<P> By the 2000s, musicology (which had previously limited its focus almost exclusively to European art music), began to look more like ethnomusicology, with greater awareness of and consideration for sociocultural contexts and practices beyond analysis of art music compositions and biographical studies of major European composers . </P> <P> Ethnomusicologists continued to deal with and consider the effects of globalization on their work . Bruno Nettl identifies Westernization and modernization as two concurrent and similar cultural trends that served to help streamline musical expression all over the world . While creeping globalization had an undeniable effect on cultural homogeneity, it also helped broaden musical horizons all over the world . Rather than simply lamenting the continuing assimilation of folk music of non-western cultures, many ethnomusicologists chose to examine exactly how non-western cultures dealt with the process of incorporating western music into their own practices to facilitate the survival of their previous traditions . </P> <P> With the ongoing globalization of music, many genres influenced each other and elements from foreign music became more prevalent in mainstream popular music . Diaspora populations such as the Punjab population in England were studied due to the characteristics of their music showing signs of the effects of global media . Their music, like many other music of displaced cultures, was made up of elements from the folk music of their culture along with the popular music of their location . Through this process the idea of transnationalism in music occurred . </P> <P> Additionally, postcolonial thought remained a focus of ethnomusicological literature . One example comes from Ghanaian ethnomusicologist Kofi Agawu; in Representing African Music: Postcolonial Notes, Queries, Positions, he details how the concept of "African rhythm" has been misrepresented--"African" music is not a homogenous body as it is often perceived by Western thought . Its differences from Western music are often considered deficiencies, and the emphasis on "African rhythm" prevalent throughout music scholarship prevents accurate comparison of other musical elements such as melody and harmony . Influenced by postcolonial thought theories, Agawu focuses on deconstructing the Eurocentric intellectual hegemony surrounding understanding African music and the notation of the music itself . Additionally, the new notational systems that have been developed specifically for African music further prevent accurate comparison due to the impossibility of applying these notations to Western music . Overall, Agawu implores scholars to search for similarities rather than differences in their examinations of African music, as a heightened exploration of similarities would be much more empowering and intellectually satisfying . This means by reexamining the role of European (through colonialism and imperialism) and other cultural influences have had on the history of "African" music as individual nations, tribes, and collectively as a continent . The emphasis on difference within music scholarship has led to the creation of "default grouping mechanisms" that inaccurately convey the music of Africa, such as claims that polymeter, additive rhythm and cross rhythm are prevalent throughout all African music . The actual complexity and sophistication of African music goes unexplored when scholars simply talk about it within these categories and move on . Agawu also calls for the direct empowerment of postcolonial African subjects within music scholarship, in response to attempts to incorporate native discourses into scholarship by Western authors that he believes have led to inaccurate representation and a distortion of native voices . Agawu worries of the possible implementation of the same Western ideals but with an "African" face, "in what we have, rather, are the views of a group of scholars operating within a field of discourse, an intellectual space defined by Euro - American traditions of ordering knowledge". </P>

One type of music that might be especially relevant to ethnomusicology is