Ratilio is a Lithuania

Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

n folk music

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

 and dance ensemble associated with Vilnius University

Vilnius University

Vilnius University is the oldest university in the Baltic states and one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. It is also the largest university in Lithuania....

. Founded in 1968, it is one of the oldest in Lithuania.

Its members draw on their varied backgrounds during performances, which include storytelling using regional dialects. The performers follow specific regional traditions. It maintains and expands its repertoire through ongoing researches and contacts made during its international travels.

The ensemble uses traditional musical elements, including the kanklės

Kankles

The Kanklės is a Lithuanian plucked string musical instrument , related to the zither. It is roughly in the shape of a trapezium or trapezoid . The instrument is fitted with several wire or gut strings under tension which produce tones when plucked...

, ragai, daudytė, skudučiai, and the multipart harmonies of the sutartinė. Its first recording was made in 1980, followed by releases in 1987, 1990, and 2002.