I don't recognize a lot of the music that Bellowhead is playing, but it sounds like folk tunes. Indeed, they are a lot of fun.

But—

Bellowhead, or Harry Belefonte, or The New Christy Minstrels, or Gladys Swarthout singing songs by John Jacob Niles, or Kathleen Ferrier's recording of English folk songs, or operatic baritone Thomas Hampson singing a program of American folk songs, or a program of folk songs sung by the King's Singers or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir are all experiences totally different from listening to folk songs in their natural habitat(s) (whatever those might be). When I see the drum set and the brass section and the musicians themselves jumping up and down like fleas on a hot rock, well. .  .  .   

Academicians and ethnomusicologists would agree that the songs being performed are, indeed, "folk" or "traditional," but that the manner of presentation is anything but.

What drew me to folk music in the first place was hearing a concert given by a local singer of folk songs, Walt Robertson. One single singing voice accompanied by a single guitar, singing a wide variety of songs, American (from all over), some blues, British songs (from all over), some songs in French, a few Canadian songs, a number of Child ballads. These songs ran the gamut of emotions from tragedy to comedy, and some of the ballads verged on epic poetry. Walt held the audience—and me—enthralled for a couple of hours. I thought it over for a long time, then decided, "I want to do that!"

Most people I know who are involved in folk (traditional) songs became actively interested pretty much the same way I did.

I don't think Bellowhead, despite the quite contageous exhuberance of their performances, or any of those I mention above, would have done it for me.

Don Firth