Two and a Half Thousand People in Opatija Sang in Honor of Oliver Dragojević
Two and a half thousand visitors filled the Summer Stage, with emotional performances by Goran Karan, Tedi Spalato, Petar Dragojević, and Zorica Kondža.
Two and a half thousand visitors filled the Summer Stage, with emotional performances by Goran Karan, Tedi Spalato, Petar Dragojević, and Zorica Kondža.
Opatija's Summer Stage was packed to the last seat last night, with the queue stretching far into the park. The concert "Tragom Olivera" (In Oliver's Footsteps), dedicated to the great of Croatian music, Oliver Dragojević, brought together two and a half thousand people who came to pay tribute to his enduring legacy.
Half an hour after the scheduled start, the legendary "Galeb i ja" (The Seagull and Me) echoed through the amphitheater. Tedi Spalato was the first to greet the audience at the microphone, having the honor of opening the evening.
"We'll sing together because he hears everything and he said, rejoice and sing," Spalato told the crowd. The program spanned Oliver's entire career, from his early days to his greatest hits, with the audience singing, dancing, and at times shedding tears.
After Spalato, Goran Karan, Petar Dragojević, and Zorica Kondža took the stage, all accompanied by Oliver's longtime band, Dupini. It was Karan who, introducing the band to the audience, delivered the words that defined the evening.
"These people here have traveled millions of kilometers with him and played every song, from the beginning right up to the apparent end," Karan said. He then added: "And the end is apparent because he finished on this earth, but his songs remain. His songs never die; that can only happen to us singers."
The band Dupini, who performed with Oliver for nearly 30 years, also played several songs without the lead vocalist, proving why they were crucial to the quality of the evening. Zorica Kondža recalled her collaborations with the great musician. She highlighted the honor of recording as many as three duets with him, with one of her favorites being "Ti si moj san" (You Are My Dream), which she performed last night alongside Petar Dragojević.
The younger Dragojević, with a voice incredibly similar to Oliver's, delivered songs like "Kad mi dođeš ti" (When You Come to Me), "Molitva za Magdalenu" (A Prayer for Magdalena), and "Trag u beskraju" (A Trail into Infinity) with impressive vocals and emotion.
The concert's finale was somewhat unexpected. Just as all four singers gathered on stage to sing "Vela Luka," fireworks lit up the Opatija sky. The evening concluded with timeless classics, "Cesarica" and "Vjeruj u ljubav" (Believe in Love), which everyone present sang in unison.
