Women singers seem to be dominating World Music this year. “Not all of them are young, but their average age must be about 30. Ten years ago, the idea of a compilation of women’s music would have smacked of political correctness – now it’s simply what’s happening. It is of course a truism that pictures of attractive young women sell newspapers, CDs, books and films better than just about anything else. So, are Western record companies simply choosing the acts that are most marketable? Or does the phenomenon of the young world diva reflect deeper global upheavals? And what, if anything, does this sudden upsurge in female creativity add up to musically?”