[Kanthos]

I'm looking to broaden the scope of the music I listen to. I've liked a lot of the world music I've heard as background music in a restaurant or in soundtracks like Guild Wars: Factions and Guild Wars: Nightfall, and even something like the Lord of the Rings movie soundtracks use all kinds of unique instruments. I don't really have anything much in my collection though that would really be called world music, and I'm not even sure where to start. From the bits and pieces I've heard, I'd probably favour middle eastern and far eastern music, but I'm open to anything. Suggest away!

[Nonamer]

Same here...start with this familiar artist:
http://www.christophertin.com/callingalldawns.html

[Arcana]

David Arkenstone is a very well-known new age artist.

You could even listen to our very own Jillian Aversa.

[Kanthos]

I need to get Calling All Dawns; it's been on my list for a while. I've got both of Jillian's albums. David Arkenstone isn't really what I'm looking for though; I'm thinking more along the lines of authentic, non-western music as opposed to western artists who sometimes have world music flair.

[Guifrog]

Yanni's definitely my idol, and one of the artists I'm mostly inspired by. He likes to say his style's contemporary instrumental, but his production is all about mixed world music, sometimes with electronica stuff. His group consists of awesome instrumentists from different countries and cultures, and I love how this leads me to think about different people as being different instruments that form a unique kind of music.

But heh, there's also Angelique Kidjo, Ivete Sangalo, Gypsy Kings, and if you're looking for eastern music there's Tony Mouzayek, Amr Diab, Ajda Pekkan (I mean, the old music she has), Khaled, Abdelli...

I don't know much about far eastern music. What I hear from there's mostly C-Pop ;P

[alfredofreak]

Putumayo World Music is a label with some good stuff. World Lounge is more chill-out and Sahara Lounge is an interesting blend of electronic and Middle East music.

[dditto74]

Six Degrees Records also has a lot of world music going for it. More modern influences and styles about it, but there is a wide range of titles to choose from.

[LuIzA]

Lenine from Brazil. he's cool.

and Pd. Ravi Shankar and Anoushka Shankar.

[Kizyr]

I'll toss out a few suggestions...

Qawwali is one genre I really like (Pakistan-origin), and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, to me, had the greatest voice ever given. A couple of resources:
NPR Bio
Site with some videos/translations
Mustt Mustt, Ali Maula Ali (er, ignore the comment thread)

Rai is another genre I used to listen to a bit (North African origin, more of a mix of contemporary and folk), not as much these days though. If you've heard Cheb Mami or Cheb Khaled, they're sometimes well-known elsewhere.
Wiki article
Youm Wara Youm (youtube), Tzazae

Altan Urag is one band I like (Mongolian folk-rock), but I can't get any of their albums in the US... I just know them from having worked on the soundtrack to Mongol:
Blue Mark
RaKH II

I listen to some French hip-hop and R&B--the main artists/groups I like there are Sniper (now disbanded), Tunisiano (was part of Sniper), and Zaho. Latin American pop/rock is something I've been listening to for decades now, same with Japanese rock and hip-hop. But all of those genres are probably way more accessible and easier to find out about from others. KF