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Independent Folk Music

Each country has their own folk music, but the genre folk music usually refers to American and British music that’s been passed through generations by oral tradition. It's simple, acoustic-based music that spins everyday events and common people into mythic status. Many traditional folksongs have no known author - they simply evolved over the years. Most of the earliest recorded folk music was of this nature, but with Woody Guthrie, topical and protest folk music began. Still, many artists, including the Weavers and Pete Seeger, mixed traditional songs with newer material, either written by the artists themselves or contemporary musicians. Initially, Bob Dylan functioned in that style. However, Dylan’s second album relied entirely on original material, and is considered to have ushered n the modern era of folk, where most performers sang their own material, and only occasionally sang covers of traditional songs.

The definition of folk music today varies depending on who is talking and in what context. Some prefer to think of folk music as an umbrella which covers blues, Cajun music, ballads, and "rooted" music from around the world, along with the music of the contemporary singer-songwriters. Others see themselves as acoustic singer- songwriters with rock, jazz, or other influences, and "folk" is the community to which they belong.

In record stores, CDs placed under the folk label are usually acoustic singer-songwriters with a few bluegrass and acoustic blues artists. Perhaps the best understanding of folk music is that it is music of the people - music accessible to people which they can usually sing and play themselves.

Folk music can usually be broken down into two main styles - traditional folk (including artists such as Joan Baez, Woody Guthrie, and Leadbelly) and contemporary folk (including artits such as Bruce Cockburn, The Limeliters, and Christine Lavin).

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