CONCERT Towards the Sun

Performing:

KUD „Tomislav” from Donji Andrijevci
Reemigrant band
Donja Jeka
Łada Ensemble

Croatia is already one of the few European countries where traditional village music can still be heard in its natural space, where it is valued, liked and popular, even among the youngest generation. It can be heard not only at concerts, but also at family events, holidays, including church events, and in social situations.

Croatians care a great deal about their cultural heritage, and for them singing is its highest manifestation. As many as seven different vocal forms are listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Often entire villages have amateur singing groups, the so-called KUDs, who watch over the intergenerational transmission and care for the form and expression of songs.

During the concert “Towards the Sun”, we will hear music from various historical periods and from different regions of Croatia, including Slavonia and Northern Dalmatia. There will be vocal forms inscribed on the UNESCO list (ojkanie, bećarac), historically older songs sung in an untempered scale, as well as newer ones, performed eagerly by young people. That is, as wide a cross-section as possible, accompanied by a tamburica orchestra and gaidas.

The concert also links the Polish-Croatian routes. Polish settlers from Galicia, back in the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, found their way to Croatia and northern Bosnia, wandering there for bread. After the Second World War, they came to Poland’s western territories, bringing with them Balkan-Polish repertoire and instruments. To this day, they still perform music and songs in this unusual style, created at the crossroads of cultures.

We will hear the Reemigrant Band, made up of pupils of Edward Braszko from Lower Silesia. Over the past few years, he has passed on his skills and knowledge to the youngsters, who will play a repertoire from Ocice near Bolesławiec with him (consisting of tamburicas, violin, drum).

The re-emigrant trail will be addressed by guests from Slavonia, from eastern Croatia – KUD ‘Tomislav’ from Donji Andrijevci. It is a group of 20 young and older singers and musicians, one of the most active in Slavonia. It continues the rich musical traditions of the Brod-Posavina region, including religious singing and bećarac (a local type of chants). KUD “Tomislav” organises local festivals and celebrations.
In addition to a wide range of songs, the concert will feature tamburicas and gaidas.

Łada is an ensemble from Poland that has been travelling to Croatia and Bosnia for years doing field research and learning from the singers there. In the concert they will present the Bukovica region in Northern Dalmatia, which has been inhabited for centuries by representatives of two nationalities: Croats and Serbs. We will hear traditional ojkanie and ritual songs, vučarske and lazaričke pjesme.

The Donja Jeka ensemble will perform songs centred around the theme of the sun, mainly from the Posavina region. Most have been extracted from the archives and are no longer part of the ‘living tradition’. The members of the ensemble have been researching old vocal forms for years, and today they have decided to present them to the world. Their repertoire connects Polish-Croatian routes, shows the uniqueness and variety of forms of traditional music and a respectful approach to intangible heritage, which is at the same time a reason for joy and fun in singing and making music together.