A lot of the French folk revivalists came over here (Quebec) to study get access to the more raw traditions. The surviving traditions in the various parts of France tended to be more formalized, often based on written records of earlier centuries. I don’t know about Alain Stivell himself, but a lot of his scene were really inspired by visits to Quebec. Same with the Scottish folk revival. When I was living over there, I was surprised by how many Quebec folk tunes the Ceilidh would play.
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