I'm not entirely sure this thread belongs here on Veeky Forums, but since it's the most wannabe-intellectual part of Veeky Forums I'll post it anyways.
My question is very simple: does the US have something that can be called folk culture? If the answer is positive, in which states is folk culture more prevalent?
As a foreigner, my view of the U.S. is that of a country ridden with generic movies, music and literature. It seems that every thing that can be commercialized will be turned into a product. Furthermore, I can spot no relevant (other than language, of course) anglo tradition that has perpetuated itself across the years.
The only region where some sort of folk culture and popular roots still exist is in the deep south, specially among the black community and to a lesser extent the whites (Faulkner would be an example). I always get very confused when I ask someone to recommend me folk music and they say stuff like Bob Dylan. What's folk-ish about the damn guy?
What are the instruments of American folk culture? What are its themes and cultural roots? Is there some sort of folk literature going on? This is a serious thread and I don't mean to attack anyone, I'm genuinely interested.
I'm not American, but Canadian so that's close enough.
Yes, they have folk culture. Can I describe it to you, probably not.
Where you from?
Elijah Davis
>does the US have something that can be called folk culture? yes. it has numerous folk cultures traditions in both music and literature, dotted across the contemporary borders of the usa. look into some oxford histories or bibliographies on whatever topic interests you and read up. if you're looking for some interesting american folk music, check out shape notes and spirituals. and john fahey, to see how an artist working slightly before and at the same time as dylan was working with folk materials differently than him. as for bob dylan, watch the doc 'no direction home' to see what people mean when they call him a folk musician. and i should say: this is a literature board, not a music board.
Angel Cruz
I'm also interested in folk literature and oral traditions. I come from a country where we have a very rich scene of folk and popular writings and publications, with booklets and leaflets still being produced almost as handicrafts. I only used musical examples because I'm throughly ignorant about the subject of American folk literature.
I would truly like to have such a description or at least a recommendation of works dealing with this theme. I'm from Brazil.
Joseph Bailey
America from the outset historically consists of immigrants from a bunch of different cultures.
So much of contemporary American culture is definitely flavored by incoherent European homages in the vein of "we wuz pilgrims and shiet", Saint Paddy's day, Christmas, whatever.
Truly 'authentic' American culture is more-or-less borne out of 1) the westward expansion - cowboys, homesteaders, trappers - and 2) african slaves
Regarding the second point, the slaves literally had the oonga boonga culture beat out of them, so they had to just make new shit up. Jazz, rap, southern cooking, bbq, whatever. A lot of quintessentially American things are made by this community
t. amerifat
Aaron Gomez
>oonga boonga culture why
>jazz, rap, southern cooking, bbq, whatever idk i don't think these are exclusively black creation, american culture was built within ethnic communities but mostly between them
Christian Flores
>I would truly like to have such a description or at least a recommendation of works dealing with this theme. I'm from Brazil. >I'm from Brazil
Lol get the fuck out this is an Anglo website go shit somewhere, like the streets you poor filthy Portuguese porkshop shit.
Landon Taylor
look into harry smith's anthology of american folk music and read eric foner's 'give me liberation'
Owen Nelson
op this is a big part of american culture - racism
Elijah Hall
>idk i don't think these are exclusively black creation, american culture was built within ethnic communities but mostly between them
Definitely I feel you on this, for example the Creole culture is a fusion between african slaves/spanish/french immigrants
But the africans started from a completely clean slate. The african american culture is arguably the clearest reflection of the continent's history
Logan Martinez
yeah, i would agree with that. and just to clarify i would agree jazz and rap are distinctly black traditions but i just think that saying there was a clean historical line from slavery up to their genesis leaves a lot of stuff out (idk shit about food)
Jacob Gutierrez
>America has no folk culture Literally do some basic research. America has a rich history of traditional blues and country, and all popular music is derived from the American folk tradition in some way. Listen to Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music.
Nicholas Jackson
>America more racist than ANYWHERE else Ebin, screenshotted for reddit xD >inb4 cuck
Nicholas Reyes
I've been to Brazil. I spent two months there. Brazilians are fucking retarded and dirty. Even the white ones.
Carter Edwards
fuck to /pol/ you sexually neurotic beta
Grayson Rodriguez
Are you from the northeast of Brazil? If so, I warn you that there is nothing in US that can compare to the amount of folk culture we have here.
Andrew Thompson
>dude Americas so racist lmao >Brazilians are so great and tolerant and vibrant! Back to pol you racist!!! Get out you libcuck NPR intellectual
Christopher Long
>Sexually neurotic
I may start using that insult myself.
Isaiah Reyes
The whole world is definitely racist but user was obviously reacting to "Lol get the fuck out this is an Anglo website go shit somewhere, like the streets you poor filthy Portuguese porkshop shit."
Brayden Morris
Bahia sucks. I got food poising from an outdoor restaurant run by mongoloids.
Levi King
I had hopes the South US would be able to offer something.
Leo Martinez
Jazz and rap/hip hop are most definitely black creations. They also invented the blues, and thusly rock and roll.
I guess you could say white people helped inspire the blues, though.
Jose Morris
Bahia is only in the northeast because the dudes fucked up during the 1930s. Bahia isn't and will never be part of the true northeast.
Ian Morales
>I guess you could say white people helped inspire the blues, though. kek
Isaac Hernandez
readsettlers.org
Cameron Howard
We were fortunate enough to have someone as Ariano Suassuna. I feel bad for other places.
Daniel Ward
I get the impression that the "bahianos" dislike being associated to the northeast.
Nathaniel King
People from Salvador are a bunch of faggots. Northern Bahia is cool, though.
Luis Garcia
I had a maid at my pousada come onto me but she looked like she was around 400 years old.
Chase Cooper
Our folk culture mostly comes from southern blacks who created a mythology around the land beyond the plantation.
Carribean blacks also developed hybrid folk religions adapting elements of Christianity and voodoo.
Bob Dulan basically ripped of Woody Guthrie,, and Guthrie basically ripped off 'Lead Belly. There is also Ska and Mento and Calypso music, both of which traveled out of the Carribean and into America, and from there into England, influencing the development of Rock and Roll. The Clash basically ripped off Jamaican ska culture
