Eva Antonel
My most vivid memory associated with
folk music is being stuck in standstill traffic
at the bottom of the Ambassador Bridge.
Having just purchased a copy of Rise Up
Singing, a compilation of folk revival
favourites, while visiting a friend in Detroit, I
decided to have a peek inside and soon my
travelling companion and I found ourselves
bursting into song. I'm not sure who was
more surprised, the unfortunate commuters
who happened to be within hearing distance,
or us at recognizing the majority of the songs.
Like old friends, they brought smiles to our
faces as we belted out one song after another.
You may think that folk music is as
obscure as throat-singing. But if you're old
enough to remember the 60s and the 70s or
have been fortunate enough to be exposed to
the music of that era, you will find yourself
humming along to many of the more popular
tunes. Even if you aren't familiar with the
names of the songs, you'll probably recognize
the names of some of the artists; Pete Seeger;
Arlo and Woody Guthrie; Peter, Paul and
Mary; Judy Collins; Joni Mitchell or Buffy
Sainte Marie. Here, for example, is one song I
remember singing in grade school.
Folk music took its well-deserved place
alongside the rock sounds of that era at
Woodstock, New York, in August 1969. The
now iconic concert, billed as "an Aquarian
Exposition: 3 Days of Peace and Music" was
attended by more than 400,000 people. Folk
artists such as Crosby, Stills & Nash, Joan
Baez, Arlo Guthrie and Melanie were as well
received as emerging rock legends The
Grateful Dead and The Who. The event was
Check out
Rise Up Singing
on Amazon!
Here’s a compilation
of folk favourites to
get you in the mood:
North American
Folk Music
The Kingsville Folk
Music Festival runs
August 8 to 10
www.kingsvillefolkfest.org
commemorated by a song written by Joni
Mitchell and made famous by Crosby, Stills,
Nash & Young. A documentary by the name
of Woodstock is still an enthralling watch
today.
As you delve deeper into the genre,
you're bound to recognize more songs than
you thought possible. The depth of the field
is vast and has remained vital as it continues
to flourish with many young musicians
picking up the torch. Here's a recent ditty that
you may have heard.
Folk music is as old as the world itself.
By definition it's the music that originated
from people's life experience. It was kept alive
by being sung and played by the people it
mattered to the most: the oppressed and the
disenfranchised. It's no coincidence that this
genre is most associated with rebellion and
anthems for social justice.
Folk music is alive and well in
Windsor-Essex. The first annual Folk Music
Festival will be talking place in Kingsville on
August 8 to10. Forty musicians will be hitting
the stage at Kingsville's Lakeside Park with
Bruce Cockburn headlining. Head down to
the lakeshore and immerse yourself in folk
music for a day or the weekend. Bring a
blanket, a picnic lunch and maybe even tuck
some flowers in your hair.
If you fall in love with the sound, you'll
be happy to know that Windsor Folk Music
Society has been in our midst for over 20
years and brings in Can