I can't imagine life without music.

The international festival "Slavic Bazaar" in Vitebsk, Belarus, has been considered one of the most important music events in this part of Europe for decades. Numerous performers from the former Yugoslavia have performed on its stage, among whom the Montenegrin musician Komnen Vuković stood out, who five years ago won the Grand Prix in the youngest competition and left a strong impression on the audience and the expert jury.

Vuković recently appeared on the stage of “Slavic Bazaar” again, this time as a guest of the show program. His performance once again delighted the audience, and his interpretation was accompanied by great reactions and long applause, confirming that the audience in Vitebsk has not forgotten him.

"It was a huge honor for me to perform at such a big festival again. Even though I didn't compete, I felt a great responsibility and I wanted everything to turn out as well as possible and to present myself and my country in the best possible light," Vuković told Vijesti about his impressions after performing at the Slavjanski Bazar festival.

For this appearance, he chose to perform the song "Još ne sviće rujna zora", and about what meaning this song has for him and why he chose it, he says:

"When I received the invitation to perform at the opening of the festival, I was in a dilemma with which song to present myself, and then I received an explanation that I would perform as part of the 'Dance Slovenian Soul' program and that I should perform a composition that would authentically represent our country. I had some ideas, however, I must admit that Danijel Alibabić suggested that I listen to this song, but in the arrangement of Željko Joksimović. I had not heard this arrangement before and I liked it a lot. That's how the choice came about and on this occasion I would like to thank Danijel, who somehow always knows which songs suit my sensibilities, even better than I do," says Vuković honestly, who believes that it is very important that the tradition and heritage of Montenegro are preserved through such performances.

"I believe that preserving tradition through music is very important, because in this way we preserve a part of our identity. Especially when we perform abroad, we have the opportunity to present Montenegro as it is through song - a country of rich culture, beautiful music and a big heart. I am always proud when I can sing a Montenegrin song and present my country in this way. I believe that this is one of the most beautiful ways for tradition to live on and be passed on to new generations," says Vuković, who won the youngest category at this festival five years ago. Considering that this competition is one of the most respected when it comes to interpretation, and during his career Vuković has received many awards, he does not hide that the recognitions mean a lot to him and are a great encouragement, and he especially highlights the one from Belarus.

"This recognition holds a special place for me and is one of the moments when I felt very proud and happy, although I had the opportunity to win awards before that. The Grand Prix at this festival was a great experience and an incentive to continue working and improving myself," emphasizes the interviewee of Vijesti.

Although the audience is used to seeing him at competitions and festivals, Vuković has not been as active in recent years, but as he says, he is still involved in music.

"I wouldn't say I retired from the stage, I just devoted myself more to my education and classical music. In the meantime, I had many performances and competitions in violin and solo singing, so my focus was on improving and acquiring new knowledge. Of course, music is my greatest love and I can't imagine my life without it," he concludes.