What is Folk Music?
Folk music is a type of music that was brought over from Africa to America. It was a way for enslaved African to hold onto their culture and their stories. Typically, folk music, lives in oral tradition and is learned and taught through hearing rather than reading it.
Elizabeth Cotten
One well- known figure was Elizabeth Cotten. She was a self-taught guitar player. A fun fact about her was she was a left-handed guitar player but learned and played on one made for people for right-hands. Cotten was best known for her song titled “Freight Train” that she wrote when she was only 11 years old. Her music specifically specialized in blues and folk. Her contribution left a lasting impact on folk music and made her a key figure in the folk revival of 1960.
