All of the above, to an extent.


To get a few perspectives, I recommend reading Ron Cohen's "Rainbow Quest" and Dick Weisman's "Which Side Are You On".

Your questions can be answered in many ways, and the answers can be skewed to reach a conclusion that is not necessarily "fact".

First of all, how does one describe "legitimate, traditional folk music"?   That can also be answered several ways, and the "revival" that was started can be viewed as A folk music unto itself, depending on your perspective and your definition of community and tradition.