{"id":50783,"date":"2024-12-12T10:12:55","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T09:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/10da88bf-af8a-4499-b1dc-5071fb091ceb"},"modified":"2024-12-12T11:10:32","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T10:10:32","slug":"best-folk-songs-14-of-the-most-famous-roots-music-numbers-from-around-the-world","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/best-folk-songs-14-of-the-most-famous-roots-music-numbers-from-around-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Best folk songs: 14 of the most famous roots music numbers from around the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 12 December 2024 at 09:12 AM<\/p>

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Folk songs are the heartbeats of cultures, carrying the stories, struggles, and celebrations of people across generations. Rooted in tradition and passed down through oral history, these melodies transcend borders and time, resonating with universal emotions while preserving local identity. From the haunting strains of ‘Greensleeves’ in England to the lively rhythms of Mexico’s ‘La Bamba’ in Mexico, the world’s most famous folk music<\/a><\/strong> continues to inspire and unite listeners worldwide.<\/p>

<\/div> <\/figure> <p>In this article, we journey through some of these iconic songs, exploring their origins, cultural significance, and how they’ve shaped music and storytelling across the globe.<\/p> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-favourite-folk-songs\">Best folk songs around the world<\/h2> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-auld-lang-syne-scotland\">1. ‘Auld Lang Syne’ (Scotland)<\/h3> <p>Probably the most famous Scottish song of all time, \u2019<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/what-are-the-lyrics-to-auld-lang-syne\">Auld Lang Syne<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 was written by the poet <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/five-best-settings-robert-burns-poems\">Robert Burns<\/a><\/strong> in 1788 as an affirmation of brotherhood and the importance of continued tradition. Since then, it has become an integral part of New Year\u2019s Eve around the world, with revellers crossing arms and singing it in unison to herald in the new year.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Auld Lang Syne (with lyrics)\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WTCryF1J54Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <p>That said, it also does sterling service throughout the rest of the year, regularly belted out at graduations, funerals, the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/bbc-proms\/best-proms\">BBC Proms<\/a><\/strong>, and basically any event that gives us a half-decent excuse to indulge our inner sentimentalist.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/carvings-unlock-secret-earliest-written-scottish-music\">Carvings unlock secret of earliest written Scottish music<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/scottish-songs\">Five classic Scottish songs you can’t help singing along to<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-greensleeves-england\">2. ‘Greensleeves’ (England)<\/h3> <p>There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this folk song. Many believe that ‘<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/greensleeves-lyrics\">Greensleeves<\/a><\/strong>‘ was composed by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/henry-viii-composer\">King Henry VIII<\/a><\/strong> for his lover and future Queen Consort Anne Boleyn. This despite the fact that it’s based on an Italian style of composition that did not reach England until after Henry VIII’s death.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/best-italian-composers-of-all-time\">The greatest Italian composers of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <p>Others argue about its meaning, with some insisting that Greensleeves was a prostitute (‘green’ being a word with sexual connotations that often referred, at the time, to the grass stains on a woman’s clothes from having sex outdoors).<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/beethoven-frieze\">Sex, scandal, and the strange story of the Beethoven frieze<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <p>Whatever your take, ‘Greensleeves’ is undeniably one of the most enduringly popular and best English folk songs. It’s also been regularly harnessed over the years by artists from all sorts of disciplines. These range from the composer <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/ralph-vaughan-williams\">Ralph Vaughan Williams<\/a><\/strong> to the team behind the American television series <em>Lassie<\/em>.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The King's Singers - Greensleeves\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/twix9KfES9Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/english-folk-songs\"><strong>English folk songs: 10 of the best<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-kalinka-russia\">3. ‘Kalinka’ (Russia)<\/h3> <p>\u2019Kalinka\u2019 is a strong candidate for the title of most popular Russian folk song. It was written in 1860 by the composer and folklorist Ivan Laringov and first performed in Saratov, southeastern Russia, as part of a theatrical entertainment. While the word \u2018Kalinka\u2019 literally translates as \u2018little berry\u2019, the song has been interpreted in sorts of ways.<\/p> <p>Some see it as a metaphor for the natural beauty of young women; others view it as a traditional love song. Catchy and vigorous, with a refrain that gets quicker with each repetition, it is often used in computer games, in particular Tetris, which, like the music, gradually speeds up to the point where it is pretty much unplayable.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\""Kalinka"\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/m8m2BYv02Nw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/russian-folk-songs\"><strong>Russian folk songs: 10 of the best<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/best-russian-composers\">Top 10 Russian composers<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-this-land-is-your-land-usa\">4. ‘This Land is Your Land’ (USA)<\/h3> <p>Written by American singer Woody Guthrie in 1940, ‘This Land is Your Land’ was intended as a critical response to Irving Berlin’s ‘God Bless America’. Guthrie originally gave it the sarcastic title of ‘God Blessed America for Me\u2019.<\/p> <p>But, following Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Guthrie returned to supporting the US and its involvement in Europe, renaming his song in the process and dropping verses that were critical of the United States. Nowadays it is often dubbed as an alternative US national anthem. We included it in our list of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/songs-about-america\">best songs about America<\/a><\/strong>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-american-folk-songs\"><strong>greatest American folk songs<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Woody Guthrie- This Land Is Your Land\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wxiMrvDbq3s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More best folk songs from around the world<\/h2> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. ‘Danny Boy’ (Ireland)<\/h3> <p>Nobody is quite sure who Danny actually is, or what this song is about. Some say it\u2019s a message from a parent to a son going to war. Others see it as a song for the Irish diaspora, who were displaced from their country. And it\u2019s a popular choice for <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-funeral-songs\">funerals<\/a><\/strong>, having been played at the funerals of Princess Diana and Elvis Presley, among others. Charlie McKenna, a retired Irish American police officer from Rhode Island, once said: \u2018I want \u2018Danny Boy\u2019 sung at my funeral mass, and if it isn\u2019t, I\u2019m going to get up and walk out.\u2019<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-funeral-music\">The best classical music for funerals<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <p>Either way, there\u2019s something about the song\u2019s sense of yearning for home, as well as its uplifting hopefulness, that resonates with a lot of people. Set to the traditional Irish <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-is-a-melody\">melody<\/a><\/strong> of ‘Londonderry Air’, \u2018Danny Boy\u2019 has come to acquire iconic status in Ireland; many see it as an unofficial\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/irelands-national-anthem-amhran-na-bhfiann-the-soldiers-song-lyrics\/\"><strong>Irish national anthem<\/strong><\/a>. So it\u2019s easy to forget that its lyrics were written in 1910 by an English lawyer, Frederic Weatherly.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Danny Boy - Sin\u00e9ad O'Connor, 1993\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PweUGhCZNiM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-irish-folk-songs\"><strong>Best Irish folk songs: 6 beautiful, traditional Irish songs you can’t help singing along to<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-hen-wlad-fy-nhadau-land-of-my-fathers-wales\">6. ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ (‘Land of my Fathers\u2019) (Wales)<\/h3> <p>Whether you think of it as Wales\u2019s unofficial national anthem, or simply as the best rugby song ever, it\u2019s hard to listen to ‘<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/welsh-national-anthem-lyrics\">Land of my Fathers<\/a><\/strong>‘ without feeling proud to be Welsh (or wishing you were a bit Welsh). The words were written by the Pontypridd-based poet Evan James and set to a tune composed by his son, the composer and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/instruments\/what-is-a-harp\">harpist<\/a><\/strong> James James. Though composed as a dance tune, it eventually caught on as an anthem for singing by large crowds – necessitating a time signature change from 6\/8 to 3\/4.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Welsh National Anthem - "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" (CY\/EN)\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UTWtHJmGoHY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/welsh-songs\"><strong>Seven evocative Welsh folk songs<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-la-vie-en-rose-france\">7. ‘La Vie en Rose’ (France)<\/h3> <p>It may not technically be a folk song, but \u2018La Vie en Rose\u2019 is so emblematic of French culture that it qualifies, at the very least, as an honorary folk song. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/who-was-edith-piaf\">Edith Piaf<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s lyrics, which she wrote in 1945, spoke to the hearts of those who had suffered during the Second World War, expressing the joy of finding true love: \u2018When you press me to your heart \/\u00a0 I’m in a world apart \/ A world where roses bloom \/\u00a0 And when you speak, angels sing from above \/Everyday words seem to turn into love songs.\u2019<\/p> <p>That such words could come from Piaf is striking: abandoned at birth by her mother, the French crooner spent much of her youth growing up in a brothel. At 17 she had a child out of wedlock and went on to have a string of failed romances, as well as various drug and alcohol dependencies.\u00a0<\/p> <p>All of which adds to the poignancy of this song, whose heartfelt optimism is as touching now as it ever was.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/most-famous-french-singers-of-all-time\"><strong>The most famous French singers of all time<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-die-lorelei-germany\">8. ‘Die Lorelei’ (Germany)<\/h3> <p>Arguably the most famous of German folk songs – at least in the English-speaking world – Die Lorelei speaks of a siren who lures hapless sailors to their deaths. It was written as a poem by the Jewish-German poet Henrich Heine in 1827 and set to music by Friedrich Silcher.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/german-christmas-songs-carols\">German Christmas carols: seven of the best<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <p>Heine\u2019s Germany, however, was unapologetically antisemitic and, under the Nazi regime, attempts were made to suppress his work – unsuccessfully: by then his poems were so well loved, and so firmly embedded in German culture that even the Nazis couldn\u2019t bring themselves to ban them. So instead they simply removed Heine\u2019s name, registering their author as \u2018Unknown\u2019.\u00a0<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/jewish-composers-suppressed-by-nazis\">Jewish composers suppressed by the Nazis: seven great voices we’re starting to hear again<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/franz-schmidt\">Franz Schmidt: the brilliant composer cancelled for pleasing the Nazis<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <p>This tender, romantically tragic song is a sure example of Heine\u2019s poetic mastery.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mireille Mathieu~~Die Lorelei\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/P-F3prcPC78?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. ‘Hej Soko\u0142y!’ (Poland)<\/h3> <p>Popular among Polish soldiers during the Polish-Soviet War, this Polish-Ukrainian song is a real ear worm, probably because it is short and powerful. Though written by the Polish composer Maciej Kami\u0144sk, it tells of a Ukrainian Cossack leaving his home and saying good bye to his girlfriend and to his homeland. As such, it is regularly sung in both Ukraine and Poland, and has become a symbol of the historic ties between the two countries.\u00a0<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-ukrainian-music\">Best Ukrainian music: six works you should know<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\""Hej, soko\u0142y!" - Polish Folk Song\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZzZ1qmXZBuY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/polish-christmas-carols\"><strong>Polish Christmas carols: 7 of the best<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">World’s best folk songs – from China to the Czech Republic<\/h2> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tece-voda-tece-czech-republic\">10. ‘Te\u010de voda, te\u010de’ (Czech Republic)<\/h3> <p>Allegedly\u00a0 a favourite of Tom\u00e1\u0161 Masaryk – the first president of Czechoslovakia who served from 1918 to 1935 – this beautiful Czech folk song is sung from the perspective of a young woman who has been abandoned by her lover. Originating from Moravia (the Czech region sandwiched between Bohemia and Slovakia), it is written in an old Moravian dialect, whose gentle lilt complements the melody\u2019s sense of melancholy.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Te\u010de Voda, Te\u010de\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qnFNu9IuT2w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/the-ten-best-czech-composers\"><strong>10 best Czech composers<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-oi-u-haiu-pry-dunaiu-ukraine\">11. ‘Oi, u haiu pry Dunaiu’ (Ukraine)<\/h3> <p>For some Ukrainians, the Danube plays the same role as the River Styx does for the Greeks. It certainly seems to in ‘Oi, u haiu pry Dunaiu’ (‘In the grove, by the Danube’), a song of mourning about the death of a lover. The music is highly evocative, as are the lyrics, which mingle images of death and mourning with symbols of freedom (\u2019In the forest near the Danube river, I am standing all alone, crying. I want to fly like a bird to where my lover is now. And the nightingale is singing.\u2019).<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u041e\u0439 \u0443 \u0413\u0430\u044e \u043f\u0440\u0438 \u0414\u0443\u043d\u0430\u044e \/ In the Grove by the Danube - Ukrainian folk song (\u0422\u0440\u0438\u043e "\u0422\u0440\u0438 \u0432 \u041e\u0434\u043d\u043e\u043c")\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wIL6uAuI1dA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/ukrainian-folk-songs\"><strong>Ukrainian folk songs: 10 of the best<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-qongqothwane-the-click-song-south-africa\">12. ‘Qongqothwane \/ The Click Song’ (South Africa)<\/h3> <p>A traditional song of the Xhosa people in South Africa, Qongqothwane is regularly sung at weddings to bring good fortune. Its title literally means \u2018knock-knock beetle\u2019, which is a popular name for various species of darkling beetles that make a distinctive knocking sound by tapping their abdomens on the ground. Believed by the Xhosa to bring good luck and rain, they are the symbolic heroes of this joyous, rhythmically inventive song.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/african-american-classical-music-pioneers\"><strong>Five African-American musical pioneers<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-guantamera-cuba\">13. ‘Guantanamera’ (Cuba)<\/h3> <p>Based on a poem by the poet Jos\u00e9 Mart\u00ed, this very famous Cuban folk song is about the Guant\u00e1namo region in Cuba. But it has nothing to do with the U.S. military base on the island. Rather, its melody goes back two centuries, while its lyrics tell the story of a girl from Guant\u00e1namo through the point of view of a Cuban revolutionary.<\/p> <p>Though long popular in Cuba, this song really caught on internationally when the US folk singer Pete Seeger came across it, fell in love with it and started playing it for US audiences in 1962. The timing was spot on: as the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis, ‘Guantanamera’ became a kind of anthem for peace. Nowadays the song retains its popularity, thanks to its catchy melody and rhythm.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Guantanamera\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uaYFAx_2HVo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/best-latin-american-composers-of-all-time\"><strong>Best Latin American composers of all time<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-mo-li-hua-jasmine-flower-china\">14. ‘M\u014d L\u00ec Hu\u0101 \/ Jasmine Flower’ (China)<\/h3> <p>Composed in the 18th century during the Quing dynasty (AD 1616-1912), this simple tribute to the beauty of the Jasmine flower was one of the first Chinese songs to become popular abroad. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/giacomo-puccini\">Giacomo Puccini<\/a><\/strong> adapted it for his 1926 opera <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/puccini-turandot-3\">Turandot<\/a><\/strong>. <\/em>More recently it was played at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, and has been covered by singers including Celine Dion and Song Zuying.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/six-best-puccini-arias\">Six of the best Puccini arias<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mo Li Hua Jasmine Flower Chinese Traditional Folk Song with English Translation\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/n9ArWpDSBJw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Published: Thursday, 12 December 2024 at 09:12 AM Folk songs are the heartbeats of cultures, carrying the stories, struggles, and celebrations of people across generations. Rooted in tradition and passed down through oral history, these melodies transcend borders and time, resonating with universal emotions while preserving local identity. From the haunting strains of ‘Greensleeves’ […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":50784,"template":"","categories":[1,17],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"9"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/best-folk-songs-14-of-the-most-famous-roots-music-numbers-from-around-the-world.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/best-folk-songs-14-of-the-most-famous-roots-music-numbers-from-around-the-world-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/best-folk-songs-14-of-the-most-famous-roots-music-numbers-from-around-the-world-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/best-folk-songs-14-of-the-most-famous-roots-music-numbers-from-around-the-world-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/best-folk-songs-14-of-the-most-famous-roots-music-numbers-from-around-the-world-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/best-folk-songs-14-of-the-most-famous-roots-music-numbers-from-around-the-world.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/best-folk-songs-14-of-the-most-famous-roots-music-numbers-from-around-the-world.jpg",1200,800,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Published: Thursday, 12 December 2024 at 09:12 AM Folk songs are the heartbeats of cultures, carrying the stories, struggles, and celebrations of people across generations. Rooted in tradition and passed down through oral history, these melodies transcend borders and time, resonating with universal emotions while preserving local identity. From the haunting strains of ‘Greensleeves’…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/50783"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}