New History of American and Canadian Folk Music

<p>Building on his 2006 book <i>Which Side Are You On?</i> Dick Weissman's <i>A New History of American and Canadian Folk Music </i>presents a provocative discussion of the history evolution and current status of folk music in the United States and Canada. North American folk music achieved a high level of popular acceptance in the late 1950s. When it was replaced by various forms of rock music it became a more specialized musical niche fragmenting into a proliferation of musical styles. In the pop-folk revival of the 1960s artists were celebrated or rejected for popularizing the music to a mass audience. In particular the music seemed to embrace a quest for authenticity which has led to endless explorations of what is or is not faithful to the original concept of traditional music. <p/>This book examines the history of folk music into the 21st century and how it evolved from an agrarian style as it became increasingly urbanized. Scholar-performer Dick Weissman himself a veteran of the popularization wars is uniquely qualified to examine the many controversies and musical evolutions of the music including a detailed discussion of the quest for authenticity and how various musicians critics and fans have defined that pursuit.</p>