"Traditional music has been an important aspect of the regions seeking to assert their particular identities (not necessarily in a divisive or separatist way)."

I'd have thought that that would have applied in Germany too, and for different rereasons. I mean, I can imagine that if I'd been born in one of the regions in Germany I'd have been very likely to have decided that national identity I preferred to accept was, (for example) Bavarian and European. After all the whole idea that there is a nation called Germany is a pretty recent development, going back the 19th century.