Mexicans, with their rich musical heritage, were forcefully incorporated into the United States through the annexation of Texas and the Southwest before the Civil War. Stringed instruments, particularly guitars and violins, and the accordion often accompanied the singing of romances and corridos, both ballad forms. The former, of Spanish origin, was essentially an epic poem and dealt with a tragic or heroic topic, while the latter, originating in the late nineteenth century, usually recounted local events, with the hero demonstrating bravery in overcoming adversity, or describing work experiences. Corridos continue to the present day. Some of the most famous championed the exploits of the accused criminal Gregorio Cortez, and more recently narcocorridos have highlighted narcotics traffickers. The Irish, arriving in large numbers in northern cities before the Civil War, carried with them traditional ballads and dance tunes. The romantic ballad, such as “The Emigrant’s Farewell,” expressed a common longing for the loved onesleft behind. “Rich Amerikay” also highlighted the pain of emigration, as did many of the ballads. New World hardships were detailed in “No Irish Need Apply” and “Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill,” both of which entered the folk music mainstream. German immigrants,crowding in northern cities by midcentury, introduced singing societies and also expressed longings for the homeland.
Some, however, detailed the virtues of coming to a land of democracy and opportunity, suchas “Hail to Thee, Columbus, Be Praised.” Local taverns were a common site for workersto congregate and sing, with most of the songs coming from Germany. Because of language barriers, German and other immigrant songs rarely entered the musical mainstream, folk or otherwise. This was true for Scandinavians, Poles, and Italians, for example. Eastern European Jews had a rich musical culture, mostly in Yiddish. Many of the songs expressed various complaints and fears concerning working conditions or family disintegration, or contained religious themes. Broadsides and sheet music of locally composed songs were in wide circulation. While the Yiddish language was limited to Jewish communities, numerous mainstream popular and folk musicians emerged from this rich background in the twentieth century. Ethnic folk singing societies and festivals also served to promote traditional music and dance. Various German communities in Texas established singing societies in the 1850s, which soon formed into a singers’ union and a singing festival in 1853. Such festivals continued into the twentieth century, with traditional German folk songs performed alongside American tunes such as “Oh! Susanna” and “Yellow Rose of Texas.” Other ethnic groups in Texas borrowed from German music, including the accordion, polka, and schottische.
Southern Louisiana also proved to be a musical melting pot, combining French Canadian (from Acadia, now known as Nova Scotia), English, Spanish, German, Caribbean, and other styles, resulting in what would be called Cajun (a corruption of Acadian) music and dance. Welsh immigrants in Pennsylvania and Ohio brought with them the traditional eisteddfod,stimulated bythe founding of the Welsh National Eisteddfod Association in 1880. In the United States these musical events, often choral competitions, reached an early peak at the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, but continued throughout the next century.
By century’s end a rich body of ballads, folk songs, spirituals, ethnic songs, instrumental numbers, dance and popular tunes, and much else existed throughout the United States, with regional, racial, and nationality variations. Most folk music functioned as family and community entertainment—for socializing, to be used as cautionary tales, or as messages for social control—generally reflecting local values and aspirations. Much of this vibrant musical life would be part of the broad idea of folk music, if not currently then in the future. But as yet there was little academic interest in studying this rich legacy. That would soon change, as folk music garnered a broad audience and even commercial appeal.
Folk Music and Folk Forms of Life: Dialectic of Living and Singing
