Kolo from Osijek

To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful.. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking.
Agnes de Mille

Today's video features the group HKUD Osijek 1862 singing and dancing a kolo to tamburitza music.  What is really cool is that they get practically the whole city to dance along with them in the square.

The cellist (Ana Rucner) is from the capital city of Zagreb.  Check out the instrument she plays (it's made of metal instead of wood).

Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia, and it's located in the Slavonija region of the country.  Slavonija is known for its lively and upbeat music.  This city, along with Vukovar was damaged during the Croatian War for Independence in 1991 and a sizable number of lives were lost.

Tamburitza music is a staple of Croatian culture and the band in the video is a very fine example.  The dance is a Drmes, of which there are many versions from different regions and towns.  This one from Slavonija is one of my favorities.



If you enjoyed this you may also like The Flavors of Croatian Kolo

Dancing Through the Alphabet, Letter K.  In this post, K is for Kolo.




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