Folk music is a traditional, mostly rural kind of music that was first transmitted through
families and other small social groups. Folk music is often passed down orally; rather
than being read, it is acquired by hearing. t is an oral traditional art form since most
people learn it through hearing rather than by reading. African American folk music is
frequently linked to other pursuits including employment, dance, and griots’ (West African
poets’) storytelling. African American folk music is frequently linked to other pursuits
including employment, dance, and griots’ (West African poets’) storytelling. Themes of
opposition, empowerment, and tenacity, frequently connected to human rights, define AA
folk.
Folk music frequently has straightforward melodies and lyrics that express stories, ideas, or emotions that are representative of the experiences, beliefs, and values of the people who
composed and played the music. It frequently makes use of acoustic instruments like the guitar, banjo, violin, and mandolin, but it can also include other instruments and even borrow
from contemporary music.
