Most costumes were a snapshot of what was popular at some time in the past (the Malian men wore current styles, though) The art displayed, ditto. The dances were usually done to more modern fusions, using old-style costumes.
I wanted to ask "What is modern Lithuanian culture? How does it differ from generic 'European'?" I didn't want to embarass anybody, though. And the answer might be hard to put into words. They undoubtedly have songs and books in their own language, and some of the things they write would inherit somewhat from the old culture, but I'd bet that most of it would be written within the context of the broader generic culture, with its values and assumptions.
Backing up, what goes into culture? Religion, collective history, local fashions, local traditions. Besides the language, one obvious distinctive of (e.g. I'm not really trying to pick on them; plug in whoever you like. That was just the booth I was in front of when the thought came to mind.) Lithuania is their politics, which sometimes partakes rather strongly of religion--but isn't something other people can appreciate.
Just for laughs, I looked up vibee.tv for the top 10 pop stars in Europe today. One "star" was a duo (UK and Nigeria). 3 were US, 3 1/2 were UK, 1 Korea, 1 Canada, 1/2 Africa. 1 was EU. I get the impression of some blenderizing of culture.
How does "Lithuanian" music get to compete in that environment?
It manages. I wonder why they didn't put some of it in at the fair
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And for half a century, Lithuania had been under a totalitarian régime, so that did a number on their culture as well.
Yes, but I mentioned it only as an example of "small country with colorful old costumes and folkart" in a big cultural region. And yes, they do have some of their own historically-influenced music.
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