particularly hard

Future Opportunities

- Streaming democracy: Easier access to global audiences - Cultural policies: Continued government support for diversity - Educational programs: Teaching world music in conservatories - Cross-genre collaboration: Breaking down musical boundaries - Second/third generation artists: Creating new hybrid identities