What is folk anyway?
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There isn't just one folk music, there are several.
The stuff I sing is a product of the folk revival in the 60's.
Which had roots in a number of traditions:
American, English, Scottish and Irish songs;
pub songs, sea shanties, tinkers' songs, soldiers' songs, women's songs;
Negro stuff like blues and work songs and jazz;
hillbilly stuff like country, bluegrass.
People like Joan Baez, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColl, Alex Campbell, Bob Dylan, Donovan, Bert Jansch; blues artists like Big Bill Broonzy, Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry, Leadbelly, Jesse Fuller.
Pop groups like The Animals, the Byrds, Lonnie Donegan, Steeleye Span, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; singer songwriters like Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, Loudon Wainwright III and of course Bob Dylan again.
Folk groups like the Galliards, the Kingston Trio, Peter Paul and Mary, Fairport Convention.