July 5, 2019 - Bellezza, female a capella vocal band (traditionally called klapa) from Tivat won the best Montenegrin klapa at the 18. International Klapa Festival, which was finished last Sunday in Perast.
“The International Festival of Klapa Perast is one of the festivals that nurture a cappella singing of traditional songs and thus attracts participants and fans of klapa singing. All singers sing, according to the festival's propositions, one traditional and song from Boka kotorska. This is good for the affirmation of songs from our region, because they will be performed at festivals outside of Montenegro. Through the festival, composers, songwriters (Nova pjesma – New Song), songwriters, arrangers and, of course, performers are also recognized. Therefore, it is important for us to participate in festivals and give our contribution to the preservation and the development of klapa music”, said Mirela Mudreša, the leader of “Bellezza” for MTN.
“In addition to the already well-known Montenegrin vocal bands that appeared in the competition and the entertaining part of the programme, this year we were introduced to the young bands Marineri KO, Primorkinje BD, Štiglići PG, Kamerton Podgorica, which is very good for the future of klapa music in Montenegro”, she added.
Klapa Bellezza has had some serious preparations for this festival, where it had already won the award “Deštregovi” for the best debut klapa in 2014:
Professor Jasminko Šetka has been working with us at professional seminars and we have had more frequent rehearsals. The song "Budila majka Ivana" (Mother Was Waking Ivan Up) carries sadness and cries of the mother, which, in the solo section, was dramatically portrayed by our member Nataša Pavlović. In 'My Craving' (cover by Nikola Gregović), after the modulation, the rhythm of the Bokelian Dance has been awakened by the touch of Angela Homen. The II jury's award, which we have also received at the Festival was the result of our good energy and the desire to revive these songs together. At the final evening of the festival, the Bellezza vocal band was named the best Montenegrin klapa and I hope that this will bring us 'wind in the sails' in our further work.
Bellezza was founded in 2012, following earlier projects at the Music school in Tivat and the members were mainly school professors. One of them, Bruna Matijević says:"I like singing in this acapella vocal group and we are all very enthusiastic about it. In the beginning, the idea was simply to start working as a klapa after a few performances that we had done. Some of the members have changed and there are seven of us singing together now".
The Bellezza vocalists are preparing for different performances around Boka kotorska this summer, so the audience will get the chance to hear them more.
