Given the background of the majority of folk who post on Mudcat, it's not surprising that a discussion on what is traditional folk music seems to be limited to a consideration of Anglo-European and Anglo-American music.

I concur with George Papavgeris's 14 Oct 06 - 06:35 AM statement that the definition of tradition is arbitrary and depends on "whose tradition, established when and transmitted how, relative to which moment in time etc etc).

And, since I feel that this stew needs some pepper, here's an excerpt from Center for Black Music Research-African Music

"Traditional and Contemporary African Music
Definition of Style

Traditional African music is as historically ancient, rich, and diverse as the continent itself. Traditional African music is passed down orally (or aurally) and is not written, and it also relies heavily on percussion instruments of every variety, including xylophones, drums, and tone-producing instruments such as the mbira or "thumb piano." Traditional African music is generally performed with functional intent in celebrations, festivals, and story-telling.

Contemporary African music is also highly diverse, but it shares many characteristics of Western popular music in the mid-twentieth-century. Beginning with the advent of recording technology and the development of the recording industry, contemporary African music has been heavily influenced by R&B, American soul music, Jamaican reggae, and other musical forms from the Americas. Today, the African music scene is as rich and active as that of any other continent on the globe, and numerous popular styles exist, including, for example, high life, Nigerian juju, and West African makossa. Moreover, a thriving hip hop scene exists in every sub-Saharan African country from Sierra Leone to Madagascar."