I am collecting traditional folk songs, but mostly from the Balkans. Here are some of my favorite examples:
Serbia
Zanovet - Svu noć mi bilbil prepeva
Etno grupa Trag - Kad lijevčansko žito zatalasa
Danica Krstić - Prelete Ptice Lastavice
Danica Krstić - Da sam bistra voda
Svetlana Stević - Devojka se suncu protivila
Mexico State Choir - Ajde Jano
Grupa Iskon - Oj livado rosna travo
Grupa Iskon - Marijo, čero mori
Izvor - Gusta mi magla padnala
Bojana Brdarić - Rasti, rasti moj zeleni bore
Ivana Zigon & Kosovski Bozur - Oj Kosovo, Kosovo
Slobodan Trkulja - Lepe moje crne oči
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Bosnia & Herzegovina
Mostar Sevdah Reunion - Čudna jada od Mostara grada
Meho Puzić - Snijeg pade na behar na voće
Himzo Polovina - Kad ja pođoh na Bembašu
Nedžad Salković - U lijepom starom gradu Višegradu
Safet Isović - Zarasle su staze moje
Arabeske - Kad procvatu Behari
Hanka Paldum - Ja te pjesmom zovem
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Croatia
KUD Vranovci, Bukovlje - Dođi diko, nemoj bez alata
Zlatni Dukati - Ne dirajte mi ravnicu
Klapa Maslina - Da te mogu pismom zvati
Slavonske Lole - Oj Đakovo, šokadijo stara
Klapa Šibenik - Kad su tukle stare ure
Slavonski Dukati - Da sam znala majko stara
Zvonko Špišić - Zagrebacke spancirancije
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Macedonia
Aleksandar Sarievski - Zajdi, zajdi jasno sonce
Aleksandar Sarievski - Kinisa Moma Na Voda
Aleksandar Sarievski - Mome Odi Niz Livada
Aleksandar Sarievski - Filizo mome Filizo I
Bojana i Nebojša Brdarić - Uči me majko
Vaska Ilieva - Imala majka devet sinovi
Vaska Ilieva - Son sonila Ordanica
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Montenegro
Guslar Djordjije Koprivica - Smrt Popa Mila Jovovića
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Bulgaria
Romanian folk used to be about haidouks (some sort of Robin Hood outlaws)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vnxemB0D6s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NBX_hlkocc
Then in the 80's-90's it switched towards jazzy, postmodernist, romantic motifs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNDrZPctw1E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt5Zsgsbmp4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKlxWA3xEgE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NDouPzwG9w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOJ_FM4rAaA
Folk music was the accompanying voice of the 1989 Eastern Bloc Fell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eiQ4sLsC00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E19EPlofKcY
although even the Communist Party used to dig it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UejMK3xTwV8
As of recently, new-school folk has mostly to do with satire and sarcasm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuXIYVyKh18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r-Kkd-w5Tk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXqFAbtg8gk
bonus: Karma band bestly represents casual Romanian folk - the song of the mountaineers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87uWR3Jo4yc
also, it is important to realize that folk music is not to be confounded, at least in Romanian, with folklore music, also known as "popular music", or traditional.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk8XCOLDbtY
A link between folk and folklore is this living legend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4rCfkyB_X8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VfW0B1YP7w
"Folk You" is currently the main promoting platform:
http://www.romania-insider.com/folk-you-alternative-music-fe.../