# Folk and Traditional



## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

A half-a55ed search of the forum didn't reveal any threads dedicated to Folk and Traditional music, so I've created one.

The music I'm familiar with is mostly from the British Isles and America, but I encourage you to post traditional music from other countries and cultures. I love discovering new (old) music.

Everybody's welcome, even the Talk Classical music snobs (you know who you are).

I'll launch this thread with a lovely song by Jean Redpath who passed away in August.

*Jean Redpath - Mill O' Tiftys Annie*





The next song is personal.... I live there, I can see Lake Pontchartrain from my window!

*Be Good Tanyas - The Lakes of Pontchartrain*





Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

This is a genre that tends to have me running for the hills  but I confess that I own the first 8 Steeleye Span albums (reissues: a double and a triple). There is some pretty good music there  but it is enough for me, for the little time I spend there, which is very little.

I also have a half dozen or more bluegrass albums, which is also folk/traditional. There is a certain kind of bluegrass that I rather like. It's less the picking type and more the wailing type. It's hard to be more precise, but when one hears it, one knows it.

I used to have one Cajun album (Bruce Daigrepont). I think the French was the real novelty there, but the musical style is sort of okay, albeit rather limited.

I have a dozen or so (haven't counted) country albums, a few of which are the more traditional type, done by Dwight Yoakam, who specializes in the old school country sound.

In non-English language traditional, I am somewhat fond of the Hungarian band Muzsikás. Again, it is the occasional song that grips me, not their style as a whole.

I also sort of enjoy the Balkan gypsy music, in particular Taraf de Haïdouks. I also rather like the Macedonian Kočani Orkestar. Burhan Öçal has also done some interesting stuff with the Trakya All Stars (of Thrace).

I also sort of like some of the German Alpine traditional music--the more authentic stuff, such as the Tegernseer Zwoagsang. It has, however, been suggested that authenticity is a chimera. Hubert von Goisern (und die Alpinkatzen) did some pretty wild rocked up versions that are really very good!

En résumé, the genre has some, but very limited, appeal to me.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Martin Simpson's Cool & Unusual CD is a favorite of mine.






Pierre Bensusan's 1975 debut is one of the most astonishing records I've heard from
someone only 17 years old. And his French vocals are beautiful.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Some favorite death and murder songs.


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## Musicforawhile (Oct 10, 2014)

One of my favourite folk songs is 'She moved through the fair' sung by Andreas Scholl.


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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

One of my favourite aspects of music
So many different types, some very local










this next one is "very" local to my part of the UK


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## Levanda (Feb 3, 2014)

Is anybody like folk dances myself I loved as folk songs as well.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I have two left feet.


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

Musicforawhile said:


> One of my favourite folk songs is 'She moved through the fair' sung by Andreas Scholl.


Mine too, but it has to be John McCormack!


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

Thank you all for responding to this thread.

brotagonist - My only excursion into eastern Europran traditional music thus far has been via the Mysterious Voices Of Bulgaria CD.

Admittedly the songs on the CD are rather stylized choral arrangements of traditional Bulgarian songs, but its very beautiful.

*Las Voces Búlgaras - Kaval Sviri*





starthrower - Pierre Bensusan is new to me. The Gavottes video reminds me that.... besides killing each other and dying of the plague; our ancestors loved to dance.

*Kapsberger - Canario *





cwarchc - The only Ewan McColl I own is an old Transatlantic LP he did with A.L.Lloyd I bought in the 1970's. What part of Manchester are you from?

This my favorite John McCormack song

*John McCormack ~ Song to the Seals*





Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

^ I have heard a good number of the Bulgarian 'voices' albums, since, astonishingly, along with Gregorian chant, these were musics that achieved mass appeal in the '90s  That kind of thing doesn't seem to happen anymore. I wonder why not? Perhaps recording companies don't take chances or promote unusual musics anymore?


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

hpowders said:


> I have two left feet.


You were saying...


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## Musicforawhile (Oct 10, 2014)




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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

Metairie Road said:


> Thank you all for responding to this thread.
> 
> cwarchc - The only Ewan McColl I own is an old Transatlantic LP he did with A.L.Lloyd I bought in the 1970's. What part of Manchester are you from?
> Best wishes
> Metairie Road


Hi Metairie Road
I live in, quite, a small town about 10 miles north of Manchester, called Rochdale
Ewan has an extensive collection of recorded work, Peggy Seeger (his partner) is still producing good music


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

Not quite a folk song in the sense of something whose origins are lost in the mists of time, but 'Le temps des cerises' is very close to French hearts:






And here is Emma Calvé's famous recording of the lovely traditional song 'Ma Lisette':


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

Musicforawhile said:


>


That's a fantastic selection of links! 'My Lagan love' is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. If Anthony Kearns doesn't quite have the sweetness of voice that the young John McCormack did when he recorded it (but who does?) he still sings with marvellous expressiveness and grace. If he still takes bookings for upscale private parties like the one in the video, I'll have to suggest him for my brother's wedding next year to his lovely Irish fiancée!


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

I'm a folkie too. British folk, Folk Rock, Americana and Bluegrass. Had a couple of folk bands mesel. Playing Mandolin or guitar.
Seen the Be Good Tanya's live a few times.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I love all folk music, but Scottish traditional songs & tunes are in my bones...






Scotland's national poet wrote as part of a living folk tradition:






And there are the glories of the Traditional (Child) Ballad; my family owned this LP of the great Alex Campbell:


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Folk is a living tradition and continues with these modern and not so modern pieces.

The Kipper Family from Trunch

Jimmy MacBeath Tramps and Hawkers

Hamish Henderson Freedom Come All Ye 

Jimmy Miller (aka Ewan MaColl)  Ballad of Accounting

Dick Gaughan No Gods and Precious Few Heroes


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Good to see you back posting big man! 

I was born in Glasgow and grew up there and in Stewarton on the west coast. Folk music always had a presence in my life. Moving to the North East of England in my teenage years led to my discovering the folk scene there. 
I spent a canny few nights in the folk clubs when I was old enough to get in. Isla St Claire Is a lovely singer and I saw her in the folk circuit years ago.


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Badinerie said:


> Good to see you back posting big man!
> 
> I was born in Glasgow and grew up there and in Stewarton on the west coast. Folk music always had a presence in my life. Moving to the North East of England in my teenage years led to my discovering the folk scene there.
> I spent a canny few nights in the folk clubs when I was old enough to get in. Isla St Claire Is a lovely singer and I saw her in the folk circuit years ago.


Good to be back.

I grew up in Mossend just outside Glasgow but have been in England for over forty years now.

We were in Durham in the 70's and 80's when there was a thriving folk scene - both the festival itself and the clubs round about it but also a thriving dance scene with morris and rapper as well as ceilidh. It was interesting to run across people like Bert Draycott who had contributed to A L LLoyds Mining Songs or to hear Johnny Handle talk about his own time with the coal board. There was a group call Peg Leg Ferret who did a version of Barras's the Pitmans Social Neet in broad dialect which after about nine years in the city we were able to understand and laugh along with.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I encountered this band and album in a store in Albany, NY about 20 years ago. It was a great record store, and they had entire rooms with separate sound systems playing different music. Needless to say, I left the store with a copy of the CD.

Altan Island Angel


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Dance music has been mentioned. Most people are well aware of Playford tunes:

Prince Rupert March and Masco 

Nobody's Jig / Mr. Lane's Magott / Black and Grey

Both of these are by Les Witches.

I wonder how many (non-dancers) have come across the Apted tunes? This is a particularly cheesy version but gives somes of the flavour.

Even the sedate morris can get a folk rock treatment

Old Woman - Shepherds' Hey Trunkles

Lads a' Bunchum/ Young Collins

We're all aware of the great Scots dance bands like Jimmy Shand, Jim Macleod, Ian Powrie, Colin Dewar and so forth but many people miss out on the Irish Ceilidh tradition - often using the same tunes with the same driving power.

Here's some Kilfenora Ceili Band


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2014)

I'm partial to the occasional dabble, usually Japanese but some Eastern European too. Perhaps some shakuhachi performed by Mitsuhashi Kifu.


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

Can anybody identify the performer and the name of the song?

I recorded this from the radio - BBC Folk on 2 - sometime during the 1980's. It's from an old cassette tape so the sound is a bit hissy.

Yes, I know it's illegal to copy music from the radio (and the internet) and I promise to surrender myself to the authorities as soon as I've finished posting this.

In the meantime if anyone can identify this I'd be grateful. Then I can send them a few bob and ease my guilty conscience.

http://picosong.com/feW5/

Support the artist - buy the music.

Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

2014 is nearly over so here's a late tribute to the the soldiers of 'the great war'. My maternal grandfather was a private soldier (British army) in the first world war. He survived despite a bullet wound to the face.

*Sods' Opera - When This Bloody War Is Over*





Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## Jobis (Jun 13, 2013)

I have a major soft spot for Okinawan folk music.
















The syncopation between the drum and the sanshin (like a japanese banjo type instrument) never fails to impress me.

Also the pentatonic modes they use are so beautiful.


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

I prefer the Planxty version of 'Arthur McBride' but this version by Paul Brady has a nice video to go with it.

*
Paul Brady - Arthur McBride*





If anyone wants to post something a little more gung-ho or patriotic please feel free.

Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

I love all sorts of folk musics. Here's one from my part of the world.






Two flat-picking MASTERS: Norman Blake & Tony Rice performing "The Last Train from Poor Valley." Such a sad, beautiful song!

Norman Blake is from Rising Faun, Georgia, up in the northwest corner of the state.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

*Atahualpa Yupanqui - Milonga del Solitario*

I have an extensive collection of folk/world music, and as unique and beautiful as all the various musical traditions are, very few reach the level of Yupanqui's work.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

I like the very established Galician group from Northern Spain, *Milladoiro*, partly due to some great memories from that region and its historical centre, Santiago Compostela. You´ll hear music like this when wandering the medieval streets of that town, coming from the shops and live musicians.
They represent a partly Celtic heritage in that region. 













Their earlier recordings were a bit more edgy and folksy than the later ones have been.


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

Just listed this on the Non-Classical Listening thread, but I think I'll double-post it here for anyone who may be interested:



SimonNZ said:


> Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger - The Long Harvest, records 9 and 10
> 
> which some brilliant person has put up on YT:
> 
> ...


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

Like many sinners I have great love for religiously inspired music.

*The Carolina Ladies Quartet - Don't Put Off Salvation Too Long*





*Milton Brown & His Brownies - Stay On The Right Side, Sister*





Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Eastern European folk music is the best


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

Metairie Road said:


> If anyone wants to post something a little more gung-ho or patriotic please feel free.
> 
> Best wishes
> Metairie Road


Okay!


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

Two books I've read this year:

*Rob Young: *Electric Eden. Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music.










*Jeanette Leech: *Seasons they change. The story of acid and psychedelic folk.










Both are meaty books, good reads and provide plenty of artists to explore, from back in the day to the present.

Any other reading recommendations in this area?


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## drvLock (Apr 2, 2014)

If you like folk (celtic) music blended with heavy metal, listen to these two bands:

Cruachan (from Ireland) and Thuatha de Danann (from Brazil)


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Wood said:


> Two books I've read this year:
> 
> *Rob Young: *Electric Eden. Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music.
> 
> ...


Look good. I've reserved both from our local library and look forward to some post Christmas reading.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Here's a couple of my Fairport Convention favourites - the first a quite spooky retelling of the shape-shifting Bluebeard-like legend and the other a bawdy account of a poacher who strikes it lucky:


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Lovely.

I know Reynardine from Martin Carthy's Prince Heathen album of early 1969. Since Martin Carthy tended to use authentic versions I had a quick check to see what the original was. I was surprised to find (in wiki) that the modern version is attributed to A L Lloyd who



> represented his versions of "Reynardine" as "authentic" folksongs (going so far as to claim to have collected the song from one "Tom Cook, of Eastbridge, Suffolk"), but this informant has never apparently been encountered by any other collector.


Very curious!


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## Kibbles Croquettes (Dec 2, 2014)

Last night I was at a local bar listening to our ex-drummer play some 60's style folk revival stuff with a banjo. It was odd to hear familiar songs done in a clawhammer style. I guess that's the term. I'm not too much into banjo music.

But what I really wanted to mention was this finnish folk trio called Rönsy. I love their song "Toinen nainen". Its text is very basic, about a love affair, a guy has got a second woman etc., nothing special in that, but I think that the version - I don't actually know the original folk tune - is absolutely fantastic. It starts very calmly, with double bass and the singer in unison, but then it starts developing from there. There's accordion solo and some fantastic call and response style thing at the climax. And personally, since I love the kantele, I'm happy to say that they've got that too.


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

Another fascinating book, if anyone's interested:










"Singing From The Floor: A History Of British Folk Clubs" - JP Bean

more specifically, and for my taste more exciting, its an _oral history_, incorporating the voices and memories of the original club owners, the performers, and the enthusiast audiences.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Taggart said:


> Lovely.
> 
> I know Reynardine from Martin Carthy's Prince Heathen album of early 1969. Since Martin Carthy tended to use authentic versions I had a quick check to see what the original was. I was surprised to find (in wiki) that the modern version is attributed to A L Lloyd who
> 
> Very curious!


Looks like we're going to have to accredit this one to that most prolific of songwriters, Trad Arr :lol:


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Wrapping Christmas presents and listening to this husband and wife team....










Great great folk americana Saw Abagail when she was with Uncle Earl.


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

No apologies for posting Kenneth McKellar. This man was probably my first introduction to traditional music when I was very young. He was much on TV and radio in those days bringing traditional music to a mainstream audience.

*Kenneth McKellar - Song of the Clyde* 





A lovely country waltz version of Come By The Hills. Perfect for dancing with your sweetheart.

*Philomena Begley - Come By The Hills*





Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

If you're wanting no-apologies Kenneth McKeller, here's one of my favorites:


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

...And no apologies for Val Doonican either. These singers were my gateway to the more traditional traditional music. It's all good.

*Val Doonican - Paddy McGinty's Goat*





Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Caught up with my reading after Christmas. I enjoyed Electric Eden and Singing from the Floor but found Seasons They Change a little too bitty and American oriented. Thanks to Wood and SimonNZ for the recommendations. :tiphat:

Considering Reynardine and Martin Carthy, one nugget I found was that he was at school with A L LLoyd's son and probably got into folk music that way.

I love Kenneth McKellar. Growing up in Scotland we had a rich diet of Kenneth McKellar, Moira Anderson, Andy Stewart, Jimmy Shand and so forth. I remember Kenneth McKellar on the radio once telling the story that at one recording session, after they finished, they had a few drinks and then did a version of the Ball of Kirriemuir. Unfortunately, they were enjoying themselves so much that they forgot to tape the performance. When we were at a Scottish dance in Dundee, a gentleman from the Kirriemuir Scottish Dance Society (Kirriemuir is just north of Dundee) brought the house down by announcing that he had tickets for their highland ball, so that you could buy tickets for the Ball of Kirriemuir. :lol:

Val Doonican was another mainstay of my youth. We saw him a few years back in Lowestoft. He was still an excellent entertainer, but the voice had suffered with age. What was more interesting is that we were among the youngest in the audience by quite a margin - it was like an OAPs convention.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

*Robin Williamson*

_Robin Williamson_ is a Scottish singer-songwriter and harpist.

He's quite an incredible artist. I have two of his ECM recordings, _Skirting the River Road_ and _The Iron Stone_. I intend to get more.

Sample the first track of his latest release, _Trusting In The Rising Light_ here: http://player.ecmrecords.com/williamson


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

I've posted already in another thread, but Rosa Balistreri deserves to be more well known. One of the greatest italian singers ever with a visceral, powerful voice.


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

Ageing folkies (like myself) might be interested in this short documentary about Rory McEwen.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05270hv


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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

Some more "local" folk from the next town to where I live now
I have to admit to singing this in my local pub (years ago) after sampling some refreshments






Here's one about Salford, a city next door to Manchester


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## aajj (Dec 28, 2014)

_Bruce Molsky & Big Hoedown_ (on Rounder,1997)
Fiddle, banjo, guitar & vocals. Familiar traditional material such as "John Henry" & "Shady Grove" mixed with lesser known old-timey songs out of Kentucky and other parts American South.











starthrower said:


> *I encountered this band and album in a store in Albany, NY about 20 years ago.* It was a great record store, and they had entire rooms with separate sound systems playing different music. Needless to say, I left the store with a copy of the CD.


Was this store on Central Ave and named either Music Shack or Worlds Records? I lived in Albany 1980 - 81 and i remember a great record store on that street. They had an awesome selection of all genres but i cannot remember the name.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Another couple I'd recommend:

The Strawbs second album proper isn't quite as highly-regarded as some of their subsequent 'rockier' releases but this is the one I go back to the most.

And the Mr Fox release combines both albums from this short-lived but top-notch group helmed by Bob and Carole Pegg.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

norman bates said:


> I've posted already in another thread, but Rosa Balistreri deserves to be more well known. One of the greatest italian singers ever with a visceral, powerful voice.


Carmen Consoli is a fave of mine. Great voice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHhHr-Ps6ZQ#t=107


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

Fabulous piano throwdown

*Hobart Smith - Fly Around my Blue-Eyed Girl*





Great Ragtime guitar. Maxwell House Coffee should use this music in an ad.

*Blind Blake - West Coast Blues*





Occaisionally my job takes me down into the Cajun Parishes. I still get a kick when stopping at a gas station or grocery store to be greeted with "Comment ça va?". After my standard reply of "Ça va bien, merci, et vous?" I switch to English (My high-school level french not being sufficient for me to continue a conversation in French).

Sadly, it's mostly the older generation that speak French now, and I think this aspect of Cajun culture will die with them. Fortunately Cajuns speak English just about nearly as good as what I do.

*Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys - La Danse De Mardi Gras*





Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## aajj (Dec 28, 2014)

A live performance by Bob Dylan of "Mr. Tambourine Man" at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964.

I'm uncertain if this is the first public performance by him of this song, but it's among the first. His studio recording appeared in 1965 on _Bringing It All Back Home_ - the same year The Byrds had a big hit with their rendition.


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## Tero (Jun 2, 2012)

Leo Kottke and Doc Watson would be my guitar men. Though based on folk picking, Kottke is out there. As was Michael Hedges.


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## aajj (Dec 28, 2014)

I've long loved the debut album by The Roches, three sisters who first received attention in the New York City folk scene in the late '70s.

All original material. Clever, goofy, sweet, sad and heartfelt. Surprisingly produced by prog rocker Robert Fripp in what he called "audio verite," keeping the sound natural and spare, with little more than the vocals and acoustic guitar. However, Fripp adds his electric guitar on "Hammond Song" to stunning effect.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Really Beautiful playing from Adam. Makes me want to chuck me Mando in the bin :lol:


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

John Renbourn has died at 70. http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/john-renbourn-dies-aged-70-67419


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

starthrower said:


> John Renbourn has died at 70. http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/john-renbourn-dies-aged-70-67419


Aw man! only 70. Pentangle fan here. Have to play some in honour.


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

Badinerie said:


> Aw man! only 70. Pentangle fan here. Have to play some in honour.


Sad indeed, especially with the relatively recent death of Bert Jansch.

As well as Pentangle, I enjoy his solo work from the sixties.

it would also be interesting to hear his classical compositions, but I'm not aware of them ever being recorded.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I picked up this CD I never knew existed at a recent science fiction convention (of all places)! It is superb. It's like the best of Fairport mixed with The Strawbs and a little Beatles skiffle and rock thrown in now and then. It includes a pre-Fairport version of "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" Woot!


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

For myself, I love folk music from the British Isles (especially Scotland) and maybe Canada, but when it comes to the American south I'm outta here if it devolves into twangy country. My favorites include The Tannahill Weavers, Dougie McLean, Fairport, Sandy Denny, Loreena McKennitt, Clannad, a little Gordon Lightfoot, and of course the folk-rock crossovers. Folk in one form or another seeped into classical as well as rock and so called world music and even jazz.


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

What a voice. I wonder how may cigs I'd have to smoke before I could sing like this?

*Navigators - And if Venice is Sinking* 





Another great gravel voiced singer -

*Ronnie Drew - Easy and Slow* 





Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

I am enjoying the Swedish duo, First Aid Kit and Australian artist Courtney Barnett. Folk with a contemporary feel.


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

Weston said:


> I picked up this CD I never knew existed at a recent science fiction convention (of all places)! It is superb. It's like the best of Fairport mixed with The Strawbs and a little Beatles skiffle and rock thrown in now and then. It includes a pre-Fairport version of "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" Woot!


This looks great, it is high on my list of future purchases.

Sandy Denny blocked the record from being released after she recorded it. I'd imagine it must have done a fair bit of harm to the Strawbs career. I haven't heard them for a long time, but I think it is unlikely that they would ever have been as good without Sandy Denny. (As with Fairport Convention).


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

^^^My cousin played with ex Strawb John Ford


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive

Anne Briggs ( singer and name of album)

Frazey Ford - Indian Oceean

Quercus - (band and name of album. June Tabor on vocals)

All good stuff


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

I'm listening to Gabby Pahinui. Lovely music.


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

*norman bates*, I must own up to ignorance when it comes to Hawaiian music. I was only aware of Gabby Pahinui's music because of his association with Ry Cooder.

*Gabby Pahinui - Wahine U'i*





I've also been trying to find a complete recording of the title music from the movie 'Donovan's Reef' for years without success - the original tapes are probably rotting away in the dusty vaults of Paramount Pictures.

Here's a nice version by *Keali'i Reichel* -
*Pupu A 'O 'Ewa*





Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

A couple of amazing songs from the Alan Lomax collection.

*Hobart Smith - Fly Around My Blue-Eyed Girl*






A chilling and mesmerising song recorded at the Mississippi state penitentiary - *'Early in the mornin'*






Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

The Reel of Tullochgorum by the Pub Boys:


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## Guest (Apr 15, 2016)

This is an old lp of mine,unfortunately I cannot give samples.I can assure you that it sounds very traditional. 








I found an example that is also on the lp.This may give you a clue because this is a commercial recording.



For those who want this lp ,it is for sale on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Musique-Dayak-Bornéo-Kalimantan-Collection-LHomme/dp/B00B3D1J6M


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## Guest (Apr 15, 2016)

Here another old lp,I found a sample from the Original lp.


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## Harmonie (Mar 24, 2007)

I've really come to love British Folk/Folk Rock. The darker and more somber it is, the better, too.





That crumhorn intro is simply delightful. Really, the whole thing is. This is the song that got me into Folk.





They have released this song many times, but the first version in this video is my favorite. I think being slow fits it very well, and that subtle use of the organ I just can't get enough of.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

http://pesna.org/

Click 'all songs' and you'll get a list of more than 1 thousand Macedonian folk songs. Many of them with original text and translations into English and other languages. I've found some real gems there. Folk music from the Balkans (and Hungary) seems to me the source and centre of almost all music of Eurasian origin. (I don't mean that literally).


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## Jordan Workman (May 9, 2016)

Oró sé do bheatha 'bhaile traditional Irish song:


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I love that Old Ireland sound!


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## jenspen (Apr 25, 2015)

Jordan Workman said:


> Oró sé do bheatha 'bhaile traditional Irish song:


Uncannily like "What Shall We Do With a Drunken Sailor". Which came first I wonder?


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## jenspen (Apr 25, 2015)

Eibhlin Aruin...(Eileen my treasure/darling Eileen) composed by Carol O'Dalley, both poet and harper flourished in the early seventeenth century. This is the ethereal version we used to sing at school (in English) rather than the less ornamented and more rhythmic folksy version:


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## jenspen (Apr 25, 2015)

And a sailors' song as sung in the Royal Navy (not a merchantman sea shanty) - "Spanish Ladies"


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## jenspen (Apr 25, 2015)

And what folk song is lurking, unacknowledged, behind the melody of this mélodie (lyrics by Verlaine)?






Let's hear Kathleen:


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

Figleaf said:


> Not quite a folk song ...
> 
> And here is Emma Calvé's famous recording of the lovely traditional song 'Ma Lisette':


I don't know if it's folk, but this most certainly needs a bump.


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

Taggart said:


> Folk is a living tradition and continues with these modern and not so modern pieces.
> 
> Jimmy Miller (aka Ewan MaColl)  Ballad of Accounting
> 
> Dick Gaughan No Gods and Precious Few Heroes


I've tended to reject Ewan McColl as being too worthy, and being at fault for trying to impose his wobbly vocal on everyone, including the great Shirley Collins. Nevertheless, this song is more than good, and of course anything by Dick Gaughan is too.

Interestingly, I hear a lot of Ewan McColl (in this song) in the voice of Martin McCarthy, who has superseded McColl as folk's royalty.


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

VASHTI BUNYAN: Just another diamond day


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## Ralfy (Jul 19, 2010)

"Al Atlal" with English subtitles


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Wood said:


> I've tended to reject Ewan McColl as being too worthy, and being at fault for trying to impose his wobbly vocal on everyone, including the great Shirley Collins. Nevertheless, this song is more than good, and of course anything by Dick Gaughan is too.
> 
> Interestingly, I hear a lot of Ewan McColl (in this song) in the voice of Martin McCarthy, who has superseded McColl as folk's royalty.


They all worked together. There's a lovely Dave Arthur interview about the early British revival which mentions some of the links.

MacColl worked with Bert LLoyd. Martin Carthy went to St Olave's Grammar School at Tower Bridge with Bert's son, Joe which is one of the ways Martin Carthy got into folk. So no surprise that he picked up some influences from MacColl.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Wood said:


> I've tended to reject Ewan McColl as being too worthy, and being at fault for trying to impose his wobbly vocal on everyone, including the great Shirley Collins. Nevertheless, this song is more than good, and of course anything by Dick Gaughan is too.
> 
> Interestingly, I hear a lot of Ewan McColl (in this song) in the voice of Martin McCarthy, who has superseded McColl as folk's royalty.


I know just what you mean about the *worthiness* of Ewan MacColl. 

I like Martin Carthy (not McCarthy) in his youth, very much, but I'm afraid his voice is past it now. Also occasionally he injects something hearty & 'British' into his tone (e.g. in his *Boys of Bedlam*) and oh how it irks me!

Still, no wonder that the folk revival in its heyday is a matter of cross-influences. 
My heyday too! :tiphat:


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

I'll see you on the other side Dave.











Best Wishes
Metairie Road


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

I've always loved the story of Babbacombe Lee.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Same here. No-one can really say whether John Lee was guilty or innocent but I can't help thinking of what must of been going through his mother's mind when her son cheated the gallows three times, even more so when he was released from prison in 1907.


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## Guest (Feb 17, 2018)

HORSLIPS Drive the cold winter away






I've been looking out for this album for some time. It is now on You Tube. Hear it while you can.


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## The Deacon (Jan 14, 2018)

A concept folk lp that is similar to Babbacomb Lee - that is, about a man in misery - is the very rare , private-press lp, "The hermit" by Mountain Ash Band.


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

Hey fellas... Folk is one my favorite genres of music. I really like exploring musical traditions from all around the world.
So far my favorite folk traditions are Irish and Celtic in general, Italian and Balkan.
I am from Bosnia and Herzegovina, so I know quite a lot about Balkan folk music.

Here are some of my faovrite songs from these traditions:

Irish (though played by Serbian Band "Orthodox Celts")






Italian






Serbian folk dance






And now something from Africa... (though this is not exactly traditional) the original song that Shakira covered in her song "Waka, waka, this time for Africa"


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## The Deacon (Jan 14, 2018)

Irish & Balkan can sound similar. Must be some sort of past connection.

Balkan music turns up in the solo of a Planxty member.


Also was immigration to Sweden.
Deacon has the BALKAN "Spiller" lp ('73, Sonet) and two fusion-folk instrumental lp by group, RADIO BALKAN.


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

Celts inhabited large parts of Balkans before arrival of Slavs.

BTW, here's another song a bit of crossover between folk and art music by Šaban Šaulić,
regarded as one of the best folk songs from the time of former Yugoslavia. So classical fans will probably like it.






Here a bit better sound quality but without video:


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2018)

The Deacon said:


> Balkan music turns up in the solo of a Planxty member.


Davy Spillane made East Wind with Andy Irvine. It is pleasant.


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## The Deacon (Jan 14, 2018)

This is a most excellent lp:










It has the tyracks "Romanian Song" and "Paidushko Horo", but I guess Romania is too far East to be considered Balkan???


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2018)

I'd generally consider Romania to be a Balkan State. Strange that it has a Latin language though.


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

Romania while technically outside Balkan peninsula certainly does belong to the Balkan region in cultural sense.


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

Silvana Armenulić - one of the most famous female folk singers from former Yugoslavia... tragically died still relatively young.


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2018)

They are some interesting links Zjovic, thank you for posting those. I'm fond of the Slovenians Sedmina and their album 'Il Dejanje'.


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

Tulse said:


> They are some interesting links Zjovic, thank you for posting those. I'm fond of the Slovenians Sedmina and their album 'Il Dejanje'.


Checking it now, luckily there's whole album on Youtube, all with playlist.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Has anyone mentioned Malicorne yet?

Really good band from France.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

How about Dutch band, Flairck?

This is a really talented band, with great musicianship.


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## The Deacon (Jan 14, 2018)

Saw this lp yesterday :










Its a later lp ,so I am reluctant.

(Got maybe 6 Malincorne lps and also Pierre de Grenoble lp.)


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

@Simon Moon: I really like the Dutch band very much! Thanks for sharing.


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## 38157 (Jul 4, 2014)

I feel like OP possibly had a more specific kind of folk in mind (my suggestion might be classified in HMV more as "world music", but luckily we're not at HMV), but I love Stoyan Velichkov (or at least the bit of repertoire I've heard from him - I don't really know his stuff intimately by any stretch). A lot of Bulgarian folk just hits the spot, it's like an Irish jig gone incredibly right.

This particular example relies on a 9+9+4/16 pulse, to the uninitiated it can take a minute to wrap your head around, but once you've internalised it, it's a great little groove.


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

****** said:


> I feel like OP possibly had a more specific kind of folk in mind (my suggestion might be classified in HMV more as "world music", but luckily we're not at HMV), but I love Stoyan Velichkov (or at least the bit of repertoire I've heard from him - I don't really know his stuff intimately by any stretch). A lot of Bulgarian folk just hits the spot, it's like an Irish jig gone incredibly right.
> 
> This particular example relies on a 9+9+4/16 pulse, to the uninitiated it can take a minute to wrap your head around, but once you've internalised it, it's a great little groove.


Stoyan Velichkov is good stuff!

BTW, here's something from Bosnia and Herzegovina:

This is a band that performs traditional Serbian music mostly, they are from Laktaši, near Banja Luka.


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

Now my favorite Russian song, learned it in primary school.
Uralskaya Ryabinuska.


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

some beautiful folk songs from Janáček who was born in the same region as myself (a couple of dozens kilometers)


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

BTW, if anyone is interested in ethnic/traditional music, this is an interesting channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4gNHCugaKSSCpaI2hL2Jmg


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

Interesting channel indeed! And I liked Janaček too.

Here's a song from Italy that I find rather interesting:


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

****** said:


> I feel like OP possibly had a more specific kind of folk in mind (my suggestion might be classified in HMV more as "world music", but luckily we're not at HMV), but I love Stoyan Velichkov (or at least the bit of repertoire I've heard from him - I don't really know his stuff intimately by any stretch). A lot of Bulgarian folk just hits the spot, it's like an Irish jig gone incredibly right.
> 
> This particular example relies on a 9+9+4/16 pulse, to the uninitiated it can take a minute to wrap your head around, but once you've internalised it, it's a great little groove.


Hungarian and Balkan folk is my great love. Bulgarian folk is probably at the top for me. Wonderful rhythms and vocals.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

ZJovicic said:


> Stoyan Velichkov is good stuff!
> 
> BTW, here's something from Bosnia and Herzegovina:
> 
> This is a band that performs traditional Serbian music mostly, they are from Laktaši, near Banja Luka.


I love Serbian music as well. Just as much as Bulgarian.


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

If you like Hungarian and Serbian music, maybe you'd also like some Serbian songs that are influenced by Hungarian music.
Here are some songs by Zvonko Bogdan... he lives in Sombor near Hungarian border, and his music could be counted as "Old city music" which is urban form of folk music originating in late 19th and early 20th century.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Thanks ZJovivic, I appreciate that. But it's not really the kind of folk music I like. I like the peasant folk music much more than the city music. The city music is more 'civilized' art music but often quite sentimental or romantic and it lacks the real fire, passion and depth of traditional folk music. It reminds me of the Habsburg period. Bogdan's music reminds me too much of the sentimental music Czigany combos were performing in the restaurants in Budapest in the seventies when I was there with my parents. I don't know if they are still there today.

I like this more for instance (although it's not 'original')






Or this:






Do you have some recommendations on traditional Serbian (peasent) folk music?


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

^^^^Include me as a fan of such Serbian music also.


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

I don't know any Serbian music, but the music posted above reminds me a little of the Cossacks music from Ukraine and Russia.


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

Here are some traidtional folk Serbian songs (rural variety):


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

Also, very important in Serbia are "kolo" dances, which are usually danced in circles and music for such dances is usually solo accordion... here are some:











here's a bit larger selection of kolos


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

Some Italian songs.
This one is related to workers movement:




This one is against emigration to US (which was massive in late 19th and early 20th century):




Another socialist/workers song:




This one is a funny song that plays with a lot of double entendres:


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## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)




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## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

Two ensembles, Kolo & Tanec. Tanec starts at 59 minutes of the video.


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## The Deacon (Jan 14, 2018)

Ashley Hutchings broke off from his group, Steeleye Span, because they were going in an Irish folk direction, instead of English.

Lately Ive been listening to his lps "Compleate Dauncing Master", "Morris On","Son of Morris On" and the cd "Grandson of Morris On"


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

Vronsky said:


> Two ensembles, Kolo & Tanec. Tanec starts at 59 minutes of the video.


Excellent find, so much kolo dance music! I really like kolo because it's so lively, and musically interesting.


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## ZJovicic (Feb 26, 2017)

Just discovered this:


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

On one level, _Perspectives On Tradition_ does exactly what its title implies. *Stick In The Wheel* (Nicola Kearey and Ian Carter) asked three contemporary musicians to explore their own heritage and that of the UK’s traditional music scene via the archives at Cecil Sharp House, with a view to collaborating on a handful of tracks. Nothing too groundbreaking there, you might think. But if you know the music of Stick In The Wheel, you will know that pretty much everything they do is groundbreaking, often bordering on iconoclastic. While their music has roots – or at least tendrils – in folk, their philosophy is a heady blend of radical inclusivity and punky anarchy. The resulting music is often as diverse as it is exciting. (*folk radio uk*)










The final track’s title is "Euphoric Clashes", which is a term that could easily be ascribed to the whole release (it is also, handily, an anagram of Cecil Sharp House). Kearey and Carter created the track’s basic form, and the other three artists contributed individual parts to it. The result is one of the most experimental, diverse, politically resonant and frankly beautiful tracks ever to come out under the banner of folk music.






*Stick in the Wheel* are a band with its origins in working-class East London, UK. It consists of vocalist and artist *Nicola Kearey* and *Ian Carter*, their producer, arranger and Dobro player. They bring a contemporary approach to folk music with raw minimalism, setting vocals to simple accompaniments and handclaps, along with progressive synths and beats informed by the street music of their heritage. They sing and perform both their own compositions and traditional songs, which hold a strong relationship to each other through their subject matter.

Previous albums:

_From Here_ - (CD & vinyl album, 25 September 2015)
_From Here: English Folk Field Recordings_ - (CD & vinyl album - Stick in the Wheel and featured artists, 7 March 2017)
_Follow Them True_ - (CD & limited edition vinyl album, January 2018)
_This and the Memory of This Mixtape_ - (CD & limited edition cassette, October 2018)
_English Folk Field Recordings Volume 2_ - (CD & vinyl album - various artists, 19 April 2019)
_Against The Loathsome Beyond Mixtape_ - (CD & limited edition cassette, Nov 2019)
_Hold Fast_ - (CD & vinyl album, August 2020)


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

This generation's "Simon & Garfinkel" is the excellent duo The Milk Carton Kids. Consisting of singers and guitarists *Kenneth Pattengale* and *Joey Ryan*, who began making music together in early 2011. I have enjoyed all of their recordings to date, and they just released a new single from their latest project.

*The Milk Carton Kids - Running On Sweet Smile* (Official Audio)


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

*Lisa Hannigan* is an Irish musician, singer, composer, and voice actress. She began her musical career as a member of Damien Rice's band. Since beginning her solo career in 2007 she has released three albums: _Sea Sew_ (2008), _Passenge_r (2011), and _At Swim_ (2016).

*Lisa Hannigan - Funeral Suit*


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## vsl0 (3 mo ago)

Some Ingrian Finnish folk songs by Arvi Kemppi:


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

*Emily Portman & Rob Harbron – Time Was Away*

Beautifully atmospheric and gently beguiling Time Was Away is a delight. With a knowingness and tender approach to the folk tradition, the perfectly matched Portman and Harbron deliver an elegant and understated fragile gem. (full review)


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

*The Unthanks - "The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry"* 
- 2022-08-26 Shrewsbury Folk Festival






“We’ve learnt a new song to drive sorrows away”, declare The Unthanks on the epic title track of their latest album. For a band who draw strength and inspiration from the act of communal togetherness, the past couple of years have been especially tough. Not only did the enforced lockdown prevent them from playing live, but it put a stopper in the residential workshops and weekends that have been such a crucial part of The Unthanks’ MO for a decade or so.

Recorded at home in Northumberland, Sorrows Away announces itself with two long-form treasures. “The Great Silkie Of Sule Skerry” emerges from a soft drone and Adrian McNally’s lovely piano figure, as Becky and Rachel Unthank are gradually joined by moody brass, strings, acoustic guitar and the bassy rumble of drummer Martin Douglas. A traditional Orkney song learned from Alan Fitzsimmons of The Keelers, the Tyneside folk group whose ranks included George Unthank, the sisters’ father, it subtly changes form like the shape-shifter of the title, making for an utterly gripping eight minutes. (review)

*The Unthanks* (until 2009 called Rachel Unthank and the Winterset) are an English folk group known for their eclectic approach in combining traditional English folk, particularly Northumbrian folk music, with other musical genres.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

*Rising Appalachia - Silver (LIVE from Preservation Hall)*






I first came into contact with *Rising Appalachia* about ten years ago when I heard _Filthy Dirty South_, which was more old time/folky bluegrass music. Over time they have become more experimental with the style and instrumentation. 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rising Appalachia is an American Appalachian folk music group led by multi-instrumentalist sisters *Leah Song* and *Chloe Smith*. Leah also performs as a solo artist. Based between Atlanta, New Orleans, and the Asheville area of North Carolina, the sisters work with an array of international musicians and the band incorporates everything from simple harmonics with banjos and fiddles, to a wide variety of drums, kalimbas, beatbox, djembe, balafon, congas, didgeridoo, tablas, spoons and washboard creating a full mix of world, folk and soul music.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

*What We Did on Our Holidays* (released as Fairport Convention in the United States) is the second album by British band *Fairport Convention*, released in 1969. It was their first album to feature singer-songwriter *Sandy Denny*. The album also showed a move towards the folk rock for which the band became noted, including tracks later to become perennial favourites such as "Fotheringay" and the song traditionally used to close live concerts, "Meet on the Ledge".


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## PeterKC (Dec 30, 2016)

Apologies if he has already been mentioned here. The man I truly miss who was taken from us so early. Stan Rogers.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

*Janis Joplin & Jorma Kaukonen: The Legendary Typewriter Tape (Omnivore Recordings)*


Long the stuff of legend and shaky sounding bootlegs, this 1964 recording of a young Janis Joplin backed by future Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen has been given a serious sonic upgrade by engineer Michael Graves who restored and remastered the source tape back to its original glory. The performances have a shocking clarity to them, with even the clacking of Margareta Kaukonen’s titular typewriter and the tapping of Jorma’s foot reaching across the ages to excite the air once more. This is a rare opportunity to hear these artists sound as naked as they do here and should be rightfully celebrated by fans of both the blues and the fomenting Bay Area rock scene.


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