CROATIAN INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE - DALMATIAN A CAPPELLA CHOIR SINGING (KLAPE)

A cappella choir singing is a specific way of singing in a group (klapa), characteristic for Dalmatia and Croatia. It is considered that this kind of singing developed about the middle of the 19th century in Dalmatian towns. It was influenced by Gregorian choral, church folk and Glagolitic singing Mediterranean – particularly Italian music and singing and other factors. Klapa singing is singing in three or four voices without instrumental accompaniment and with recognisable movement of melody lines, harmony and text content. The texts of the songs cover a wide variety of themes from everyday life such as love, nature and family. The authors of texts and melodies are unknown. Modern composers often take verses of renowned Croatian poets. There is a difference between traditional (folk), festival and modern singing groups (klape). Traditional folk klapa is a non-formal group of singers which gathers spontaneously and sings on various occasions: before and during work and after work in evening hours in taverns or in front of houses. The appearance of a large number of singing groups and the spreading of klapa-singing throughout the region was influenced by the Dalmatian Klapa Festival in Omiš which was founded in 1967. Along with political, social and cultural changes in the 90-ies of the 20th century the klapa singing has changed considerably. This kind of singing became very popular and many groups were formed so that it resulted in a real “klapa movement”. Next to Dalmatia the centres of klapa singing become also Zagreb and Rijeka. Women vocal groups also joined the klapa singing - their tradition arising from the women’s folk singing. The large number of klapa choirs has led to a recognisable style, genre, repertoire and performance nourished in fourteen centres of klapa singing. From the 1960-ies the klapa singing becomes one of the symbols of Dalmatian and Mediterranean and then also Croatian identity. Because of the importance klapa singing has for Croatian culture, it was entered into the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012. D.Sc. Tihana Petrović Leš