A family that left a strong mark on the development of the culture of Nikšić

The story of the culture of Nikšić, its institutions and institutions, is unthinkable without mentioning the Šobajić family.

From them, in the city under Trebjes, everything moved. In order to once again remember the famous family, but also to present prof. Ph.D Dragan Šobajić, music writer and translator, JU "Zahumlje" hosted Professor Šobajić as part of the "Kultopis" forum, with whom he conducted an interview Kristina Radovic, art historian and program editor in "Zahumlje".

"The Šobajić family left a strong mark on the economic and cultural-educational development of Nikšić at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. They often invested the wealth they acquired from doing business in the development of the city's culture. The two brothers Maksim and Boško, then Simo, Petar, Ilija and Branko Šobajić are among the prominent figures of their era, while Miloš and Dragan also marked the new era in their own way," said Radović in her opening address.

Šobajići, among other things, participated in the founding of the Nikšić Reading Society and the "Zahumlje" Singing Society, started the first cinema in the city, founded the Craftsmen's and Workers' Association and the Theater Society, the first tambura choir, and in the Craftsmen's Society tin music...

"It seems to me that what Maksim and the other old Šobajići gave is more significant in terms of their intentions than in terms of real results, which were modest. These were all wonderful ideas, wonderful wishes, undertakings that were realized, but due to various historical circumstances, they either temporarily disappeared or sank, only to reappear after several decades. But no matter how modest and perhaps short-lived it was, Šobajići were the first to start it", said prof. Dr. Dragan Šobajić.

As he explained, there was a matrix for the creation of cultural institutions in the region, and Šobajići also adhered to that matrix.

"Reading rooms were established first, as in Nikšić. These were gatherings of literate people who wanted to contribute something more to the spiritual and cultural life of their environment. After the reading room comes the theater, as the closest artistic expression to our climate, then the choir is formed, and finally the orchestra. That matrix of cultural development that comes from the people, from the deepest layers, is, so to speak, typical for the Balkan areas. In contrast to such cultural development that comes from the roots of the people, in Western Europe we see the opposite process, where everything mostly happens at court. They spread culture from the top, from the courts, and in that way largely formed the cultural physiognomy of the respective environments. In our country, everything started from the people", Šobajić said.

"The people of Šobajić considered Nikšić their city, they lived in it, went from it to the world's metropolises, then returned and found eternal abodes in it. They were patrons of art," said Kristina Radović.

Unfortunately, today, according to Šobajić, there are more and more wealthy people, but they invest less and less in art, and Stanislav Ćano Koprivica is one of the few who was a true patron of art.

"All types of art are equalized so that classical, artistic, not to mention serious music, remains in only one segment. I am not satisfied with that because it tells me that music and all other arts go to the margins of human interest, that art is no longer an integral part of classical education. So let's say, in Djui's numerical catalog, which tries to unite all kinds of human writing, art, entertainment and sports are numbered seven. Kudos to sports and entertainment, but if art is equated with other free activities such as entertainment and sports in such a comprehensive global catalog, then I'm afraid that art is not well written," Šobajić believes.

The forum is organized by the "Zahumlje" JU in cooperation with the "Dara Čokorilo" Music School, as part of the "September Days".

Music is a matter of spirit, soul, personal feelings

Dr. Dragan Šobajić is a pianist by profession. After studying in Tel Aviv, Belgrade, Zagreb and Moscow, he performed as a pianist in the cities of the SFR Yugoslavia and the USSR, was a visiting professor at music academies and faculties in the region, and is a professor emeritus at the University of Bijeljina. He was one of the initiators of the Music Academy in Titograd, at the Music Academy in Cetinje he initiated master's studies in piano teaching methodology, at the Music Academy in East Sarajevo the piano department and master's studies in piano teaching methodology. At the Academy in Sarajevo, he started doctoral and master's studies in piano teaching methodology. At the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, he started the course History and Theory of Pianism (basic studies) and History of Performance (specialist and doctoral studies).

He has published ten books, a number of professional and scientific articles, and he has also translated two books, while the third is due out soon.

"Even today I am looking for myself and I will probably be looking for myself for the rest of my life. I started my career as a pianist, worked for a long time at the academy in Titograd, and then in Cetinje, and then gradually turned to pedagogy, which also interested me, and at the same time broadened my insight into the background of performance and piano pedagogy, so that in the last 15-20 years I started intensively writing books in the field of music, and in the last couple of years I have also been translating", said Šobajić, whose role models were three completely different artists, Sergej Rachmaninoff, Glenn Gould and Alfred Brendel.

He jokingly said that because of his work at the faculties, he was "forced" to get a doctorate and engage in scientific work.

"Willy-nilly, I entered into a scientific approach to music, even though it repelled me at first - why should we study our art through a scientific lens. I was 'forced', I also found satisfaction there, but I still believe that music is primarily a matter of spirit, soul, personal feelings, which, if cultivated and directed in the right way, then give the right result. Science can help, but not decisively".

As he said, writing and translation, in his case, complement each other, because in "translation he understands what is a well-written text that is able to interest", and then applies this in authorship - to approach the reader in a similar way and interest him in the topic of to whom he writes.