also, how prevalent this same style of music in popular music in Russia today?

please explain what you can how compares to germanic folk music or french etc? or British?

thanks for your answers!
referring to the music most often heard as theme music to Russian films…etc.

Dr. Zhivago i guess is maybe an exception..as it contains the yukelayla?

Try this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_folk_music#Ethnic_styles_in_the_Modern_Era

Both folk and country come from the same tradition, that of the ballad, story-telling song, with simple accompaniment. As recently as the 1950s trade publications used the terms "folk" and "country" interchangeably. Hank Williams’ 1953 obituaries, for instance, were split about 50/50 between identifying him as a "hillbilly singer" and a "folk singer."

The major differences were that folk music tended to be more event/news-based (think of more modern songs like "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot) than country music, although country certainly had its share of songs based on events (e.g., Pop Stoneman’s "The Sinking of the Titanic" or the Carter Family’s "Rye Cove"); folk music tended to be more the single "troubadour" singer as opposed to country, which frequently had groups (e.g., the aforementioned Carters, Roy Acuff’s Crazy Tennesseans/Smoky Mountain Boys); and folk music tended to be more political — and left-leaning political — in nature.

Folk had a "split," so to speak, in the mid-60s when Bob Dylan, hailed as the main force behind the "folk revival" of the 60s, "went electric" when the Band backed him. There is now the "folk-rock" (or "contemporary folk," which has its own Grammy category) scene that includes people such as Fairport Convention/Richard Thompson and the Byrds, "folk-country" (again, brought about by Dylan when he recorded "Nashville Skyline") that includes John Prine, the late Steve Goodman, and Gordon Lightfoot, and the "traditional" folk (the single singer with his/her guitar [or autoharp in the case of Bryan Bowers] singer (most of whom don’t get beyond regional success anymore).

Folk’s biggest icons were, and remain, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger (and his younger brother, Mike, who passed away last year), the Kingston Trio, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Peter, Paul & Mary, Steve Goodman, and Gordon Lightfoot. People such as Goodman (who wrote "City of New Orleans" and "You Never Even Call Me By My Name") and John Denver (who wrote "Leavin’ on a Jet Plane" for Peter, Paul & Mary) significantly blurred the lines between folk, country, and pop.

The other difference is in the fans. Modern folk fans respect and honor the legends. Modern country fans could care less.

If your fan of led zeppelin they play some folk such as;
Tangerine, going to California, and ramble on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDruBniAk-Y

The Rose of Allendale

Sonny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyA-UWTLgWI

English folk music doesn’t have so much of a historical significance and the English version of a ceilidh is a very poor second to the Irish and Scottish ones. It’s also a much more toned down affair with a strong Medieval influence.

Typical English folk music includes various forms of jigs, shanties and the music associated with Maypoles and Morris-men. There’s an annual folk festival which has been ongoing for many years although I can’t recall where (I would guess it’s in one of the shire counties).

-we are to write a 3-5 page analysias, and i seriously know nothing about the topic, so if you guys can give me a hand that would be great!

-THANK YOU!

You might be able to cherry pick a bit of background by visiting the Blues and Jazz pages of my web site. Follow the links.