Alice,I.dont underestimate anyone.
I am saying to have a folk voice[to be able to sing and communicate folk songs]requires that the singer has listened to alot of folk singers and absorbed the appropriate style.
the same applies to opera,to sing it effectively you have to love the music ,listened to a lot of it,and want to sing it.
a traditional /folk singer like myself would probably not make a good job of it[regardless of technique]because Idont like it, have not bothered to absorb the style,and dont want to sing it.
an opera singer who loved folk music could sing it,if he/she had listened to it a lot and was conscious that it required different treatment.