# How to find good folk music?



## Gustav Mahler (Dec 3, 2014)

I have a special place in my heart for folk music-
I like Hungarian music, Italian and more. I am a classical musician and I don't know a lot about this kind of music.
Where to start?
I really liked the soundtrack for "The Godfather". I understand that it is close to folk Italian music.
I really like this romantic folk music.
Please help me to explore more folk music. 
Also as I am Jewish, I have a soft spot for Klezmer music (even though it derives from Hungarian music)


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2015)

Isthak Perlman made a nice recording with klezmer music.There are many labels wich are specialyzed in folk music and art music of other cultures.I advise you to look there .Ocora,Le Chant du Monde and many others.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Irish fiddle music is fabulous - here's a YouTube link to some lovely jigs and reels. 





There are various areas where folk & classical intersect - for example the compositions of the blind Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan who was influenced by Geminiani.






There are also Scottish baroque works that use folk music - for example:


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Try Pres de Paris by Pierre Bensusan. It's a very beautiful album with great guitar playing and French and English vocals.


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

I prefer bad folk music personally.


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## Gustav Mahler (Dec 3, 2014)

Thank you. I indeed forgot to mention Irish music, of course I like it too!
I will get those albums.
I also forgot to mention my deep love to Spanish guitar music, or flamenco (Is all Spanish guitar music flamenco?)
I am really confused. Are there more popular beautiful folk music? What artists should I listen to?
For flamenco I know Paco De Lucia Is good. Are there more suggestions to artists of other genres?


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## jenspen (Apr 25, 2015)

Ingélou said:


> Irish fiddle music is fabulous - here's a YouTube link to some lovely jigs and reels.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm guessing, Gustav Mahler, that you're not a native English speaker so not familiar with some of the famous traditional Irish songs some of us sang at school? We enjoyed the following beautiful airs which, as far as I know, started out with Gaelic words. Several have made their way into the classical repertoire:

She Moved Thro' The Fair






Eileen Aroon






Danny Boy (to the Londonderry Air). The most famous of all. Everybody's recorded it - Elvis and...






The Quiet Land Of Erin






Carrickfergus






The Last Rose of Summer


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## Gustav Mahler (Dec 3, 2014)

Thanks. I am indeed from Israel. How did you know I am not a native English speaker? Have I made a mistake? I hope not!
By the way, I know Danny Boy from a wonderful interpretation by James Galway, the flutist.
Worth listening to.


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## jenspen (Apr 25, 2015)

Gustav Mahler said:


> Thanks. I am indeed from Israel. How did you know I am not a native English speaker? Have I made a mistake? I hope not!
> By the way, I know Danny Boy from a wonderful interpretation by James Galway, the flutist.
> Worth listening to.


No mistakes, formidable!

It was because, in your original post, you didn't mention what I would guess is the dominant folk music for us English speakers and one many of us are lucky enough to simply absorb early on (that is, Irish). But you *did* mention Hungarian folk music, which the likes of me (I'm Australian) have to seek out.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

I have a few favourite collections of folk music._

Music! The Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv_ is a comprehensive four disc set featuring selections from over 100 years of recordings, media running the gamut from wax cylinder to modern digital recordings.

The WDR World Network series comprises some 50 discs of music from around the world, all in very high quality sound and featuring a good balance of studio and live recordings.

The most extensive folk music project I'm aware of is the _Nonesuch Explorer Series_, which must have something like 100 discs under its banner, and while I cannot claim to have heard every single one, I do feel I have heard enough to call it an indispensable resource for the folk music enthusiast.

Lastly, you owe it to yourself to seek out Deben Bhattacharya's collection of recordings of Bulgarian folk music, _Musik Från Bulgarien_. I much prefer it to the famous _Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares_ collections.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Find it? Jump into your time machine (bring cash) and go back to ~1964. Great folk music performed by talented folks who were 'informed by the dream'.


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## Gustav Mahler (Dec 3, 2014)

Crudblud said:


> I have a few favourite collections of folk music._
> 
> Music! The Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv_ is a comprehensive four disc set featuring selections from over 100 years of recordings, media running the gamut from wax cylinder to modern digital recordings.
> 
> ...


Wow, That's good news!
I always like big collections, so I know it covers many genres, artists etc.
I will try to get it.
So I understand those are the best collections of folk music out there? Is there some other great collections I should take under consideration? And does it really cover the important genres of folk music?


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

Gustav Mahler said:


> Thank you. I indeed forgot to mention Irish music, of course I like it too!
> I will get those albums.
> I also forgot to mention my deep love to Spanish guitar music, or flamenco (Is all Spanish guitar music flamenco?)
> I am really confused. Are there more popular beautiful folk music? What artists should I listen to?
> For flamenco I know Paco De Lucia Is good. Are there more suggestions to artists of other genres?


There's an incredible amount of folk music out there. You could live three lifetimes and never get to hear it all. Nonesuch and Smithsonian Folkways have incredible collections. As for Spanish music I'd recommend 'El Camaron'-the most revered Flamenco singer ever. He cut a few albums with Paco.


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## Gustav Mahler (Dec 3, 2014)

Is there a collection that consists more of instrumental folk music, rather than songs?


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

Gustav Mahler said:


> Wow, That's good news!
> I always like big collections, so I know it covers many genres, artists etc.
> I will try to get it.
> So I understand those are the best collections of folk music out there? Is there some other great collections I should take under consideration? And does it really cover the important genres of folk music?


Best, who can say? They are just the ones I know and love the most, and that have fueled my passion for folk music for many years.


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