Celtic music in the United States

Irish, Scottish and Welsh music have been a part of American music dating back to the 18th century colonial era, when many Irish immigrants arrived. These included many Scots-Irish Presbyterians, whose music was most "closely related to a Lowland Scottish style" ^[1]. Beginning in the 1960s, performers like the Clancy Brothers achieved fame in the Irish music scene.

An impact of Celtic music on American styles is the evolution of country music, a style which blends Anglo-Celtic traditions with "sacred hymns and African American spirituals". Country music's roots come from "Americanized interpretations of English, Scottish and Scots-Irish traditional music, shaped by containing vestiges of (19th century) popular song, especially (minstrel songs)" ^[2].

Celtic-Americans have also been influential in the creation of Celtic fusion, a set of genres which combine traditional Celtic music with contemporary influences.