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Folksinger

By Kim Ruehl, About.com

Definition: A folksinger, quite literally, is a person who sings folk songs. The definition of a folk song is another topic entirely. Generally folk songs are catchy, topical songs based on traditional melodies (meaning they're so old, nobody is really sure where the melory originated). Often, people will confuse "folksingers" with "singer/songwriters." A singer/songwriter can be a folksinger, but many of them are not.
Pronunciation: foke-sing-er
Also Known As: singer/songwriter
Alternate Spellings: folk singer
Examples: Woody Guthrie is one of the preeminent American Folksingers from the 20th century.

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