[World Music] A Guide to Folk Music: A Collection of Traditional Songs from Around the Globe
Traditional and folk music has a charm that’s different from works categorized into genres like rock, jazz, or R&B, doesn’t it? It’s like you catch a glimpse of a world different from where you are now… scenes you can’t quite put into words start to unfold in your heart.
In this article, we’ll be introducing a wide variety of folk music loved around the world.
From pieces brimming with exotic flair to songs that feel surprisingly familiar, we’ve gathered a truly broad selection! Listen to the tracks featured here and open a new door.
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[World Music] Recommended Ethnic Music: A Compilation of Folk Songs from Around the World (41–50)
The joy of love
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.
A Love Story
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.
El Mambo
[Mambo (Cuba)] “Qué Rico el Mambo” (El Mambo), composed by Cuban musician Dámaso Pérez Prado.
Performed by the Nihon University Rhythm Society Orchestra OB Mambo Band at the Shinjuku Bunka Center.
The Latin percussion looks like a lot of fun!
Cherry Pink Cha-Cha
Cha-cha-cha is well known as a program in social and competitive dance.
It’s said that the name comes from the sound made by the steps striking the floor.
“Cherry Pink Cha-Cha” is a piece by the Spain-born composer Louigui.
Even if you don’t know how to dance it, the tune naturally makes your shoulders sway, doesn’t it? By the way, cha-cha-cha is a musical genre that evolved from mambo, another dance born in Cuba.
For that reason, “Cherry Pink Cha-Cha” also goes by the alternate title “Cherry Pink Mambo.”
BergvagabundenTakeo Ischi
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.
This is all fado.
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.
Danny Boy
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.