folksingers
Guitar-strumming story-tellers
Folksingers are performers of folk music—traditional songs passed down through generations or contemporary songs written in that style.
The term evokes acoustic instruments, especially guitars, and lyrics about ordinary people, social issues, or historical events.
The folksingers of the 1960s revival sang about civil rights and war.
The word carries associations with authenticity and grassroots culture rather than commercial polish.
Disconnected from power
- strummingSweeping across guitar strings
- fingerpickingPlucking strings by hand
- banjoFretted drum-stringed instrument
- harmonicaHandheld reed wind instrument
mandolin · autoharp · dulcimer · unamplified · coffeehouse · open-mic · campfire · singalong
Medieval Provençal lyric poet
- balladeerSinger of narrative songs
- minstrelTraveling performer of songs
- bardPoet of epics
- vocalistOne who sings professionally
musician · entertainer · serenader · chanteuse · crooner · busker · itinerant · wandering
Inherited cultural legacy
- rootsUnderground nutrient absorbers
- revivalReturn after decline
- AppalachianEastern U.S. mountain region
- CelticOf Irish-Welsh descent
bluegrass · old-time · shanties · ethnomusicology · anthology · repertoire · archives · preservation
Account of events
- balladsNarrative verse set to music
- talesSpoken or written narratives
- legendsTraditional stories or icons
- fablesDidactic animal stories
sagas · yarns · chronicles · epics · folktales · griot · bardic · lore
Direct effort for reform
- unionJoining into one
- marchesCoordinated rhythmic walking
- countercultureRejection of mainstream values
- social-changeTransformation of collective norms
dissent · anthems · solidarity · movement · broadside · agitprop
unplugged
Disconnected from power
- strummingSweeping across guitar strings
- fingerpickingPlucking strings by hand
- banjoFretted drum-stringed instrument
harmonica · mandolin · autoharp · dulcimer · unamplified · coffeehouse · open-mic · campfire · singalong · wooden
troubadour
Medieval Provençal lyric poet
vocalist · musician · entertainer · serenader · chanteuse · crooner · busker · itinerant · wandering · traveling
heritage
Inherited cultural legacy
- rootsUnderground nutrient absorbers
- revivalReturn after decline
- AppalachianEastern U.S. mountain region
Celtic · bluegrass · old-time · shanties · ethnomusicology · anthology · repertoire · archives · preservation · vernacular
narrative
Account of events
- balladsNarrative verse set to music
- talesSpoken or written narratives
- legendsTraditional stories or icons
fables · sagas · yarns · chronicles · epics · folktales · griot · bardic · lore · mythology
activism
Direct effort for reform
- unionJoining into one
- marchesCoordinated rhythmic walking
- countercultureRejection of mainstream values
social-change · dissent · anthems · solidarity · movement · broadside · agitprop
folksingersDJs
Music mixers at events
punk rockers · rock bands · glam rockers · opera singers · rappers