folk music

/ˌfoʊk ˈmjuzɪk/

/fəʊk ˈmjuzɪk/

Definitions of folk music

1. noun

   the traditional and typically anonymous music that is an expression of the life of people in a community
   synonyms: ethnic music, folk

   types:

   folk ballad, folk song, folksong

   a song that is traditionally sung by the common people of a region and forms part of their culture

   schottische

   music performed for dancing the schottische

   C and W, country and western, country music

   a simple style of folk music heard mostly in the southern United States; usually played on stringed instruments

   gospel, gospel singing

   folk music consisting of a genre of a cappella music originating with Black slaves in the United States and featuring call and response; influential on the development of other genres of popular music (especially soul)

   square-dance music

   music performed for square dancing

   blues

   a type of folksong that originated among Black Americans at the beginning of the 20th century; has a melancholy sound from repeated use of blue notes

   fado

   a sad Portuguese folksong

   doo-wop

   a genre (usually a cappella) of Black vocal-harmony music of the 1950s that evolved in New York City from gospel singing; characterized by close four-part harmonies; the name derived from some of the nonsense syllables sung by the backup

   soul

   a secular form of gospel that was a major Black musical genre in the 1960s and 1970s

   bluegrass

   a type of country music played at a rapid tempo on banjos and guitars

   hillbilly music

   country music originating in mountainous regions of southern United States

   zydeco

   music of southern Louisiana that combines French dance melodies with Caribbean music and blues

   type of:

   popular music, popular music genre

   any genre of music having wide appeal (but usually only for a short time)