Svekrvice – Žegar, HR

KUD Žegar Živi Zorka Seka Usljebrka – pocima Milja Radmilović, Vojislav Radmilović, Milica Milić, Radojka Radmilović – prate KUD “Žegar Živi” is a folk ensemble from the village of Žegar, located in the Bukovica region of the Dinaric Alps in northern Dalmatia. It is composed of members of the Dalmatian Serb community, who have preserved their local musical and ritual heritage for generations. Their repertoire showcases the traditional folklore of Bukovica, featuring distinctive archaic forms of singing such as groktalica, kantalica, and “na bas” singing. The ensemble’s activities focus on preserving the authentic performance style and passing on the region’s rich musical tradition. Pjevanje na bas: a traditional singing style with a 2-piece harmony. It is practiced across the Balkans with different regional variants. It uses intervals of the third, quart, and fifth which resembles a medieval organum. The historical Village of Žegar located in the mountains of North Dalmatia in the region of Bukovica (currently Croatia) consists of 4 smaller villages: Žegarian Kastel, Nadvoda, Komazeci, and Bogatnik. It is inhabited by Dalmatian Serbs. The rough climate of the mountains complemented by the picturesque gorges of the Zrmanja River for ages has provided shelter to its inhabitants, at the same time isolating them from the outside world. For generations, the people of Žegar cultivate various archaic musical traditions: groktalica, kantalica, samacko pjevanie, as well as the newer: pjevanje na bas. Bukovica – a historical and ethnographic region located in northern Dalmatia, between Ravni Kotari, southern Lika, and the lower course of the Zrmanja River. It is part of the Dinaric cultural region, which has been inhabited for centuries by Croatian and Serbian communities. Bukovica is one of the most important centers of Croatia’s archaic musical traditions. Characteristic forms of singing have been preserved here, such as groktalica, kantalica, na bas singing, and local variations of ojkanje, performed without accompaniment and passed down through oral tradition. The region is also distinguished by its rich pastoral culture and strongly preserved customs related to the annual and family ritual cycles. — About us – Balkan Polyphony is a field research project that collects traditional music from the Balkan area. We are not interested in any ideologies, we don't take sides in any historical conflicts. What interests us is traditional culture and its musical intricacies. — Our Partners: National Museum Zadar, Ethnological Department