The Grbalj Singing Society hosted a traditional January concert tonight in the Great Hall of the "Nikola Đurković" Cultural Center in Kotor, which this year had a special significance because it marked the 25th anniversary of the company's existence and work.

The January concert of the Grbalj Singing Society has been a recognizable cultural event for years, which the audience looks forward to with special attention, and this year's edition was dedicated to the jubilee, which testifies to the long-term and dedicated work on nurturing original music and cultural traditions.

The society was founded in 2000, and during its quarter of a century of activity, it performed at numerous concerts and events in Montenegro and abroad, making a significant contribution to the cultural life of the community and winning numerous awards.

The audience had the opportunity to hear a carefully selected repertoire that included original songs performed in previous years, as well as new musical creations, which symbolically connected the past, present and future of the Grbalj Singing Society.

In addition to the host, guests also performed at the concert: Folklore Ensemble "Nikola Đurković" Kotor, KUD "Piva" from Plužine, SKUD "Vojkovići" from East Sarajevo, Theater 303, violinists Stevan Miljanić and Goran Vuković, folk singer Savo Šumar, as well as young accordionist Danilo Pržica.

The organizers pointed out that the Grbalj Singing Society is not celebrating just one date tonight, but 25 years of song, duration and love for tradition, stressing that the society has been a meeting place of generations for decades, where the song was passed "from heart to heart" and kept as a precious heritage. Special thanks are extended to all those who have contributed to the work of the society over the years, as well as to the institutions and organizations that helped mark the jubilee and procure new national costumes.

Gratitude is addressed to the Municipality of Kotor, the Secretariat for Culture, Sports and Social Activities of the Municipality of Kotor, the Tourist Organization of the Municipality of Kotor, the Municipal Company of Kotor, the Cultural Center "Nikola Đurković", as well as the Municipalities of Tivat and Budva, as well as numerous institutions and private companies.

The ceremony began with a blessing sent by the Archpriest of Kotor-Tivat, Archpriest-Stavrofor Nemanja Krivokapić, who congratulated the jubilee and wished the society many more years of successful work and gathering through song.

As pointed out, the concert was opened by the president of the Grbalj Singing Society, artistic director and leading voice Savo Šumar, who for years has been talking about his homeland, the sea and the beauties of Montenegro through song. He has more than 30 recorded songs in his rich repertoire, and his artistic journey has been marked by numerous festival appearances and awards. At the UTEX festival in Belgrade, held in December 2025, he won the first prize of "Bora Drljača" for the best interpretation of the song "Goodbye, a foreign land". Tonight, the audience had the opportunity to hear the premiere of the song "Sa lovćenski strmih strana", dedicated to the beauties of Boka and Grblje.

During the evening, it was emphasized that the Grbalj Singing Society has been persevering in its noble mission of preserving the cultural heritage of Grbalj, its original songs, customs and traditions for 25 years. It was pointed out the strong connection of the people of this region with their homeland and the songs that were created from that longing, among which are "From Lovćen I look down", "When Grbljani sing", "I look after the sheep on the mountain alone" and "Zavichaja Grbaljskome".

A special part of the program was dedicated to the performance of folk songs with fiddles, presented by fiddlers Stevan Miljanić and Goran Vuković. The audience heard, among others, the songs "Oj djevko, ruzo bijela" and the fast song "Quail". The end of the concert was marked by the performance of the song "Ships Sail" interpreted by the men's singing group of the Grbalj Singing Society and violinist Stevan Miljanić.

The evening was completed by the guests - the multiple award-winning KUD "Piva" from Plužine and SKUD "Vojkovići" from East Sarajevo, who cherish traditional dances, customs and epic poetry, as well as the Folklore Ensemble "Nikola Đurković" Kotor, which presented itself with a mix of folk dances from Montenegro and Serbia. Dragan Buzdovan, the founder, director and actor of Kotor's amateur theater "Teatar 303", took care of the part of the program dedicated to laughter.

The youth of the society was presented by Danilo Pržica, a student in the third grade of the Maritime High School in Kotor, who, in addition to singing, also plays the accordion.

The first performance of the Grbalj Singing Society was held in Kotor, which was followed by numerous performances throughout Montenegro and the region - in Budva, Cetinje, Gruža, Trebinje, Kraljevo, Bar, Bijela and Vojkovići, where they twice won third place in the competition of 86 participating companies.

The ceremony was attended by the President of the Kotor Municipality Assembly Vojin Batuta, the President of the Municipality of Tivat Željko Komnenović, as well as numerous representatives of municipal institutions.

Text: Nataša Janović

Photo: Radio Kotor/N.J.
Radio Kotor