BS: Electric Folk Music

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: GUEST,Windsor Knot
Date: 25 Apr 08 - 03:21 PM

Jeri, welcome to mudcat ! it happens me all the time. Once you learn to ignore these dinosaurs that feel their view is all that counts, it's fine.

When they have nothing to offer, they go on a senseless rant, for some unknown reason it's usually about that guy who used to be in Star Trek. If I see a thread I am not interested in, I don't post to it.

Thanks for your input to this thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 25 Apr 08 - 04:38 PM

"As a traditionalist I tend to like my music as it was intended to be heard."

Does anyone really think that electric instruments would have been ignored if they were available 200 or even 100 years ago?   People use what they have available.   Music is meant to be heard by the way the individual makes it, not by the way the listener wants to hear it. If you don't like it, leave it alone for someone else. No one really cares.

Plug in or plug out.

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: GUEST, Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Apr 08 - 06:27 PM

The idea that learning what "folk" means is somehow frivolous and unnecessary frankly shocks me.

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: artbrooks
Date: 25 Apr 08 - 06:31 PM

Jeri, I think your point is well taken: if Peace had been wearing boxers, he may have blown his shoes and socks off, but his drawers would still be intact.

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Azizi
Date: 25 Apr 08 - 09:15 PM

Watt? This current topic has the potential to be positively
re-volting. *

What we need is another power source...a song that is. And I've got just the one for you:

The Electric Company Theme Song>/b>

HEY YOU GUYS!

We're gonna turn it on.
We're gonna bring you the power
We're gonna light up the dark of night like the brightest day in a whole new way
We're gonna turn it on we're gonna bring you the power
It's coming down the lines, strong as they can be
Through the courtesy of The Electric Company
The Electric Company.

The Electric Company!

http://www.bussongs.com/songs/electric_company_tv_show_theme.php

-snip-

Electric Company TV Show aired on PBS 1971 to 1976, and then re-runs were shown in some areas until the mid 1980s. Here's some information about The Electric Company television program:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Electric_Company

And here's a link to that show's theme song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_j0vcc70Ig
Electric Company You've Got the Power

-snip-

*Watt is re-volting to me is all this talk about weather electric folk music is positive or negative. Folk can continue to talk about what Peace wears or doesn't wear if they wanna. My sense is he's fine with either one or the other, or neither for that matter.

:o)

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Azizi
Date: 25 Apr 08 - 09:23 PM

I see the error of my ways {at least with regard to my use of that font command]

But I guess I was supposed to be bold. But I hope what I said didn't shock any body.

And if I did-shock some body that is, then we'd better hurry up and call a first-responder to the scene-or call a moderator to the screen or scream or do something.

Or maybe it's not that heavy duty any way and we should not get over heated but should just calm down and chant "Ohm! Ohm! Ohm!"

Yep. That's the line I'm gonna take.

I said it.
I meant it.
And I'm here to represent it.

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Peace
Date: 25 Apr 08 - 10:14 PM

Regarding underwear: are boxers the ones with no legs or the ones with legs?

I was kidding about farting. It's hard for me to tell when I have because there's no odor. Well, when there is, it's a kinda petunia smell--the pink ones.

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Peace
Date: 25 Apr 08 - 10:26 PM

The question of 'what is folk?' is always a bone of contention here. I can't really be arsed to argue it either way. I do however understand that people who prefer the song as close to the original as it can be done are worried, and rightfully so. Music is important. So is tradition. And as more and more music is either ignored or changed, that tradition gets lost. We have seen that clearly when searching the i'net for songs that were popular but one hundred years ago. Some are gone forever--fewer than one might think as long as Jim Dixon is looking, but too many for all that. I wish I had an answer.

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Azizi
Date: 26 Apr 08 - 12:31 AM

Let me flip the switch, so to speak, and get serious.

If I was asked which type of music I liked best-music that was accompanied by electric instruments or music that was not, I probably choose electrically accompanied music, since that is the music I'm most familiar with. But I'm glad that there are recordings & live performances of traditional music {that is to say, non-electrically accompanied folk music} from my heritages that I can enjoy and learn from, and that there also are recordings and live performances of music from my heritages that are performed with electrical instruments as accompaniment.

For instance, I love the accapella performances of Sweet Honey In The Rock, and The Fairfield Four. Here's a link to a video of the Fairfield Four singing with no accompaniment but their foot stomps, hand claps, and body slaps {pattin juba}:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=P3lxCuJa8JA&feature=related
Po Lazarus - Fairfield Four

**

West African music is also part of my traditional folk music heritage. I love being able to learn about traditional African music, singing and dancing through videos such as this one:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xuqy804ogco&feature=related
Shango Dance

**

And I love the sound of this electified balafon {the zylophone} and other electric instruments & singing in this now classic video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PmWTLDlj6SQ

Cameroon - African Music Legends - Manu Dibango Soul Makossa
[As extra added treat, check out the comments for a discussion about original music, music evolving to new forms, and the pros & cons of "sampling" musician's music, in particular R&B singer Michael Jackson taking parts of Soul Makossa for his "Wanna Be Startin Somethin'" hit record, as well as other recording artist sampling this record}.

**

As far as I'm concerned, it's all good, and I'm thankful that I don't have to make an absolute choice between one form of music making and another.

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Azizi
Date: 26 Apr 08 - 01:15 AM

Speaking of non-electric folk music, here's a link to a fascinating website on traditional West African kora music:

http://www.kora-music.com/e/frame.htm

Here's an excerpt from that website:

"The Kora is a Westafrican harp of the family of bridge harps or harp-lutes

It's the highest developped string instrument of Africa. The construction of the instrument as well as the music are unique in the world...


The Kora has a centuries-old tradition and has been played at royal courts, where the musicians and griots belonged to the personnel...


The playing style resembles the fingerpicking blues guitar, the placement of the strings allows for the playing of chords and harmonies and fast melodic runs"

**

Here's a link to a brief YouTube video of one musicians playing the traditional kora & another musician playing the traditional balofon {wooden zylophone}

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RAmB5ENJ8Vs&feature=related
Kora meets Balafon - Two Mamadou Diabates

**

And here's a link to a YouTube video of the kora being played with a bass accompaniment:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WjPq30bK5x0&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WjPq30bK5x0&feature=related
Malian Kora Musician Mamadou Diabate's Ensemble-I

-snip-

That sound is absolutely beautiful! I've a question for those who view that video, isn't that kora electrified {meaning connected to electricity to amplify its sound?} Btw, the bass player in that video is Noah Jarrett, son of pianist Keith Jarrett.

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: kendall
Date: 26 Apr 08 - 06:48 AM

Bottom line is: If I like it, it's good. If I don't, it sucks.

They say that music hath charm to soothe the savage breast, and that's true.
However, if what you are hearing, (in my case, electric guitars and drums) is noise to you, then out comes the savage BEAST.

Who said, "It's impossible to be pissed off while playing the banjo"?

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Jeri
Date: 26 Apr 08 - 07:16 AM

I'd argue that throughout the years, people have tried some weird stuff with traditional songs, from adding guitar accompaniment to doing 4-part harmony arrangements of sea shanties to fitting them into a rock style. The songs come out the other side no matter what. You learn a song from Steeleye Span or Fairport or Five Hand Reel and unless you walk around with a full rock ensemble, you're back to singing them acapella.

You get irritated or even righteously pissed off, but the song comes through.

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: GUEST,Rich
Date: 26 Apr 08 - 05:14 PM

I think it's rather telling that you often hear a lot of material originally recorded in an electric format covered on acoustic instruments and vice-versa. Think of Rubber Soul or Music From Big Pink as a couple examples. Two completely electric albums that feel more acoustic than a good bit of acoustic recordings.

Rich

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 08:53 AM

In the UK it is common to harmonise shanties. I can offhand think of only one group of purists who insist that shanties were generally sung in unison and stick to that. Was it not Lloyd who said that shanties were generally not sung in harmony save on vessels with black crews? It this consistent with the view sometimes expressed that Africa has saved WASPS from English folk music?

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 10:05 AM

Was it not Lloyd who said that shanties were generally not sung in harmony save on vessels with black crews? It this consistent with the view sometimes expressed that Africa has saved WASPS from English folk music?
-Richard Bridge

Given the number of Africans who have merged into the English population over centuries [pre-20th century], couldn't another statement be made that Africa has significantly contributed to the text, performance structure, and style of traditional English folk music?

I'm just sayin...

Postscript:

Here's an archived Mudcat thread on that subject that might be of interest to some folks:   

thread.cfm?threadid=76372
"Black Britons & Folk Music?"

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Grab
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 10:52 AM

My previous post seems to have vanished. Anyway, previous to Ron's point...

As a traditionalist I tend to like my music as it was intended to be heard.

This is a bit of a problem for folk music, since many of our favourite tunes were designed to be played on the harp or lute!

Violin/fiddle? Only became a folk instrument in the 18th century, and only became well established in the 19th century. Baroque violins are a unique instrument in their own right.

Mandolin? Closest thing to a lute, and Neapolitan mandolins were around for the 18th and 19th centuries, but our modern flat-back mandolin dates from the start of the 20th century.

Bouzouki? The Irish zouk comes from the 1960s, as a slight deviation from the mandolin family instruments invented for mandolin orchestras early in the 20th century but since abandoned.

Guitar? Steel-string guitars didn't exist until the early 20th century, and the gut-string classical guitar only came to maturity in the 19th century.

Squeezeboxes? Invented in the early 19th century, and took the rest of the 19th century to figure out a few standard fingering patterns.

Bodhran? Big-frame skin drums have existed for centuries (maybe millenia), but the concept of a bodhran played on the lap with a tipper is a creation of the 1960s.

So all this does rather beg the question - how traditional are you really? Or more to the point, do you realise how *untraditional* your concept of "traditional" really is?

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: deadfrett
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 11:27 AM

....O.K... Put the microphones away..

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 12:59 PM

"Bouzouki? The Irish zouk comes from the 1960s, as a slight deviation from the mandolin family instruments invented for mandolin orchestras early in the 20th century but since abandoned."

Funny! I could have sworn that bouzoukis were Greek!?

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: pdq
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 01:12 PM

Here is a great article about the...

                                                               bouzouki

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 02:19 PM

Speaking of "zouk", here's information about Caribbean zouk music:

"Zouk" is a style of rhythmic music originating from the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. It has its roots in compas music from Haiti, cadence music from Dominica, as popularised by Grammacks and Exile One. Zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local creole of French with English and African influences, all three of which contribute the sound. In Africa, it is popular in franco/luso countries, while on the African islands of Cape Verde they have developed their own type of zouk. In Europe it is particularly popular in France, and in North America the Canadian province of Quebec.

The zouk music style was invented in the early to mid-1980s when many different styles were fused, such as compas, balakadri, the Dominica based cadence and bal granmoun dances, mazurka and biguine, French and American pop, and kadans, gwo ka and other indigenous styles.

The leading band to emerge from this period was the band Kassav' who came from Guadeloupe and Martinique, they gave the style a pan-Caribbean sound by taking elements from compas, reggae and salsa, and became one of the most famous bands of the genre in the world. Kassav' was formed in 1979 by Pierre-Edouard Décimus, a long-time professional musician who worked with Freddy Marshall. Together, the two of them decided to take carnival music and make it a more modern and polished style. Their first album, Love and Ka Dance (1980), established the sound of zouk. They continued to grow more popular, both as a group and with several members' solo careers, finally peaking in 1985 with Yélélé, which featured the international hit "Zouk la sé sèl médickaman nou ni".

With this hit, zouk rapidly became the most widespread dance craze to hit Latin American in some time,[citation needed] and was wildly popular even as far afield as Europe and Asia.[citation needed] Zouk became known for wildly theatrical concerts featuring special effects spectacles, colorful costumes and outrageous antics"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zouk

**

Here's a link to an online radio station that plays zouk music, reggae, dancehall reggae, kompa,salsa, African mix, and other genres of music:

http://www.zoukstation.com/eight.php

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Peace
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 03:34 PM

Regarding microphones: I expect traditionalists don't use them?

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: artbrooks
Date: 27 Apr 08 - 07:42 PM

Helps 'em sit up straight, Peace.

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 28 Apr 08 - 04:29 PM

A curious thing. In the UK, "folk" music seems to be defined by how traditional the lyrics are, regardless of how they're performed. In the US, the definition seems to be more dependent upon the style of performance.

I guess electric folk music is the voice of the electric folk.

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 28 Apr 08 - 05:18 PM

You are far less likely to hear a voice sounding like a sheep or goat with an electric folk band - possible exception of course was Albion Country Band Mk 1!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 28 Apr 08 - 05:21 PM

Wesidents in folk clubs tend not to sing in electric folk bands, as they are more concerned with singing about bold captain do da and his gallant cwooo and the gway funnel line!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Electric Folk Music
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 28 Apr 08 - 11:53 PM

What? You mean they sing folk songs in folk clubs? Shock horror!