Among all the ensembles participating in this year's edition of the FESTIVAL OF THE CHILDREN OF MOUNTAINS, the Croatian ensemble HKUD PETAR ZRINSKI is a real Methuselah. No one of the living remembers its birth or childhood. This year, the ensemble, which comes from the town of Vrbovec, is celebrating its 110th birthday. Although the children's group was established “only” three decades ago, the tradition leading up to that event was impressive.
And when was Croatia a child? The Kingdom of Croatia was born in 925. One hundred years before the reign of Boleslaus the Brave, Tomislav of Croatia was crowned by Pope John X. Even though 200 years later Croatia gave up its independence, yielding in personal union to the King of Hungary, more than one thousand years of tradition of the Croatian nation constitute important heritage for HKUD PETAR ZRINSKI.
During the Festival, the ensemble, which is led by Ljiljana Stanko, is going to present a programme entitled “Dances from the Vrbovec region,” which is exactly the region the ensemble comes from. Still, the ensemble’s wide repertoire also includes songs and dances from other Croatian regions.
In the performance by HKUD PETAR ZRINSKI, and especially in the part devoted to children’s games, it is worth paying attention to the characteristic “kolo” [a circle]. The musical aspect of the performance is particularly interesting. In the Croatian folklore “tamburica” is the main traditional instrument. The basic melody is performed on “prima” and “brač,” while “bas” and “bugarija” are used to beat out the rhythm. Doesn’t this sound mysterious? And if we give you a clue by saying that tamburica is a stringed instrument, will you be able to figure out the other mysterious names? We will see!
During the Festival, the ensemble, which is led by Ljiljana Stanko, is going to present a programme entitled “Dances from the Vrbovec region,” which is exactly the region the ensemble comes from. Still, the ensemble’s wide repertoire also includes songs and dances from other Croatian regions.
In the performance by HKUD PETAR ZRINSKI, and especially in the part devoted to children’s games, it is worth paying attention to the characteristic “kolo” [a circle]. The musical aspect of the performance is particularly interesting. In the Croatian folklore “tamburica” is the main traditional instrument. The basic melody is performed on “prima” and “brač,” while “bas” and “bugarija” are used to beat out the rhythm. Doesn’t this sound mysterious? And if we give you a clue by saying that tamburica is a stringed instrument, will you be able to figure out the other mysterious names? We will see!