Folk Music

Folk music could be about any subject but one thing it definitely was – it sprang from the working classes – and this is true all over the world. The subjects of the songs were things that were close to the singer’s heart and that could be anything from love to war to work. The early part of the century saw men and women of the working classes struggle to make ends meet. This was the time when women and children were being noticed and being acknowledged as having rights. In America, a lot of the folk music found their expression in religious songs and spirituals were the result. This was music from the heart, music that expressed people’s feelings – and it was not thought of as something that would bring the money in.

The Movement of the Music:
Through the 20th century, folk music evolved, finding its place in the mainstream after having been part of the background for so long. Somehow, it seemed to thrive it days of adversity. So in the 30s during the days of the great depression, there it was, rearing its head, giving hopeless souls something to soothe them through the hard days ahead. Music just made things better like a band aid. Came the 40s and Bill Munroe spread the bluegrass message all over the country. Radio helped to take folk music out of its little pockets and make it a national music heritage.

The sixties threw up a lot of amazing folk music names – like Joan Baez, James Taylor, Cat Stevens and Bob Dylan. This decade saw a resurgence of folk music – but with the 70s being more settled politically as well as socially, folk music saw a fading in popularity.

A New Century:
There seems to be a revival again in this century and there seem to be a large gathering in the folk festivals that are being organized all over the country. Slowly but surely, folk music is becoming more visible, more mainstream. The Awards functions are not only recognizing it as a genre they are also getting aware of the many genres and sub genres that surround this music.