I'm probably going to regret this, but here goes -

Jim Carroll

Any definition of a specific activity must surely be that which is articulated by its practitioners (and articulators).

Did the communities in which this music thrived call it "folk music"? Were the travellers, farm labourers, shantiemen, fisherman, waulkers, shepherds... represented at Sao Paulo or was it decided on their behalf by self-appointed folklorists? It seems reminiscent of European explorers "discovering" foreign lands.

Looking at it another way, is there any other word in common usage that has been defined by a committee?