Primitive Folk
tagStarted 1920sPeak 1927–1965Last big hit still active
Located in 1 route
Primitive folk is the stark, pre-modern edge of roots music: minimal accompaniment, modal melodies, grainy vocals, and a sense that the song is being uncovered rather than arranged.
History
The label is usually applied to recordings and repertoires that preserve especially archaic or uncompromised textures from mountain and rural traditions.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Library of Congress
- Smithsonian Folkways
- NPS
- Britannica. citeturn16search0turn8search6turn7search1