Folklore: Artists that work with cante fables?

Subject: Folklore: Artists that work with cante fables?
From: GUEST,mari
Date: 03 Jan 16 - 01:27 PM

Hi everyone on this wonderful forum,

I am a big fan of Gordon Bok, and after I was able to listen to one of his albums called Another Land Made of Water I became fascinated with this genre of story/song he often works in, I think he calles it cante fable. I know he has other stories like that, and I think I managed to track down most of them, but unfortunately I am not that very well familiar with folk music apart from the more known names, so I was wondering if you could tell me about other artists that record similar works, traditional or composed by them.

I would like to add that there is something about Gordon Bok's work that is very personal and at the same timeless that seems very special to me.

Not sure if I posted in the correct section, also English is not my first language, so sorry if anything sounds weird to you.

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Artists that work with cante fables?
From: maeve
Date: 03 Jan 16 - 04:32 PM

Hello, Mari. Your English is fine, and you posted your question in just the right place. :)

I agree with you about Gordon's work. He is very special, as you have said. If you have questions about Gordon's songs and such, you can ask on his Timberhead site, here: http://www.gordonbok.com/

Anne Lister http://www.annelister.com/ writes some pieces that might fit your description of cante fables, and I'm sure other people here on Mudcat will suggest some more names.

Welcome to Mudcat!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Artists that work with cante fables?
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jan 16 - 04:45 PM

Hey, thanks for answering! I've just received some tapes from Timberhead last week, they're very kind over there. I will look for something of Anne Lister.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Artists that work with cante fables?
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 03 Jan 16 - 05:27 PM

The late Scottish traveller Duncan Williamson had some cantefables in his repertoire as I think also his pupil Amy Douglas has.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Artists that work with cante fables?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 03 Jan 16 - 07:16 PM

Best Cantefable IMO is Sheila Stewart's Appley and Orangey - If you haven't got it - happy to pass on a copy
Traveller Mikeen McCarthy from Kerry, an old friend had a Tale version of Get Up and Bar The Door with a lilted verse repeated throughout - text on Musical Traditions in the notes of "From Puck to Appleby" - again, happy to pass it on.
Also, Bert Lloyd's bawdy Australian 'Fill Bowl Fill' should be around here somewhere.
Maybe more here.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Folklore: Artists that work with cante fables?
From: GUEST,mari
Date: 03 Jan 16 - 08:26 PM

Thank you Jim and everyone else, I've never heard any of this before! I guess I've ventured into the territory where it becomes kinda hard to just look up artists online.
I feel silly asking this but where does one get recordings like this? Maybe a label or something of sorts.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Artists that work with cante fables?
From: GUEST,Tommy Makem?
Date: 09 Dec 17 - 08:06 PM

I love Gordon Bok and was so happy to have a front row seat when he performed in Southampton, Pa. I love how his love of the sea comes through in his music. I have read that Tommy Makem (Irish folk singer, RIP) sung in that fashion also, but I just remembered that the song that is a cante fable, Peter Kagan, was actually written by Gordon. Have you ever heard Gordon's Slavic/Russian song? When I saw him in Southampton, he started to sing that beautiful song and one or two women in the audience joined in, in harmony. I had goose bumps.       It is on the Dear to Our Island CD and is called Hatu Khara Ols'n. Just beautiful. Another favorite is on that CD - Connemara Cradle Song.

I have read that a lot of the old Kentucky folk music was in the form of cante fable. I will look up the others some of you have suggested. I am a great fan of the Child ballads, early Baez and early Buffy St. Marie, as well as Gordon whom I discovered around 1970.