The guardians of Kolašin's traditional dancing and singing say they do not fear that their authenticity will be suppressed by the influence of larger cultures through the process of European integration.
Experience has taught them that, precisely at European addresses, there is a sensibility to recognize and appreciate the originality of "unembellished" tradition.
However, the issue of the position of small states and their ability to preserve their cultural distinctiveness and heritage in this process is often a subject of public debate and fear. On the other hand, proponents of integration point out that European cultural programs also offer strong mechanisms for protection, promotion and financial support for small and vulnerable cultural communities.
As he tells "Vijesti" Davor Sedlarević, founder and leader of the singing group "Đude", which fosters archaic singing, his experience speaks in favor of the fact that, for example, in traditional dances and singing, over the past decades, it was European experts who showed interest and understanding.
"Back in 2013, we were the subject of interest of a European university whose experts came to Kolašin and recorded our dances, intrigued by the fact that there were still people in Europe who danced only to music - without any music. Another goal of that research was their conclusion that by joining the EU, they had lost a lot of their own heritage that had become integrated into global practices and habits. They recommended that we not make the same mistake, but rather be consistent and cautious in our innovations," says Sedlarević, who also runs the Kolašin Cultural and Artistic Association, but is also the manager of the "dr Zlata Marjanović" Ethno-camp.
The Kolašin tradition keepers have won the Council of Europe and the European Commission award for the best European heritage story. The award was won for traditional singing with a second harmony. Then, in 2025, with Montenegrin indigenous dances and songs, they were declared world champions according to the decisions of an expert jury at one of the three strongest world festivals. On the other hand, state recognition and awards were absent.
According to Sedlarević, traditional culture in Montenegro is threatened primarily by ignorance and mismanagement in the field of folklore, which is why authentic dances and songs, as he explains, are increasingly being replaced by pop, kitschy and inauthentic versions that are falsely presented as tradition. He claims that only a small number of ensembles today truly cherish the original form, while the majority do not reflect the real quality or authenticity of the heritage.
He believes that European cultural programs and funds significantly contribute to the preservation and promotion of traditional culture in Montenegro.
"If projects are written honestly and with a clear goal, the funds are very useful. We have had very good experiences in that field because there are experts in the EU who obviously know our culture better than our 'commissions'. The problem is huge in our institutions that do not have educated staff and for whom everything has to be 'drawn up'. Most of them still do not believe that Montenegrin dance is accompanied only by a song or the rhythm of steps, as well as that the untempered musical system and the harmony of the second in singing are the nucleus of our heritage. When you have such a relationship in domicile institutions - you have nothing to hope for, except conflict. We have withdrawn more money from European funds than from our own...", says the interlocutor of "Vijesti".
They do not seek to embellish their heritage.
The balance between the modernization of society and the preservation of authenticity, Sedlarević claims, can be achieved "only through the formation of educational programs that, devoid of politicization and party recruitment, will realistically and systematically study heritage."
He believes that the Montenegrin course in studying traditional dance and song over the last 30 years has been completely wrong.
"We try to package everything in some cheap kitschy products, add folk costumes, and we think that we have 'approached' the average EU viewer. No one from Europe asked us to embellish our heritage, we tried it ourselves and experienced a complete fiasco," says the leader and founder of the singing group "Đude".
The international research station “Ethno-camp dr Zlata Marjanović - Kolašin”, of which Sedarević is the director, is one of three such platforms in Europe. In order to preserve the results of his and his collaborators' research and “prevent the invention of tradition”, Sedlarević initiated the creation of a digital database of recordings ten years ago.
"Great world universities keep recordings from Montenegro and, believe it or not, they are more accessible than our archives. With two clicks or two emails, you can get all the necessary information. Aware of what awaits us, I recognized that politicization and the party-nationalist system would collapse our knowledge, so in 2015 I initiated the formation of a digital database of recordings, at least for the Kolašin region, and from that point of view we are 'peaceful' in modern trends," he explains.
Sedlarević warns that the "idealized folklore" promoted by domestic institutions and folklore ensembles is in conflict with scientific and research results and ethical norms.
"Only if we have institutions and presenters that act on the basis of scientific, rather than political and ideological references, can we remain recognizable."
Integration and preservation of distinctiveness are not in conflict
In Kolašin, the local Corifej Theatre has been bringing together European theatre creators for years at the International Festival of Alternative Theatre. The director and artistic director of that festival Zoran Rakočević says that the European Union has been successful in many areas of cultural policy. According to him, European integration and the preservation of cultural distinctiveness are not conflicting values. However, he is skeptical about the ability of Montenegrin institutions to preserve cultural identity.
"I think it's better to entrust it to someone else who has more expertise and who may be better able to understand the whole phenomenon. I don't believe that European integration will change the awareness of this here much, but at least some officials will make an effort to meet the agendas and check off the tasks. And if it remains only on paper, as it has been so far, it will again be a weak point," says Rakočević.
According to him, domestic theater production is only in some cases adapted to broader European trends and the market.
"Theater is still shyly positioned in the region. I believe that, given that we are a small country, we need to preserve authenticity, be socially engaged and speak out from this karst, without adapting to possible production demands, and that only in this way will we take the place we deserve. Originality is something that we should have nurtured both as an economy and as a tourist destination. And we have done everything the other way around and now we cannot defend cultural assets from our own mistakes. I don't know what European trends are, but if we had a strong back, we would be able to respond to them like fools and create a quality cultural product," says the director.
No response from the authorities, nor from the two academies
"Vijesti" sent questions about how the state is preparing to preserve cultural authenticity and heritage in the EU integration process to the Ministry of Culture and Media, the Ministry of European Integration, the two academies of science and art - CANU and DANU, the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Heritage... After several weeks of waiting and repeated questions, no answers were received from these addresses.
Some academics said that answering the question of whether small states in the field of culture and tradition can pose a threat to EU integration requires more time, because it is a "complex topic that deserves a scientific conference."
President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic At the end of May, he sent a letter to the European Commissioner for Enlargement Marty Kos, which initiates a stronger inclusion of Montenegro in leading European cultural initiatives. He said that Montenegro wants its European path to be recognized not only through reforms and institutions, but also through the culture, heritage and values that it has shared with Europe for centuries. The letter states that Montenegro, as a multicultural country and the most advanced candidate for membership in the European Union, greatly appreciates the renewed strategic commitment of the EU to culture, cultural heritage and common European values, which is reflected in the strategic document Culture Compass for Europe.
This document is the European Commission's strategic framework that defines a long-term vision for the development of culture in the European Union. It serves as a guideline for future cultural policies and is not a funding programme. It aims to improve the position of artists and cultural workers, enable wider access to culture for citizens, strengthen the cultural and creative sectors and increase the visibility of European culture in the world. It also addresses contemporary challenges such as freedom of artistic expression, working conditions in culture, the impact of artificial intelligence and unequal access to cultural content.
Milatović expressed his desire to initiate a discussion on potential modalities for Montenegro's inclusion in the European Heritage Label initiative, bearing in mind the importance of our cultural heritage for common European history and values.
He sees special space in initiatives related to cultural heritage, youth participation, cultural mobility, regional cultural cooperation and the promotion of European values through culture.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
