Songs of the Sea: The Origins of Shanties
The life of the shanty is a fascinating example of how elements of a music genre can evolve to match its environment.
Folk music, folk art and folk dance
Heritage on the Go: Olga Edseth’s Rosemaled Hot Pink Pumps
In America’s Dairyland, expressing one’s ethnic identity sometimes means not only participating in the revitalization of a folk art but transforming it into a fashion statement.
Girls’ Carnival Morris Dancing: a Contemporary Folk Dance?
Often overlooked in accounts of English Morris dancing, girls’ (carnival) Morris is a highly competitive, team formation dance popular in England and Wales.
The Devil’s Instrument: Hardanger Fiddles and Norwegian-American Folk Music
The Hardanger fiddle is a staple of traditional Norwegian folk music, which connects people visually, bodily, and aurally, with their Norwegian heritage.
Horse or Dragon? May Day’s ‘Obby ‘Oss of Padstow, Cornwall
A horse or a dragon? Anyone who has seen May Day’s ‘Obby ‘Oss of Padstow may conclude that it looks like neither.