On 19 November 2000, thousands of people in New York went to the Great African Ball. The star was Youssou N'Dour, a singer from Senegal. Twenty years ago, African and Asian music was not heard much in Europe or America. Then suddenly, in the 1980s, everybody was listening. Why was World Music suddenly so popular? Because some famous rock stars from the 1970s – Peter Gabriel, Ry Cooder and Paul Simon – made albums with musicians from African and Asian countries.

When English singer Peter Gabriel left the rock group Genesis in 1975, he became interested in World Music. He organized the first World of Music, Arts and Dance Festival (WOMAD) in 1982. There are now WOMAD festivals every year all over the world. Many musicians and singers who have played at WOMAD festivals – people like Youssou N'Dour and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan from Pakistan – have become international stars.

Youssou N'Dour started his first group in Senegal in 1979. Senegalese taxi drivers in Paris introduced his music to French listeners. Then Peter Gabriel heard Youssou N'Dour and invited him to sing with him on a world tour. He also asked him to sing on his 1986 album, So. The album was a great success. Since then Youssou N'Dour has had his own international hit – 7 seconds – which he sang with Neneh Cherry, and sold albums all over the world.

Ry Cooder is famous now for the album The Buena Vista Social Club (1997) – recorded with Cuban musicians Compay Segundo (age 92) and Ruben Gonzalez (age 80), who were famous in Cuba in the 1950s. But in the 1960s he played on Rolling Stones' records. His first World Music album was recorded in 1993. He made A Meeting by the River with Indian musician V.M. Bhatt. This won a Grammy award. His next album, Talking Timbuktu (1994), with Malian musician Ali Farka Toure, won another Grammy

Simon and Garfunkel were famous pop stars in the 1960s. They split up in 1970, and Paul Simon worked as a singer-songwriter. But in the 1980s he became less popular. He went to South Africa for new ideas. In 1986, he made an album, Graceland, with black South African musicians. It became one of the most popular albums of the 1980s. 'Paul Simon is stealing music from another country to help his own career,' some people said. But Graceland helped to make South African music world famous. In 1990 Simon made an album, Rhythm of the Saints, with musicians from Brazil.

Millions of people in Europe and America are now listening to World Music. There will be another Great African Ball in New York next year. Everybody is welcome. But if you can't be in New York next November, don't worry. You can still find Youssou N'Dour and many other World Music stars at a record shop near you!