To me "tradition" implies doing something in the way it has "always" been done. My dictionary refers to tradition as a handing on from one generation to the next.

In folk music that means to me, a style of playing or singing; a way of presenting the music. It also implies a certain repertoire of songs and tunes which are shared by the particular community.

To survive a tradition needs to be able to evolve so that it can reflect the changes that occur in the community over time. New songs and tunes are added and old ones are lost. Sometimes lost ones may be rediscovered and brought back because they have a resonance with a particular generation.