Folk music is a genre of traditional, often rural, music that was originally handed down through generations through oral traditions. The origins of popular music are not known precisely, but they are estimated to be as old as the community of origin. Sometimes popular music is used to refer to music whose composers are not known and what is recognized by a group of people, people, like them. Folk music is sometimes seen as the original expression of past culture or of what is about to disappear, preserve or what has been brought back to life.
- Popular music from around the world –
Folk music is a universal music genre, but varied, and can be found in virtually all societies in our world. Some of the popular folk music includes epic songs and seaside shacks in Finland and the Balkans. From Africa, popular songs include soca, calypso, zouk, samba and Cuban rhumba practiced by Africans in the diaspora. In Asia there are genres like Nadagam and Noorthy.
- General characteristics of popular music modules –
Traditional folk music has several characteristics that distinguish it from other genres. For one, it was often transmitted as oral rather than written traditions, and therefore had to be memorized. Music was linked to the national culture of a particular region or culture. Popular songs are used to commemorate historical or personal events such as weddings, deaths or to mark annual cycles such as collection. The songs were also performed for a long time following the habits of the community.
- Interest renewed in the 20th century –
Folk music has begun to be ignored in some rural areas of the world until the 20th Century, when the genre was adopted by a series of different political and social movements. For example, to promote their nationalist goals, the Nazi and fascist movements of the 1920s through 1940s in Germany and Italy introduced folk music into their canons and military ceremonies. Folk music was also used by dissident groups seeking economic and social reforms. A famous folk music composer at this time was Woody Guthrie who sang protest songs and wrote numerous collections including this land is your land and the maid of the union. The songs expressed the concerns of the rural world and of the working class. Peter Seeger played a significant role in the revival of traditional folk songs by performing them after he reworked or composed them. His songs include we will have to overcome, where all the flowers have gone. The revised musical genre has been named contemporary popular music to distinguish it from traditional folk music.
- Contemporary popular music and subgenres –
Contemporary, or revival, popular music is a variety of styles that have emerged or evolved from traditional traditional music during the 20th Century. Contemporary folk includes genres such as folk rock, electric folk, anti-folk, folk punk, indie folk, folktronic, folklore, American, folk metal, progressive folk, psychedelic folk and neo-folk.
- Greater importance and inheritance –
After the revival of traditional folk music and the transition to contemporary folk, the genre has continued to grow and to be incorporated into a variety of musical aspects and other musical genres. This in turn has created completely new genres. Vibrant artists, especially those who speak English, have played a significant role in the development and popularity of popular music. The awakening of the genre has aroused the interest for the new generations who have embraced and even composed their songs. Such acts include The Watersons, Martin Carthy, Roy Bailey of the United Kingdom, Bob Dylan and Joe Strummer, among others.
