Ojkanje - Croatian Musical Heritage, Harmonija Disonance

In 2010, Ojkanje singing was inscribed in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding!

Since 1979, when the first Croatian cultural assets were inscribed on the UNESCO List, Croatia has registered a total of 31 immovable and intangible cultural assets which placed Croatia in the first place in Europe in terms of the number of cultural assets under the protection of UNESCO, and third worldwide, right behind China and Japan (Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia).

Ojkanje is the oldest type of singing in the Republic of Croatia which dates back to prehistory. It is a distinctive feature of the Dinaric region where it occurs in several forms, in Lika where it is called “ojkanje”, in Dalmatian Zagora where we have both "ojkanje" and “rera” (known Sinjska rera), and “ganga” in the border area around Imotski in Croatia and in the western part of Herzegovina in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Help save ancient traditions from dying out while traveling, show your interest if you stumble upon them and offer your support to local guardians of traditional culture!

Educational video
UNESCO: List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding - 2010
Ojkanje singing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjm9QXUVYLA

Description: Ojkanje two-part singing, found in the Croatian regions of the Dalmatian hinterland, is performed by two or more singers (male or female) using a distinctive voice-shaking technique created by the throat. Each song lasts as long as the lead singer can hold his or her breath. Melodies are based on limited, mostly chromatic, tonal scales, and the lyrics cover diverse themes ranging from love to current social issues and politics. Ojkanje owes its survival to organized groups of local tradition bearers who continue to transmit the skills and knowledge, representing their villages at festivals in Croatia and around the world.

The University of Zagreb Academy of Music and the initiator, ethnomusicologist Dr. Joško Ćale, launched the Harmony of Dissonance project in 2016 with the aim of preserving the valuable heritage of traditional singing. Today, it is a separate ensemble that continues to adopt these ancient techniques through direct encounters with traditional singers. These dying traditions across the globe are worth saving as they offer unique experiences, and in our case a unique therapeutic experience that can provide a much-needed emotional relief and calm for troubled souls.

Listen to the members of Harmonija Disonance performing a traditional song in a modern arrangement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk4B-GbqhIU