[World Music] A Guide to Folk Music: A Collection of Traditional Songs from Around the Globe

The joy of love

Angela Gheorghiu – Martini: Piacer d’amor – Barcelona 2004

The French-speaking world’s musical tradition, chanson.

The word itself simply means “song,” so it doesn’t refer to a specific performance method or singing style, yet it’s often associated with a relaxed tempo and a mature melodic feel.

In Japan, perhaps the best-known example is When the Cherries Are Ripe, featured in the Studio Ghibli film Porco Rosso.

The piece we’re introducing here, The Joys of Love, is also one of the chansons beloved around the world—a sorrowful love song about lingering feelings for a woman who has left the singer.

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Araki Jakkan

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Danny Boy

“Danny Boy” - Irish folk song

A treasured ballad that has continued to be loved around the world as a song carrying on the heart of Ireland.

In 1913, British lawyer Frederick Weatherly set warm lyrics to a traditional Irish melody.

Its tune, which gently embraces the feelings of those leaving their homeland and the partings from loved ones, resonates deeply with listeners.

Artists who defined their eras, including Bing Crosby and Sinéad O’Connor, have kept the song alive, and in the 1990 film Miller’s Crossing, Frank Patterson’s vocals lent a memorable glow to a key scene.

An eternal classic to savor on a calm evening.

BergvagabundenTakeo Ischi

Takeo Ischi – Bergvagabunden (Offizielles Musikvideo)

A folk song that depicts an exhilarating adventure set in the Alpine mountains has long been loved in the German-speaking world.

Created by Takeo Ischi, a Japanese artist based in Germany, this piece is a popular track from 2003 included on the album “Der Import-Hit aus Japan.” It masterfully celebrates majestic nature and the earth, as well as the bonds of companionship, blending traditional yodeling techniques with modern arrangements in perfect harmony.

You can fully enjoy the refined vocal skill and expressive power characteristic of Takeo Ischi, also known for “Chicken Attack,” which surpassed 25 million views on YouTube in 2017.

Listen to it before a mountain climb or when immersing yourself in the great outdoors, and you’ll feel your heart set free and your energy stirred.

A Love Story

A Love Story: The Class of Luminous 1st Anniversary Latin Night

The rumba is famous as a ballroom dance number.

Although the music was born in Cuba, to be precise, the rumba we know originally belonged to a Latin genre called son.

As it came to be heard around the world and used as dance music, it evolved in its own way and has now moved beyond the category of folk music to establish itself as a musical genre in its own right.

In that vein, “Historia de un Amor” is one such song—a sad love song that sings of longing for a beloved who is gone.

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Araki Jakkan

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This is all fado.

Fado Kumico Tsumori Tudo isto é fado All of this is Fado Kumico Tsumori

Portugal’s traditional music, Fado.

It had been in decline until a little while ago, but since the 2000s, thanks to the success of Mariza, it has once again attracted global attention.

The real charm of Fado lies above all in its vocals that use nasal vowels.

It’s a genre often sung by women, likely because the nasal vowels pair well with higher female voices.

The lyrics are frequently emotional and deeply moving, so when you enjoy Fado, be sure to check out the Japanese translations as well.

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Ryo

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