The Lithuanian folk music band Sutaras is an independent, professional folklore group, based in Vilnius. You will find the whole range of Lithuanian instrumental folk music in its repertoire: from old rituals, authentic shepherds' instruments dating to the end of the 19th Century, to the international and classical instruments that became increasingly more common in the villages of Lithuania by the beginning of the 20th Century.
Sutaras visited Australia for performances at the Woodford Festival many years ago.
During a visit to Vilnius in 2015, the Global Village met with Antanas Fokas, the director of Sutaras. We talked about the history of the band, as well as the diversity of Lithuanian music, and changes that have happened to this music in recent years.
This interview (courtesy of Garry Havrillay's editing) will be heard this Sunday in the Global Village, surrounded by many examples of Sutaras's music.