Speaking of non-electric folk music, here's a link to a fascinating website on traditional West African kora music:

http://www.kora-music.com/e/frame.htm

Here's an excerpt from that website:

"The Kora is a Westafrican harp of the family of bridge harps or harp-lutes

It's the highest developped string instrument of Africa. The construction of the instrument as well as the music are unique in the world...


The Kora has a centuries-old tradition and has been played at royal courts, where the musicians and griots belonged to the personnel...


The playing style resembles the fingerpicking blues guitar, the placement of the strings allows for the playing of chords and harmonies and fast melodic runs"

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Here's a link to a brief YouTube video of one musicians playing the traditional kora & another musician playing the traditional balofon {wooden zylophone}

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RAmB5ENJ8Vs&feature=related
Kora meets Balafon - Two Mamadou Diabates

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And here's a link to a YouTube video of the kora being played with a bass accompaniment:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WjPq30bK5x0&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WjPq30bK5x0&feature=related
Malian Kora Musician Mamadou Diabate's Ensemble-I

-snip-

That sound is absolutely beautiful! I've a question for those who view that video, isn't that kora electrified {meaning connected to electricity to amplify its sound?} Btw, the bass player in that video is Noah Jarrett, son of pianist Keith Jarrett.