Klapa singing has deep roots in Croatian musical tradition, especially in coastal regions, where it has been passed down for generations as an essential part of cultural identity. This unique vocal interpretation, recognized and protected as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, inspires numerous music lovers both within and outside Croatia.
One festival that celebrates this tradition in a special way is the Masquerade Klapa Marathon, which has been held for 16 years. This event combines klapa singing and carnival, as klapa groups perform in masks, bringing an extra dose of creativity and fun.
This year, the mixed a capella group Camerton from Montenegro was the only representative not only of their country, but also of the entire region, giving the festival an international character. Their participation not only confirms the growing popularity of a capella singing in Montenegro, but also contributes to the spread and preservation of this rich musical tradition.
They have performed not only in Montenegro, but also in the region, and one of the members of Camerton, Dejan Lučić, reveals in an interview with Vijesti how difficult it was to sing there, where polyphonic singing is protected by UNESCO and has a decades-long tradition:
“We are guided by the fact that culture speaks a universal language and that it is always good to be in the company of those from whom you can learn and with whom you can progress. We admire Croatia's attitude towards its cultural and musical heritage, which is close to us. We grew up and developed listening to songs from the Dubrovnik coast, from Dalmatia and from Kvarner. Likewise, and above all, we are proud of our Boka Bay, where klapa singing has been practiced and preserved for centuries, which we affirm through our work. Going to Opatija was a singing and stage challenge, but also a great joy and pride that we can present ourselves to the audience there, participate in such an event and connect with colleagues. Our host, a master of conducting Jerina Knezevic", she 'packaged' it all nicely," Lučić said.
Driven by their love for the song, several lovers of klapa singing started this story in 2018, and in addition to Lučić, who sings bass, the klapa also includes sopranos. Olivera Ivanovic, Dubravka Živković, Nadežda Sredanović, then the altice Ana Jovanovic i Eleonora Albijanić, tenors Petar Lipovina i Jovan Vuković, i bas Dalibor Labudović.
After only six months of work, they won the audience award for the song "Stari mlini" at the International Klapa Festival in Perast, and performed throughout Montenegro, as well as in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Their repertoire is wide, and in addition to covers, they also have several original songs, and for the performance at the klapa marathon they chose the Montenegrin coastal folk song "Riba Rak".
"We rewrote the lyrics of that song, in accordance with the Marathon's propositions, and adapted it to the current moment. We are very satisfied with the performance, for which we prepared for about two months, especially since it was our first time participating in an event of this type and singing in front of more than 1200 people who truly love klapa music and enjoy masquerades regardless of their age. All klapas, and there were ten of us, had exceptional stage performances, marked by high-quality performances of rewritten klapa songs, excellent costumes and choreography. It was an evening of good fun, laughter, witty tunes, but also emotions and socializing that we will fondly remember. We also established contacts with colleagues and discussed the possibilities of future cooperation," recalled Lučić.
Many klapa groups do not go beyond covers, but Camerton stands out because they already have four original compositions. Last year they presented the song "Sve godine" which was Jasminko Šetka worked for them.
When asked how much the original songs made the klapa's work more serious, because it's not the same to sing already known songs, as klapas usually do, and to bring something completely new, Lučić answers:
"Jasminka Šetka and I are bound by a sincere friendship and love for music. Šetka is a renowned and award-winning klapa leader and composer, who has collaborated with musical greats such as Oliver Dragojevic, Ibrica Jusić, Teresa of Kesovija, Tedija Washed"He led the male klapa groups Mastrinka, Versi, Tragos, Šufit, Pasika, Praska and Mriža, the mixed klapa group Sedam Kaštela, as well as the female klapa groups Dalmatinke and Ventula. It is an understatement to say that we are honored by his attention and grateful for every piece of advice, suggestion and criticism, and especially for the song he gave us," says Lučić, adding that they also used their stay in Croatia to meet him.
"We evoked memories, sang and talked about future projects. Our wish is for him to be a part of some of them, and whether we succeed in doing so depends on many factors - including luck, which we hope will be on our side," adds klapa member Camerton.
It was their original music that opened new doors for them, allowing them to stand out on the klapa scene and get the opportunity for more significant performances, but also interested authors in working for them.
"All our original songs, written for us by established authors - Šetka, Momcilo Zekovic-Zeko, Tonci Petrovic, Poly Gjurgjević i Aleksandar Sasa Gajic, tell their own micro stories that touch not only us as performers, but also the audience they are intended for, and other potential authors.
"It is very important to us that we preserve and promote the generational memory and heritage of Boka Bay and all of Montenegro through our repertoire, and that we preserve the subtlety of storytelling, the beauty of the verse and the melodiousness of the klapa song in our original songs. We have been contacted by authors, we have several new songs that we believe in and that are waiting for their moment to be presented to the audience," reveals Lučić.
The competition in Croatia is not the only place you have performed. Namely, they are regulars at competitions in Perast, and they do not hide that it means a lot to the work of the klapa and its progress.
"We have been performing regularly at the international klapa festival in Perast since our founding in 2018. How important this festival is to us is best demonstrated by the fact that we premiered three of our original songs in Perast - "Stari mlini" (2018 - audience award, New klapa song category), "Dormi, dormi" (2019) and "Priječajlu baci sidro" (2022 - third prize for lyrics, New klapa song category). The festival is competitive in nature and every year we seriously prepare for the performance, but what is 'an octave' more important to us than placing is the song, socializing with colleagues from Montenegro and the region, good energy and the opportunity to learn from each other. The festival is for the attentive listener, who is also a singer, a kind of master class - the best sing, learn from the best. You need to be open to learning and new insights, because any self-satisfaction is the path to stagnation and regression," is certain Lučić, who reminded that last year they also participated in the mixed klapa category, with with the songs 'Cesarica' and 'Cvjetak pade s naranče', which won them the audience award.
Mixed a capella groups are significantly rarer than exclusively male or female groups, which makes Camerton a special and recognizable vocal group on the Montenegrin a capella scene.
"It is true that we are an atypical klapa, because we have an equal number of male and female members, which is rare. We believe that it is not only this that sets us apart, but also the beautiful manner in performing and selecting klapa and other songs, the seriousness and persistence, enthusiasm, joy and love with which we approach each new project. The klapa brings together singers from different regions, who have brought with them to Camerton different cultures, habits, customs, and even understandings of music and musical expression. All of this makes the klapa what it is - special for some, perhaps ordinary for others. For us members, Camerton is a measuring unit of our artistic expression and existence, and a peaceful harbor for our ships that break the seas of life," concludes Lučić.
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