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2 Pop and rock 3 References |
The traditional music of Croatia is mostly associated with tamburitza and gusle songs. Tamburitza music, a form of folk music that revolves around the tambura is primarily associated with the northern part of the country while the gusle music became mostly popular in southern (Dinaric) region of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The Slavonian town Požega hosts a known folk music festival, Zlatne žice Slavonije (Golden strings of Slavonia), which has prompted musicians to compose new songs with far-reaching influences, recently including American bluegrass.
Tamburitza became increasingly popular in the 1800s, and small bands began to form, paralleling similar developments in Russia, Italy and the Ukraine. It is sometimes said that the first sextet of tambura players was formed by Pajo Kolarić of Osijek in 1847.
Traditional tamburitza ensembles are still commonplace, but more professional groups have formed in the last few decades. These include Ex Pannonia, the first such group, Zdenac, Berde Band and the modernized rock and roll-influenced Gazde.
In comparison to tamburitza music, which is mainly focused on common themes of love and happy village life, the gusle music is primarily rooted in the Croatian epic poetry with emphasis on important historical or patriotic events.
By glorifying outlaws such as hajduks or uskoks of the long gone Turkish reign or exalting the recent heroes of the Croatian War for Independence, the gusle players have always kept Croatian national spirit alive bringing hope and self-confidence to the enslaved nation. Andrija Kačić Miosić, a famous 18th century author, had also composed verses in form of the traditional folk poetry (deseterac). His book "Razgovor ugodni naroda slovinskog" became Croatian folk Bible which inspired numerous gusle players ever since.
As for contemporary gusle players in Croatia, one person that particularly stands out is Mile Krajina. Krajina is a prolific folk poet and gusle player who gained cult status among some Conservative groups. There are also several other prominent Croatian gusle players who often perform at various folk-festivals throughout Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Although some fans of tamburitza claim that the tambura is the most commonly used ethnic instrument in the United States, the first sound recordings of the Croatian instruments on the American soil were in fact those of gusle and misnica performed by Peter Boro in California in 1939.
The folk music of Zagorje, an area north of Zagreb, is known for polka and waltz music similar to the neighboring Slovenia and Austria.
The folk music of Međimurje, a small but distinct region in northernmost Croatia, with its melancholic and soothing tunes became the most popular form of folk to be used in the modern ethno pop-rock songs.
The Dalmatian coast on the other hand sports a cappella choirs known as klape, usually composed of up to a dozen male and female singers, singing typically Mediterranean tunes like in Italy.
In Istria, native instruments like sopila, curla and diple make a distinctive regional sound.
Pop music and rock is more popular in Croatia than folk music, albeit the folk/pop combinations fare the best. Singers such as Oliver Dragojević, Ivica Šerfezi, Doris Dragović, Severina, Gibonni and many others base their sound on the traditional sound of the regions they're from.
Among the folk-pop artists, many combine the oriental sound more commonly associated with the folk music of Bosnia and Serbia with the more traditional melodies of Croatia and Dalmatia. Among them are divas like Doris Dragović and Severina, while the men like Vuco or Thompson are a trademark of perhaps the most oriental sound in Croatia.
Beginning in the late 1980s, folk-rock groups also sprouted across Croatia. The first is said to be Vještice, who combined Međimurje folk music with rock and set the stage for artists like Legen, Lidija Bajuk and Dunja Knebl.
More vanilla, but nevertheless very popular rock bands in Croatia include Parni Valjak, Crvena Jabuka, Leteći Odred and others.
Croatian record companies produce a lot of material each year, if only to populate the numerous music festivals. Of special note is the Split festival which usually produces the best summer hits.
Croatian pop music is fairly often listened to in Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro due to the union of Yugoslavia that existed until the 1990s. Conversely, Bosnian singers like Kemal Monteno and Dino Merlin and Serbian Ceca, Đorđe Balašević and many others also have a large audience in Croatia.
Croatia is a regular contestant on the Eurovision Song Contest. Back in Yugoslavia, Croatian pop group Riva won the contest in 1989.
See also:
Folk music
Tamburitza
Gusle
Other folk traditions
Pop and rock
References