Which 6 songs should represent Croatia in the first EU Songbook?

The late Oliver Dragojević (Photo: Oliver Dragojević Official Facebook)

From today Croatians are invited to select the six Croatian songs to represent them in the first songbook for the European Union. 

From 30 November to 30 December voting is open to find the six Croatian songs that should represent them in the first EU Songbook. 54 Croatian songs have been nominated in six song categories by music students and teachers. 

Among the songs nominated included traditional songs like “ Vuprem oči ” and “Oj More duboko ”, as well as contemporary songs such as “Vjeruj u ljubav ” and “Moja domovina”. 

The six song categories – decided among 17 music academies from 14 member states – are: “Love songs”, “Nature & Seasons”, “Freedom & Peace”, “Folk songs”, “Songs of faith” and “Children songs”.

Croatians are invited to vote on www.eu-songbook.org. The categories and songs are below. 

Love songs

1. Vjeruj u ljubav – (Zdenko Runjić)
2. Cesarica – (Zlatan Stipišić-Gibonni)
3. Vehni, Vehni Fijolica – (trad. iz Medjimurja)
4. Jedino moje – (Đ. Jusić, jr. / P. Jusić)
5. Moj lipi anđele – (Oliver Dragojević)
6. Vilo moja – (Ivica Badurina)
7. Jute San Se Zajubio
8. La musica di notte – (Đelo Jusić)
9. Marijana – (Vlaho Paljetak)
10. Miruj, miruj srce moje – (V. Lisinski)

Nature & Seasons

1. Oj More duboko – (trad. iz Dalmacije)
2. Moja duša – (glazba: Zdravko. Drenjančević / tekst: T. Gačić)
3. More More – (Slobodan Kovačević)
4. Lastavicam – (Ivan Zajc)
5. Dalmatino povišću pritrujena – (Ljubo Stipišić-Delmata)
6. Ča je more – (tradicionalna)
7. Gora, gora visoka si – (tradicionalna)
8. Voda zvira – (tradicionalna)
9. Vuprem oči – (narodna)

Freedom & Peace

1. Moja domovina – (Rajko Dujmić / Zrinko Tutić)
2. Himna slobodi – (glazba: J. Gotovac / tekst: I. Gundulić)
3. Domovini i ljubavi – (Ivan Zajc)
4. Gori nebo visoko – (Franjo Pokorni)
5. Tvoja zemlja – (Alfi Kabiljo/Drago Britvić)
6. Stop the war in Croatia – (Tomislav Ivčić)
7. Neka Cijeli Ovaj Svijet  / ”Jalta, Jalta” – (Alfi Kabiljo)
8. Kad bi svi ljudi na svijetu – (Arsen Dedić)
9. Kaj – (glazba: R. Taclik / tekst: D. Domjanić)

Folk songs

1. Vuprem oči – (tradicionalna)
2. Letovanić, Letovanić selo pokraj Kupe
3. Dej mi, Bože, joči sokolove – (tradicionalna)
4. Oj, Ti Bela Zorja – (narodna)
5. Marica je fajn snešica (tradicionalna)
6. Ljubav se ne trži – (tradicionalna)
7. Rožica sem bila
8. Sve ptičice iz gore – (tradicijska)
9. Sinoć kad je pao mrak – (tradicijska)

Songs of faith

1. Narodi nam se kralj nebeski
2. Rajska Djevo kraljice Hrvata
3. Veselje ti navješćujem – (tradicionalna)
4. Zdravo Djevo, Kraljice Hrvata – (Petar Perica)
5. Do nebesa nek se ori – (Petar Perica)
6. Svim na zemlji – (tradicionalna)
7. Svetoj žrtvi Uskrsnici – (tradicionalna)
8. Tri kralja jahahu – (tradicionalna)
9. Radujte se narodi
10. U se vrijeme godišta

Children songs

1. Zeko i potočić – (Branko Mihaljević)
2. Kad se male ruke slože / “Himna zadrugara” – (Arsen Dedić, Drago Britvić)
3. Ima jedna kućica / „Moj dom“ – (Jakov Gotovac)
4. Nije lako bubamarcu – (Arsen Dedić)
5. Lijepa naša Hrvatska – (Đelo Jusić)
6. Lutkicu na dar – (Đelo Jusić)
7. Zekini jadi / “Juri zeko izdaleka” – (Alfi Kabiljo)

A step from the economic to the cultural

The European Union Songbook Organisation was founded in January 2015 by three Danes and one Italian and is an unparalleled democratic pioneer project initiated by a non-profit organization without any political or financial ties to Brussels, a factor that former Danish EU-commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard has applauded: “Receiving economic support from the Commission would have strangled the project!”. The fact that the EU-songbook combines national feeling and European thought has surprisingly united politicians from far left to far right in Denmark. Founder and president, Jeppe Marsling (born 1974), elaborate on the motives behind the initiative:

“We, the 27 populations in EU, all know painfully little about each other! To share national song treasures seems to be a direct way towards getting to know each other better”.

The first edition of the EU Songbook is planned for publication in December 2019: 162 songs printed in both national languages and in singable English translation, side by side.