In the large hall of the Cultural Center in Kolašin, on Wednesday and Thursday evening, two final concerts of the Cultural and Artistic Society (KUD) "Mijat Mašković" were held, which gathered more than 130 participants of all ages and aroused great interest from the audience. Holding two sold-out performances in the space of just two days once again confirmed the importance of this ensemble for the cultural life of the city, according to the KUD.
All sections of the society participated in the program, including the youngest members led by Danica Dana Šćepanović, the preparatory ensemble led by Jovan Miladović, the youth of the female singing group "Đude" - "Đudice", mentored by Milena Rondović, as well as the first performing ensemble.
The youngest group, children from the "Sestre Radović" Kindergarten, attracted special attention from the audience, who performed the "šećeri" voting circle, a traditional toast and a song from Morača. According to the Kolašin Cultural Association, this is the youngest group to ever perform these games, and in the most difficult, original way, accompanied only by a song.
The dances of the Kolašin region have been protected as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Montenegro since 2016 and are an example of "transmission of heritage to younger generations". A special part of the program, with the singing of rare recordings from Grbalj, is dedicated to the late Zlata Marjanović, a doctor of ethnomusicology, who was one of the greatest researchers of Montenegrin traditional music and a permanent associate of the Kolašin KUD.
"A very diverse, demanding and above all original program is what attracts viewers and listeners, not only from Kolašin. That is why there was interest in even holding a third concert," said Davor Sedlarević, the ensemble's manager.
He highlights the help of the Municipality of Kolašin and the Kolašin Culture Center, within which the KUD operates, and his gratitude for the funds allocated for the promotion of Kolašin dances at renowned world folklore festivals. Last year it was Estonia, and this year Montenegrin archaic dances and songs in the authentic performance of the Kolašin highlanders will be plowed in Poland, at the 62nd Beskid Highlanders Culture Week - one of the largest European festivals with over 100.000 visitors. At all these festivals, the people of Kolašin perform exclusively Montenegrin dances, without playback and without orchestral accompaniment, as they were practiced centuries ago. All costs, including air transportation, are borne by the Municipality of Kolašin and the Kolašin Cultural Center.
"We expect that in the next year, in cooperation with the Municipality of Kolašin, we will also solve the pressing problem, which is the lack of our dance hall for rehearsals, given that the number of events at the Cultural Center has increased and rehearsals are often postponed. The general impression is that the KUD deserves this after eight decades of existence and the fact that it is the most numerous organization in the city, with an exceptional domestic and international reputation," says Sedlarević.
He explains that the Municipality is interested in permanently resolving this deficiency soon.
Bonus video:
