I was privileged to be able to go to Klapa Solin’s 10th anniversary. Klapa is traditional a cappella singing, and the tradition is alive and well in Dalmatia.
The event was set in the striking Roman ruins of Solin (Salona), and it couldn’t have made a more perfect backdrop to the event.
What’s more - even though tourists would pay handsomely for the night, it was put on especially just for friends of the singing group, with a feast of seafood (black squid risotto, fried anchovies, salata od hobotnice (octopus salad), cod soup) with, of course, plenty of wine to wash it down. The night was totally authentic, everyone was there to enjoy the music, ambience and the food, and life in general.
In between each musical performance were recitals where they spoke of tradition and love of the land. Especially interesting was Pepe Kalafot, and his funny Dlaka recital (I followed enough of this to get the gist ;-) - he has a strong dialect, I think from Komiža on the island of Vis, and from his intonation it sounds almost as if he’s speaking Italian!)
Even more special than the live performance were the impromptu performances afterwards, in the beautiful terrace gardens of Salona, full of food and wine groups would break into song. All in all, it was a magical evening.
These videos don’t do the night justice, but they might give an idea:
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3