\u201cI think the revival can be fairly categorized as romantic, naive, nostalgic and idealistic…much of the revival was a fad or fashion\u201d ~Bruce Jackson<\/em><\/p>\n Joan Baez and Bob Dylan April 1965<\/p><\/div>\n So why folk<\/em> revival? \u00a0Today, many of us view folk as a simple song associated with possibly nostalgia, home, or sentimental feelings. \u00a0 Most people envision folk as a smaller communal setting, but the Newport Folk Festival of 1959 suggests otherwise. \u00a0Newport was one of the larger gatherings to celebrate folk music and it\u2019s artists. \u00a0One reason the folk revival may have gained traction was because of the desire people had to reconnect with their American roots. What\u2019s a better way to do that than through folk music? \u00a0But, folk music has more value than just for the enjoyment of old times sake.<\/p>\n “Women Peace Protestors of Northern Ireland on a March in London” November 1976<\/p><\/div>\n Artists like Baez used their skills and political views to highlight the flaws of the cultural and political environment. Not only did Baez seek to share her ideas through folk inspired music, she gained traction with these ideas and helped spread her political views. Because Baez and many artists infused folk music with messages of peace and equality, it is clear that folk had an extremely important purpose in our social and political history. \u00a0Protest music was music that would reject certain ideals of actions. \u00a0For example, \u201cWe Shall Overcome\u201d became the anthem to the civil rights movement. \u00a0In Joan\u2019s rendition, she combines folk and jazz elements, connecting this song to different styles of music and boring from other traditions therefore catering to many people.<\/p>\n In the Oct 4, 1971 issue of the Chicago Daily Defender<\/em>, the article \u201cJoan Baez has a Problem\u201d was written criticizing her disrespect for the American Flag.<\/p>\n Article criticizing Baez’s political opinions regarding the American flag- “Joan Baez has a Problem” October 4, 1971 in the Chicago Defender<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cThis piece of cloth has become an obscenity. \u00a0We know how to protect and reverence that Flag. But we don\u2019t know how to protect human life.\u201d ~ Joan Baez<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The Folk Revival movement was not just a fad. \u00a0It was a means to react to and process the political and social injustices that the world was faced with in the 60s and even today, proving folk musics’ relevance and importance not only then, but also now. \u00a0In a time of racial and international tension, it is not surprising that folk music became popular. It provided a sense of comfort and connection to one another when the country seemed in all other ways divided. Folk advocated for all people of all backgrounds, races and statuses.<\/p>\n Work Cited<\/p>\n Bob Dylan Singer Songwriter with Joan Baez American Folk Singer<\/em>. 27 Apr. 1965.<\/p>\n “Joan Baez has a Problem.” 1971.Chicago Daily Defender (Daily Edition) (1960-1973)<\/em>, Oct 04, 4. https:\/\/search.proquest.com\/docview\/494322582?accountid=351.<\/p>\n Matthew, Adam. \u201cFolk Protest.\u201d\u00a0Popular Culture in Britain and America, 1950-1975<\/em>, 2017.<\/p>\n Rosenberg, Neil V. \u201cThe Folk Song Revival.\u201d\u00a0Transforming Tradition: Folk Music Revivals Examined<\/em>, University of Illinois Press, 1993, pp. 73\u201379.<\/p>\n Women Peace Protestors of Northern Ireland on a March in London<\/em>. 29 Nov. 1976.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What is folk music?\u00a0Is folk defined by the musical intentions of the musicians themselves, its political and social implications, or its consumption? \u00a0For artists like Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and so many others, folk was a political endeavor. … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/593\/2017\/10\/Bob-and-joan.png\")
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