Folk Music in Black communities was the utmost form of storytelling and expression. African Americans that were enslaved used folk music as a means of passing down their history and a means to survive. In the present day, folk music has become synonymous with whiteness. But on the contrary, folk music has a deep and rich history in the African-American diaspora.
The banjo, arguably, the most notable instrument in modern day folk music, has become a staple of white folk music. Often, people forget the banjo, originated in Africa, as well as the guitar, fiddle, and harmonica. Instruments such as the djembe served as the grounding rhythmic aspect of this type of music.
Folk music incorporated call and response and work songs so that workers could be in one accord. It allowed for the development of other genres, such as the blues, gospel, and jazz. Notable performers include Odetta Holmes, known as Odetta. Her powerful voice rang through the civil rights movement as she performed at rallies and pushed this genre into mainstream media. Modernity, artists like Rhiannon Giddens from the Carolina Chocolate Drops use their talents to re-explore the genre and dig back down to those African American roots.
Hopefully, a day will come where you won’t have to put “black” in front of “folk music” when Googling the genre.
