Folk-Rock

Folk-rock, folk rock or even folk-rock, is a style of music that represents a synthesis of folk and rock music.

Electrified Folk Music

The original folk-rock emerged in the 1960s in the United States and Canada. Typical were tight vocal harmonies and a relatively effective and distortion-free sound of electric instruments, embodied for instance by the sound of the Byrds guitarist Roger McGuinn. The repertoire was partially, but clearly modeled on the actual folk singer-songwriter of the folk environment as Bob Dylan. Also acoustic instruments.

Anglo - Celtic folk rock

This variant of the folk-rock culminated in British Folk Rock (also Electric Folk ) in the late 1960s. Based on the North American folk-rock, it was next to some other especially the style-defining band Fairport Convention, which started deliberately elements of British folk in their music. Shortly thereafter, the originally more traditional folk group Steeleye Span began reinforced elements of rock music into their pieces incorporate and achieved similar results. After the mixture of Irish folk and rock by the English Steeleye Span had acquired a certain reputation, also bands from Ireland as Horslips recollected on this type of music.

Also worth mentioning is the flow of Celtic Rock, adapted the stylistic elements of the folk music of Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall and Brittany. Characteristic of this variant in addition to the Irish band Clannad was the Breton harpist and singer Alan Stivell, who made the borders of France, the stylistics popular and is often referred to as "the father of Celtic Rock ". At least in the first half of the 1970s was the Celtic Rock to its roots in the folk very close, the pieces were related significantly to the traditional Celtic fiddle and harp melodies and even vocals ways, but they did not gave up guitar amps and drums. Over the years they turned many performers, including Clannad and Stivell, increasingly esoteric or influenced by New Age content to, but keeping their folk roots completely behind. This development towards the rock music inspired in turn some new game types, including the British folk-rock.

In a broader sense, the term folk-rock also includes other similar genres and currents in the English-speaking world, its Celtic fringe, and to some degree also in other European territories. Like the genre itself its borders are difficult to define. Instrumentation, playing and singing manner and the selection of the material of the folk -rock may optionally be more inspired by the folk or rock music. Although the origin of the actual folk -rock especially the music of white English-speaking North Americans is headed, is not clearly defined, come what other folk cultures as well as an influence into consideration. However, it should be noted that the term generally is not applied to blues -based or other music African-American origin, nor on French Canadian music and especially since the 1980s, not even on the music of other non-European populations, since in general rather than World Music is classified.