Traditional dance and music
Montenegro's music is a crossroads of Turkish, Slavic, Gypsy and Austrian influences, with a strong family resemblance to neighbouring Serbia - especially in terms of melodies and instruments. One of the most striking local peculiarities is the country's love of epic songs. Usually performed with a fair amount of flair, these songs tell or recite the great historical battles, glorious feats of arms or the mythical heroes of the country in decasyllabic verse. Traditionally, these songs are accompanied by the gusle, the national instrument (which is why the singers are called guslar). This one-stringed hurdy-gurdy, with its rudimentary playing technique and very melancholic sound, is present in almost all the Balkan countries. At the time of the creation of Yugoslavia, it was often evoked in political speeches as a unifying element of the South Slavs to build a common identity for all the inhabitants of the region. In Montenegro, as in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, the guslar
is the unifying instrument of all national romanticisms.One of the most gifted and illustrious guslar was Petar Perunović (1880-1952), who became famous for having gone to the United States at the beginning of the First World War to motivate the patriotism of his emigrant compatriots. Another great name of the gusle, Branko Perović is considered one of the innovators of the instrument - and of local folk music - offering a more personal reading of the tradition. If we are looking for the star of the instrument, we should head to Milomir Miljanić, nicknamed Miljan, another great gusle
player (perhaps the best) turned variety singer - with very patriotic accents. Finally, let us not forget to mention two great masters of the instrument Bosko Vujačić and Đorđije Koprivica. Traditional music is very present in Montenegro. It is played at every opportunity and some events are dedicated to it, such as the International Festival of Mediterranean Music in Budva, which sees the country's best folk groups compete in a colourful contest. It also flourishes in many events, such as the Olive Oil Festival in Bar, a great celebration of the olive with parades in traditional costumes, folklore groups and tastings.Classical music
Given the size of the country, Montenegro does not have a rich history of classical music. That said, a few composers have nevertheless marked it out, such as Jovan Ivanišević (1860-1889) who, by relying on traditional instruments and tunes, established himself as the first notable composer. It was only in the following century that the first conservatories opened in the country (in Cetinje and Podgorica). This is probably the reason why most of the great composers of the time were trained abroad, such as Redžo Mulić (1923-1982) and Ilija Lakešić (1908-1973) in Belgrade or Ivan Brkanović in Croatia (1906-1987). Little known outside the country, they are played here by the only considerable ensemble in the country: the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 2007, this young ensemble centralizes the local classical music life and is now under the direction of Russian conductor Grigory Krasko. It performs at the Montenegrin Music Center - possibly the largest stage in the country for classical repertoire. However, it is not the only one, as the Grad Teatar in Budva and the fortress of Kanli Kula
also perform. Despite the lack of tradition in the field, Montenegro can boast today of some internationally renowned musicians such as the Montenegrin Guitar Duo (formed by guitar virtuosos Goran Krivokapić and Danijel Cerović), Miloš Karadaglić, a great guitarist (yet another one) who signed some very remarkable releases with Deutsche Grammophon, Ratimir Martinović, a stunning pianist covered with prizes (notably the first prize of the Chopin Competition) as well as the violinist Nastasja Vojinović.Current music
Alreadỳ present everywhere in Yugoslavia, rock developed with its dislocation during the 1990s. It was during this time that local rock icons such as Perper appeared, a pioneering band that paved the way for many others such as current hits Autogeni Trening and Highway. More recently, Montenegro, like the rest of the world, has nurtured a hip-hop scene in the 2000s, led by the eccentric Rambo Amadeus and the mythical group Monteniggers. A genre that does not know the crisis and continues to carry big local successes like Who See, a duo from Kotor
In terms of songs, the era of the tender voice-guitar folk of the 1970s-1980s, embodied by Miladin Šobić, seems a long time ago. Today, variety stars offer a very mainstream, hyper-produced and somewhat superficial music of which stars Boban Rajović, Sergej Ćetković (very popular in the countries of former Yugoslavia), Knez (who represented the country for Eurovision) or even Nina Petković (from the local version of "Star Academy") are some of the representatives.
A long list of artists that we may come across at events such as the Budva Music Festival, also known as Sea Dance Festival, the most important music festival in the southern Adriatic. For several days, the best local and European artists perform there. We have seen Goran Bregović or Boney M. With fewer headliners but a very pop and rock program, let's also mention the Bedem Fest in Nikšić, usually held in early August, in the medieval fortress.
The dance
Known asoro, the country's traditional dance is as much a gathering and a game as it is a dance in the strict sense of the word. It consists of a gathering of young women and men who form a circle and then begin to sing while one or two people, usually a couple, dance in the middle. Sometimes the men climb on the shoulders of their comrades, forming a second circle above the first. Traditionally, no instruments accompany this dance, unlike the kolo, another traditional Montenegrin folk dance. This dance, which is mostly found in Serbian-dominated regions, sees young men holding each other's arms in a circle, semicircle or spiral, spinning and twirling, while the girls sing while moving forward in rhythmic steps. All this is accompanied by an orchestra of wind, string and percussion instruments. The last dance, common - especially in the northeast of the country - the Muslim ćoček is now part of Montenegrin cultural heritage. To the sound of languid melodies, men tower over women advancing to the throbbing sound of the tambourine.
Anyone who wants to enjoy the folk dances should go to traditional events such as the Blueberry Festival in mid-July, which is therefore dedicated to the region's flagship product and is accompanied by concerts and dances, or the Fishing Night in Ulcinj, where folk dances punctuate the fish and wine tastings.
