Some fans favor a
limited use of the term to describe traditional American music
styles such as traditional folk music and bluegrass. Increasingly,
however, Americana refers to just about any form of music influenced
by or derived from these traditional American music styles. This
more expansive use of the term includes a variety of musical styles
which originated or developed in North America. Thus, bluegrass,
folk music, blues, zydeco, country rock, and alternative country all
fit under the umbrella known as Americana.
Despite the variety
of musical styles involved, there are some common threads which run
through all Americana music. First, all of these styles exist to
some extent outside of the commercial mainstream of popular music.
In fact, to many fans, Americana is synonymous with
"non-commercial." However, obscurity is not a requirement
of Americana. Many Americana artists are very well known and
successful in both country and popular music circles. For example,
Alison Krauss, Ricky Scaggs, Bob Dylan and Emmylou Harris are all
Americana artists who have achieved commercial breakthroughs into
the country and/or rock mainstream. But even with their commercial
success, these artists retain a commitment to traditional musical
styles which form the basis of Americana.
Another common
characteristic of Americana is its rural roots. Most Americana
styles originated or developed in rural America. Whether it was the
Appalachian home of bluegrass, the Mississippi home of the delta
blues, or the Louisiana bayou home of cajun and zydeco, all of these
styles share a common rural ancestry. It is this characteristic of
Americana which distinguishes it from other musical styles native to
the United States, such as jazz and hip-hop which originated in a
more urban environment. Of course, the original rural musical styles
have developed though the years and much of today’s Americana may
bear little resemblance to its rural past.
A final shared
characteristic of all Americana music is perhaps the most obvious,
as it provides the source for its name. Americana music is music
which is native to America. Its styles and sounds developed from a
complicated mix of outside sources, including English, Irish,
Scottish, African, Spanish, Carribean and many other musical
influences. However, the result of this mixture was a variety of new
and unique musical styles which were easily distinguishable from the
outside influences which contributed to the sound. Of course, not
all Americana artists are American. Artists such as Kasey Chambers,
Richard Thompson, and Elvis Costello are a testament to the
world-wide influence of Americana.
Ultimately, it
doesn’t really matter what Americana is or is not. Like all good
music, Americana is something to be listened to – not defined or
categorized. If you enjoy it, that’s all that really matters.
_____________________________________________________
NOTABLE QUOTES ABOUT
AMERICANA MUSIC
"Musically,
Americana has much to do with bearded white people pawing acoustic
instruments, employing minimal production (with a hint of twang),
and dropping at least a few lyrical nods to the big Southern rivers.
Loosely, its traditional folk music, a symbiotic swirl of bluegrass,
gospel, blues and classical guitar-and-vocals emoting."
"It
sounds like a lot to ask, yet it’s possible that this ultimate
modern movement – this genre that provides an opposition to
everything stodgy and corporate – is already here. The fact that
it has been around for a bit, growing in ranks, right under our
noses, just makes it an even more perfect response to everything
transient in pop. It’s been called Americana, neo-country, and
alternative country, and it was born – depending on who you ask
– when the American grunge movement died, when the angelic country
soul singer Gram Parsons declared his vision of ‘Cosmic America
Music’ in the late Sixties, or when Hank Williams first strapped
on his two-dollar guitar."
Tom
Cox, "Twangs
Can Only Get Better,"
Guardian (U.K.) Media, October, 2001.
"Americana
is American roots music based on the traditions of country. While
the musical model can be traced back to the Elvis Presley marriage
of hillbilly and R&B that birthed rock n roll, Americana as a
radio format developed during the 1990's as a reaction to the highly
polished sound that defined the mainstream music of that decade. By
also including influences ranging from folk to bluegrass to blues
and beyond, Americana handily bridges the gap between Triple A radio
and mainstream country."
The
Americana Music Association,
Nashville, Tennessee, © 2005,
www.americanamusic.org
