I have discovered Alison Krauss from Hungary

[eyesoflove]

Avanaot,

Welcome to the board! Before you begin any extensive research, you should be aware that Alison is an incredibly private person, so you'll be limited in what you find.

If you'd like to know more about the origins of bluegrass, then a good place to start is with the book, "The History of Bluegrass." The thing about bluegrass is, there's a lot of controversy that surrounds where it got its start. There are folks out there who rebuke that book, but I've found it to be very interesting and educating. Bluegrass music, in its early days, drew from jazz, gospel, rockabilly, and Irish and Scottish folk tunes. Some people called it Appalachian music, mountain music, hillbilly music, etc. AKUS is a really progressive bluegrass band. There are groups dubbed as bluegrass purists who think bands like AKUS are the ruination of bluegrass. The thing to remember, though, is that while AKUS has a deep respect for bluegrass traditions, they also explore other sounds. Some of the songs they may record would be better termed as Americana. Alison also records many, many, many duets with artists from a whole plethora of genres. She is not only a jack of all trades, but she masters all that she makes herself a part of.

Just some general things about Alison: She's been recording and touring since she was a teenager; she's a member of the Grand Ol' Opry; she grew up in Illinois; she's been with Union Station for nearly 20 years; she's incredibly comical and goofy; she openly talks about her Christianity; and most of all, she's very, very private, so you'll never get any more than basic information on her haha.

Again, welcome to the board. I'm Appalachian born and raised and am a bluegrass singer/musician myself, so I'm always happy to see more people enjoying the music, especially folks from across the pond.

[turbo]

Hey avanoat, I have to put in my two cents' worth here: I LOVE traditional Hungarian and Gypsy (Rom) music, I hear it on a TV channel we have here that shows movies, news, and music from all over the world. Most Americans are never, never exposed to anything that is not American, and so they are accused by people of other nations of being insular or self-centered. I think it is just because our media is so controlled by the big money boys. This is the same reason why all the radio stations play Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera until our brains explode, but never ever play Alison Krauss or Nora Jones or any other really good artists!!!

I also love traditional folk music from Sweden, Ireland, France, Spain and especially the fado music of Portugal. I speak and understand Spanish fluently and am rapidly learning Portuguese, which is a very beautiful exotic language and not hard to learn once you already know Spanish.

Also, I was communicating for a while with a fellow in Portugal, and he said that a few people there, including himself, already knew who Alison Krauss was, and some of her radio hits. So far from just being a regional bluegrass queen, she is now worldwide. And her latest tour with Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin is helping also with this.

Tell us please, your opinion of Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant, and Alison's latest recording adventure with Robert? Or have you heard it yet??

Thanks for joining the party!!!

[avenaoat]

Hi Akusgal41790

1. I found some information here about Alison and her son. It is enough for me.
2. I understand Alison saving her son's private life from the media.
She is right.
3. First in the classical music the Operas were began performing in original language. When I found Mozart "Zauberflute" in English on You Tube I escaped soon, in spite of German is less musicality than English. I do not understand the spoken English, generally I concentrate the song's music and the musicality of the lyrics. However I understand more Alison lyrics than from the Beatles. I think everybody had better songs in its the original language.

I wish peaceful Sunday for everybody here!

avenoat

[avenaoat]

Hi Eyesoflove

I do not want excessive search of the band and Alison, only I was curious how many children Alison has and his/her gender. I have got this information it is enough for me.
Thank you for more information about blue grass style. It is very interesting for me you origin from my one of my favorite states of US.I am interested in history, I read, when the War between the States began (1861) West Virginia was part of the secessionist Virginia and only West Virginian member of the congress of Virginia voted against to the succession. During the Civil War West Virginian asked for the United States congress and its government to join like a new states. In 1863 West Virgina became a new member of the USA. I like East Tennessee also, here I read in Wiki Jefferson Davis's government arrested 3000 people because of faith to USA during the War. This area the center of the folk music of US. I watched in TV the Cold mountain movie, and I saw the people in South suffered from the War same to Europe during Second World War. It is interesting Alison took part of this movie.

Avenaoat

[avenaoat]

Kind Turbo (and Eyesoflove) I want to change ideas with you here, I hope you both will answer to me.

I think the pop industry many times ignores the true worth. The first is the money and sometimes the worth and the money are together for example at the Beatles it is something, sometime not this is not a problem. I want to tell you and other members here some interesting things. We have to go from home and I will carry on writing my letter later, because I want to write longer.

Avenaoat

[eyesoflove]

Wow! I'm so impressed at your knowledge of WV history. Yes, many call the split of WV from VA an unconstitutional one, but nonetheless, it has held up all these years . A little further history into the county where I grew up: McDowell County in southern WV was actually a free and independent state for one day.

I also lived for several years in east Tennessee (Knoxville) and gladly call both places "home" to me.

Because of the coal industry, WV would largely thrive during times of war because the nation became so independent on the coal that is so plentiful in WV. Throughout the years, however, coal became less and less valuable and my home town basically turned to ruins. The difference from dad's childhood to my childhood and even from my childhood to now is phenomenal and, frankly, heartbreaking. It continues to be one of the most impoverished regions of America, but I would change my background for all the money in the world.

As for today's music industry....I could rant and rave about that for hours. I've given up on even trying to listen to the radio because I feel like at least 90% of what will actually get played is garbage. It's that much more infuriating when I know for a fact that better music is being created.

[tal]

"As for today's music industry....I could rant and rave about that for hours. I've given up on even trying to listen to the radio because I feel like at least 90% of what will actually get played is garbage. It's that much more infuriating when I know for a fact that better music is being created."

I agree but then, I think that most bluegrass/Americana music fans agree on that one! ;D

[avenaoat]

Hey Eyesflove

I want to write about an interesting movement in my Homeland.
In Hungary the folk music research was on high level in the first half of the XX century because of Zoltán Béla Bartók (he died in the USA in 1945), Zoltán Kodály and others. After the Second World War György Martin and others reserched the Hungarian Folk Dances. The choerographics of the dances from the all Karpatian Basin, where Hungarian people live were gathered untill 1970. Some brave young began a small movement in the communist era in cultural centers to collect young to dance folk dance, to revival the folk dance music and the folk dance as well.
First the communist authority wanted to ban this almost spontan movement, because they thought it is a nacionalist movement. However there were some vise people who convienced the cultural leader (György Aczél) to give green lamps to the spontan movement. This was the dance house movement, this movement is working today(later founded not only for Hungarian but greek and south slavic dances in Budapest ). Unfortunately I was too far from this movement, but I was sometimes at the Greek dance house. If you interested in this thing, I can write about it more.
I have aim, to write about the dance house movement.

avenaoat

[avenaoat]

Hey Eyesflove (and others)

I carry on my thought. I think my aim will be very interesting for my American friends.
1. When the Hungarian dance house movement began, I had a little information about this movement in the mid 70's. That time I discovered the classical music for me, I became Mozart and Beethoven fan (I was rock/pop fan before) and I remain forever.
However the Hungarian classical music has a strong connection with the Hungarian folk music (Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CpXnY1KpiI
www.youtube.com/watch?v=coUgWT_MM1w
When I was in Poland with my university students colleagues together with the Polish university ones, we went to the native house of Chopin by bus. We began competition with the Polish students, who know more folk song from their own homeland. We and they were 20 and 20 people. The Polish sang 3 I will write with letter three Polish folk songs, we sang more than 200 songs.
That time was the Kodály's method for music teaching in the schools in Hungary. Somebody knows Steve Spielberg's famous Sci Fi: "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", here the Kodály's method was wanted to use in the movie, This time the music teaching is a shame in my Homeland. This time I can sing more than 20 original Hungarian folk song at once. That time we sang in the Pubs, for example we sang folk songs and opera arias and for example one of my friend could sing the Isis Osiris aria from (without problem at deep sounds) Mozart Magic Flute. West German tourists paid our bill in the pub after our spontan concert. These things I have never forgiven. We were not drunkers, only young, I do not like distilled alcoholic drinks. (Is it a problem in Kentucky and Tennessee?) The Hungarian Dance House movement lives, but I do not join. When my wife from Italy came to Hungary, we went to a folk dance performance in Budapest. My wife at once became a fan the Hungarian folk dance and folk dance music, and my mother in law also. I found the this is a worth for the World and the forigners showed me.
Slowly I go to my aim.
2. About the dance house The young and the children wear normal cloth during the dance training, but at competion and at show and performances the dancer wear the Hungarian folk costumes. The Hungarian folk costums alter from areas to other areas. The music is played by live folk bands. We were in the Hungarian dance house meeting in Budapest in April and there were almost 50 young musicians, by violin, deep violin, cembalo, bagpipe, singer etc. and many many children, young and elder dancers.
I am near my aim.
3. I do not undarstand you. I saw old style fiddle and folk music competitions on You Tube and old style music band without dancers. I saw dancers rarly on You Tube from The Appelechian region. However the dancers generaly wear modern cloth, I did not see live American fol music bands with the dancers.
I am at my aim.
4. I think from the end of the XVIII century to the XX century, the young danced in the USA with fiddle music. If I am wrong with the facts you will show the correct facts. Before the industrial time the montainers' costume should be hand made. Costume historian could help the dancers to choose the good XIX centurian costumes for dance. live folk musician band could play for the dancer. It would be better and interesting for example for the young and the children in old style costum and with live folk music band together to dance.
5. I was many times in Hungary international fol dance and music meeting. I will write this in capital letter: I HAVE NEVER MET FOLK DANCE GROUP WITH FOLK DANCE MUSICIAN FROM THE USA!!!!!!
I AM CENTER OF MY AIM!!
6. The musician who can play the instruments are few, but who likes dancing there are more and more. You should bring the folk musicians, dancers and old style preindustrial costumes and you could start an American dance house movement, like us in Hungary. And I could see in Hungary American folk dancers with american folk musicians in the international folk dance festivals.
7. Why do I write this thought here, because the folk music roots bands and stars could help a similar movement.

I hope I have not writen wrong thing or I was wrong because there are same movement for example in the mountain region.

Avenaoat

[tal]

Avenaoat.

Obviously Eyesoflove and possibly others can answer you much better as to the dancing tradition in the Appalachian region but I do have an opinion on your idea there so I will just be so bold as to butt into this conversation. ;D

As an outsider yet lover of roots music I always felt there is a difference between folk songs meant to dance to and folk songs meant to share well, life basically.
Like I say, I don't know enough about it but maybe dancing is just way more connected to folk music in Hungary than in the US? I mean if you listen to a Ralph Stanley, that is clearly never meant to dance to!
I certainly notice it is to you and you see a way there with dancing being always popular with young people to increase the popularity of folk music but I think focusing on that would mean missing out on a lot of the music that is not dance music but with emotions relating to all people.
Does that make any sense?
It sounds to me a bit like saying more people listen to music than read the classics. Let's start a movement to turn all classic literature into musicals so more people will hear the stories. But you will then loose out on some essential elements!

[avenaoat]

I tried to ask for AKUS song from the biggest music radio station's request programme in Hungary. The online request was limited for the bands and singer, so I tried the telephon, but it was dumb for me. I do not give it up!

avenaoat

[avenaoat]

Hey Tal

I listened to some old style music from North America and I asked me, why does not anybody dance for this music. Oke the two roots of this music there are the Irish and the Scottish fiddle music here are dances. I like very much Walter Scott novel The Redgauntlet (I like the history and I like this novel from the father of the historical novel), in the novel there is a charachter the blind fiddler Willie from the Scotland and England Western border Scottish part.
Walter Scott wrote the Scottish folk had danced by his music!!!! Do not speak about the Irish dances!
I only ask and I gave an idea. If this idea wrong for the American cultura, the Americans will answer this.

Avenaoat

[tal]

Hey Avonaoat,
Not for nothing but since this music is obviously pretty old and people are not dancing to all of it maybe the Americans in fact answered already?

And there is nothing wrong with giving an idea nor is there with giving a response to that idea.

Like you said you discovered this music a week ago and already you are giving ideas on how to change it so more people will like it for the same reason you like it and will dance to it because you think people should dance to folk music!
My feeling on this is that you clearly are a Gung ho type and full of ideas which is great but maybe you should first listen a bit longer and get to the soul of the music? I am clearly only speaking for myself but I have the impression you didn't get there yet.
Of course that could also be a language barrier thing? ;D

Btw, speaking of language barriers, did you know that if you just Google the title of a song and add the word lyrics, you can usually find the complete lyrics of almost any song?
Maybe that could help you if you have trouble understanding the lyrics? Certainly of the Beatles I am sure you can find every lyric they ever wrote!

[turbo]

You know, avenoat brings up a good point, one that until now I had failed to think of: Why DON"T Americans dance to good music anymore? In my parents' and grandparents' generations they danced a lot!! Watch any old movie musical from the 30s, 40s, and 50s and they were dancing up a storm!! What happened?? Maybe it was TV, nobody had time to go out and learn to dance anymore?

And I disagree about Ralph Stanley music (or Alison's!!) not being good to dance to. Of course it is, you would just have to know the appropriate dance for that sound and rhythm!!! Unfortunately I don't, no one ever taught me.

Any theories on the above are welcome.

[akusgal41790]

Why DON"T Americans dance to good music anymore?

While I do not have an exact answer, I think I can speak as an American teen who is consistantly surrounded by "un-danceable" music. Though I find that much of what I listen to just happens to be musicals from the 50s and such, I know many others who listen to only what is popular. This music tends to be things like a thousand words jammed together with a steady beat, and is usually about something sexual. I love movies like Footloose, and would have loved to have a dance that could be even just slightly like it. Instead, my two proms included people moving around on the dance floor like they were going to a hotel room in five minutes.

I have done a lot of dance in my life, and know that it can be such a release and extremely fun.. but I also know the music to go with it! Sometimes I'll even venture to the jazz shows in the area. So while there might be incredible dance music out there, it certainly has not found its way to high school proms. Perhaps it's a lack of knowledge of there actually being more music other than what is "popular" that is decreasing Americans' dancing in general. Or even a lack of appreciation for good, solid dancing? Dunno.

Just from a young perspective! And also just an idea. (I do know from living in Kentucky, however, that people of the south can bust a move with almost any country music.. but still not quite like Kevin Bacon or Gene Kelly. )