January 2021 - Sea Shanty
The Sea Shanty became a TikTok sensation in December 2020 and January 2021 when a song the Scottish singer called Nathan Evans went viral on TikTok and people started adding their own vocals. Here is his performance of 'The Wellerman'.
Did you know?
Sea shanties are traditional work songs created and sung by sailors at sea.
Sailors had lots of repeative and tough jobs to do on a ship that involved them working together. These included loading the cargo, pulling up the sails and pulling up the anchor. To help them keep in time, the sailors sung songs known as sea shanties.
The 'Shantyman' was the sailor who led the songs. Shanties have a 'call and response' structure. This means that someone - the shantyman - would lead the song, with other workers joining in for the chorus. The shantyman also chose the song and had to make sure the rhythm fit the task they were doing.
Discover more: