Folk Music

Thought it'd be good to start a thread for Folk music instead of highjacking Joerg's topics with music videos and boring everyone.
I find the history behind the songs amazing!
Here's some to start.

Jock O'Braideslee

This sad song was about the Battle of Flodden, where the great and good of the Scots were killed in the defeat against England in 1513.

Dick Gaughan - Flooers o' the Forest

"Woke Up This Morning With My Mind On Jesus." Fred McDowell, recorded by Alan Lomax

Eddie Reader sings Ae Fond Kiss by Rabbie Burns.

This is a traditional Scottish folk song, mocking John Cope who was a British army officer who suffered defeat against the Jacobites.

Scots Wha Hae, the words were written by Rabbie Burns, legend has it the tune was whistled by the Scots army on the way to Bannockburn..


Scots Wha Hae - Kirsten Easdale

Sinead O'Connor - Oro Se do Bheatha Bhaile

From day one with me Otto has lived with music. The first journey back to his new home was a little dramatic, I sat in the back of the car holding him while he peed and vomited, while i tried to catch it in countless poo bags, it appeared he was decidedly nonplussed about Mercedes. We got home and I thought Glen Gould 'The Goldberg Variations' can sooth any ill so we started there. Then one day after when my Ipod was on shuffle Anne Briggs came on. Otto suddenly stopped playing and sat staring at the speaker until the song finished and I congratulated him on his fine ear.



Then more recently this one caught him again.

(I met her recently and told her how my Deerhound was a huge fan, which I'm sure she understood the flattery as it was meant).

and these next three Otto hasn't expressed any particular love for but I think they're wonderful. -2 Italian folk songs and them I'm cheating slightly with a perfect piece of early gospel.







xx

Some lovely music there. I have to brag a little though - my husband and I are folk musicians and singers so our 2 boys get to listen to it live! They are particularly fond of our Canadian songs (we visit Nova Scotia for 3 weeks every year). We had a party at our house a few weeks ago to which all our music friends came and the dogs had a fine time They have been to many a session and singaround. Never join in though, thank goodness for small mercies :-D

Nice songs KB. Nina Nanna and Anne Briggs especially. Never heard Anne Briggs before, reminds me of Vashti Bunyan.
If you have any more song recommendations post them up.



Here's some music from Mali, loads of great musicians from there.

Tinariwen



Ali Farka Toure



Bonaparte's Retreat - Aly Bain




Bodhranlady, great you and your husband are folk musicians. I love all types of music but folk music is my personal favourite.
What kind of folk music do you play?

Hello, I have problematic amounts of music and am The Evil Dictator of The Stereo at home - I even wrote in the contract for my lodgers that they were not to play ay music within my ear shot that I did not approve of, I went on to add a small list that shall not be played, with an extra note stating that this list may grow at any point during the course of the lease.

Anne Briggs is fantastic. Her and Bert Jansch played together for some years. Her early albums were wonderful but she then was recorded by some record company that produced all the purity out of her voice and (I agreed totally missed the point of her) and she left, gave up, she became a recluse and has barely been heard of since. There's a lovely image of her walking with some kind of sight hound and I always wished I could find her somehow and plead with her to come back to London and play again, there's a good platform growing for folk again in London. here's some rare footage of her
and this is my friend, Mary Hampton, who's voice is phenomenal when you hear her just sitting in a room with a guitar, (which of course, cant be heard in recording) but after hearing her I almost couldn't speak, her voice fills the space like it's all around and inside you at the same time. Look out for her when she tours. She has two albums out and a third any day soon. KB

I've never heard of Mary Hampton either KB. I'll have to search around an find an album of hers, and Anne Briggs as well. Both have great voices.

Arthur McBride - Paul Brady



One of my favourite folk singers, Hamish Imlach

Hamish Imlach-The Cuckoo


Hamish Imlach - McPherson's Farewell

Glad you like the music Joerg

If you like Burns songs, you should check out Eddi Reader's album singing Burns songs. I've seen her live she's got an amazing voice.

www.amazon.co.uk/SINGS-TH...S/dp/B000095IYT

Do you have any German folk music you like?
The only German artist I've come across before is this

...

Here's Breda Smyth, great on the tin whistle, which I can play but nowhere near as good as this! Also play the bagpipes..