Sometime in the early 90s, a friend of mine and I were asked to play and sing for a Catholic Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Not long before the mass was supposed to start, a large Spanish-speaking choir and guitar group showed up seemingly out of nowhere to sing for the mass.
Details were murky as to how the event could have been double booked, but it was decided that we would split up the music and each take half.
At one point during the mass, right before they were supposed to sing, almost their entire group got up and left. I looked at the lone guitarist standing there and with panic in my voice said, “They need to come back! It’s your turn to sing.”
He smiled at me calmly, as if to reassure that everything was fine, and, along with a man with a wooden flute, he began to play “El Cóndor Pasa.”
The rest of the choir appeared with candles at the back of church and began processing silently down the center aisle, in a slow and reverent pattern of steps. It was moving to the point of tears, but in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but wonder why they were playing a Simon and Garfunkel song, and I could not get the words “I’d rather be a sparrow than a snail” out of my head.
I eventually learned that “El Cóndor Pasa” was actually an instrumental piece written by a Peruvian composer, Daniel Alomía Robles, in the early 1900s, based on traditional Andean folk music.
Over 300 sets of words have been written to it over the years:
Including the version featuring Paul Simon’s lyrics, which became a hit and introduced the melody to an even wider audience.
The fusion of pop and rock with traditional folk music dotted the landscape in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and the practice has continued throughout the years.
Let’s dip our toe in this vast pool and check out a few examples from around the globe.
Formed in Kraków, Poland in 1965:
Skaldowie became one of the most popular bands in Poland in the late 1960s.
Many of their original songs were heavily influenced by Polish folk music, even at times using the scales and the dialect of highlander folk songs, while musically maintaining the “big beat” aesthetic of the late 60s.
(Big beat is what groups began to call rock and roll, to avoid being disbanded by the Communist regime.) Add to this the fact that most of the band members were classically trained, and the result is a captivating mélange of sounds that should be disparate but work seamlessly together.
The Faroe Islands are an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
With a population of just over 53,000, they sit isolated in the North Atlantic about 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of mainland Scotland.
From these islands comes folk-metal band Týr.
Named after the Norse god of war, their music is almost exclusively devoted to Viking lore and mythology.
They often sing in English, but they also have adapted traditional folk songs sung in Faroese to their hard rocking aesthetic, as well as other Scandinavian folk songs.
An avid surfer:
Dick Dale looked to make music that captured the essence of the sport he loved.
Being of Lebanese decent on his father’s side, he incorporated Arabian scales and middle eastern picking techniques in his playing.
Add a generous helping of that “wet” reverb sound, and this unique guitar style would come to be a defining trait of surf rock and inspire countless musicians that came after him.
His signature song is undoubtedly “Miserlou”, a cover of an Eastern Mediterranean folk song of unknown origin that became popular with Arabic, Greek and Jewish musicians in the 1920s. His blistering version was recorded in 1962. If you want to hear surf rock at its roots and in all of its glory, start here:
Formed in London in 1967:
Fairport Convention eventually began adding their own arrangements of English, Scottish and Irish traditional songs into their folk-rock sound:
Creating something that feels ancient and revolutionary at the same time.
In the 2013 film How I Live Now, Daisy, an American teenage girl, is sent against her wishes to live on a remote farm in the English countryside with her cousins. She is picked up at the airport by 14-year-old Isaac in a dilapidated old military jeep littered with trash.
She reluctantly gets in and begins what will be a life-changing journey. When she tells him to stop talking and focus on driving, he puts in a cassette and Fairport Convention’s “Tam Lin” starts cranking out of the stereo.
“What is this?” Daisy questions incredulously, with an air of distaste. Sandy Denny’s enchanting, urgent vocal rendering of a 16th century ballad from the Scottish Borders, along with the menacing guitar chords and driving bass and drums, take over the moment. In doing so, they perfectly establish the upheaval of Daisy’s life and how disoriented she will be in her new and very old environs.
From Sundsvall, Sweden:
Gamarna is a Swedish folk-rock group with electronic elements, formed in 1990.
They combine original works with interpretations of traditional folk songs.
Here is their rhythmic, enchanting arrangement of a medieval Swedish ballad about a woman who gets married off to a rich man, but doesn’t quite follow the script:
From Slovakia, in 1999:
Hrdza began integrating folk songs from their homeland into their energetic sound.
It’s a blend of both traditional and modern instrumentation.
Check out this fist-pumping, epic take on a Slovakian folk song, “Horela ľipka”, who’s Czech equivalent is usually used as the opening song when the Yale Whiffenpoofs perform. I know there are a lot of Whiffenpoof fans out there, so I didn’t want anyone getting confused
Hailing from Ottawa:
The Halluci Nation, formerly known as A Tribe Called Red, is a Canadian First Nations electronic duo.
Their unique blend of native drumming and chants with dance rhythms and styles has been labelled “powwow step”.
Their sound arose from dance parties they would host for indigenous youth, and their first album debuted in 2012. Several of their songs have been featured in television shows and movie trailers.
And finally: Anyone in the mood for a contemporary take on traditional folk music…
From the Republic of Tuva, in Russia?
If so, Yat-Kha has you covered.
“What’s that”, you ask?
“Will there be throat singing?”
You betcha, and you won’t want to miss it.
Here is a playlist that includes more songs by the above groups.
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Under the category of “things I seem to remember that I knew but must have forgotten but now know for sure:”
Archetypical Cali surf-guitar-guy Dick Dale was born and lived until he was 17 on the East Coast- in a town that was a stone’s throw away from where I grew up.
Yep!
Learning there was a four-piece band from Croatia called The Bambi Molesters who played Dale-like surf music was my streaming highlight of-all-time.
Barreling on the Adriatic River.
Some interesting stuff to dig into. Very familiar with Fairport Convention and Miserlou, though had no idea of its origins.
Couple of familiar folk updates; The Pogues, Thin Lizzy’s Whisky In The Jar.
Not so familiar; English folk singer Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay of folktronica act Tuung have a side project called LUMP which mixes the acoustic, digital and a Laurel Canyon sound.
LA punk rock band The Bronx have a side project as Mariachi El Bronx with their usual sound given a Mexican makeover.
A personal favourite I’ve mentioned before are modern folk band; The Unthanks. They started with covers of traditional Northumbrian folk songs from the north east of England but have branched out in many directions as well as composing their own stuff. This one is a haunting track;
https://youtu.be/w6EIFD80f90?feature=shared
At the other end of the scale, Gogol Bordello are New York based but feature a global diaspora. They’ve a predominantly eastern European flavour. They call it gypsy punk. This might be their best known song, I’ve seen them live and it gets riotous.
https://youtu.be/SkkIwO_X4i4?feature=shared
I love Gogol Bordello, and you’re right. Their live shows are a party!
JJ, do you know Skinny Lister? They’re from your part of the world and mix English Folk, sea shanties, and Punk. Their live shows are also a party.
https://youtu.be/rkBj2tkgC7M
I’ve seen the name but not actually heard then. Very reminiscent of The Pogues from that track, which is no bad thing.
News of another punk folk hybrid that I’ve posted before and you and Ms Virgindog were big fans of; Peat And Diesel. They’ve been quiet for a long while and I was starting to fear they might have called it quits but they’ve announced a tour in the new year. Off to see them in March. Played them to one of my regular gig going friends whose reaction was “what the hell is this, no thanks”. Can’t please everyone. I’d have been happy to go on my own but I’ve convinced a couple of others of their charms.
I really hope P&D come to our shores. If not, I might have to splurge for flights.
So, Bill wasn’t joking. Tickets booked. The Vdogs and the JJ family are meeting up in Dublin 26th April 2025 for Peat & Diesel.
Anyone else up for some Scottish folk punk in Ireland?!
Tickets selling fast so impulse buying is essential.
C’mon, everyone. You know you want to.
I love that this just happened!
I have a mariachi cover playlist and Mariachi El Bronx’s cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 You” is on it. They are fantastic.
My sister turned me on to Gogol Bordello about 15 years ago after she met Eugene Hutz through her work. I love their stuff. I almost included it here.
I’m familiar with Pogues and the Thin Lizzy track. Will check out some of the others. Thanks for posting them.
I can’t wait to listen to that “I Would Die 4 You” cover.
The Unthanks track is restricted here and did not post. What is the name of the song?
It’s called Magpie. See if this one works;
https://youtu.be/G3tklu9Kzns?feature=shared
This is hauntingly beautiful, as you said.
I love throat singing so that Yat-Kha track is my kind of weird. I knew the Dick Dale and Fairport Convention songs, and I’m pretty sure I’ve run across Tyr before, but not any of the others.
I asked the lovely Ms. Virgindog if she knew Skaldowie but she left Poland before they became popular. She said their vocals remind her of Czerwone Gitary (Red Guitars) who were known as the Polish Beatles.
https://youtu.be/r1CM68Z3z0A
Czerwone Gitary were contemporaries of Skaldowie. My wife is very familiar with them. Yes, they were huge and still are a big deal in Poland.
Check out the last Yat-Kha track on the playlist to see a real fusion of throat singing and metal.
Polish Beatles is very accurate based on that. Pretty good.
I have lately been listening a lot of Daybreak Star Radio. Their slogan is “Indigenize the Airwaves.” They play a lot of types of music, as long as the performers have an indigenous connection. Many of the performers draw on their cultural roots and combine them with other forms.
Also, a plus for Thegue, their scrolling news seems oddly obsessed with cricket news.
You can find them at daybreakstarradio.com
Very cool. Will check it out
Always have to throw down for the Irish bands keeping the folk flag waving – the Chieftains, Afro Celt Sound, Enya.
I think Mediæval Bæbes might also count:
https://youtu.be/QD_ufu-wUFY