The Fiddler Festival of the Republic of Srpska is held in Pale, one of the most significant events dedicated to the preservation of Serbian tradition and cultural heritage, where 20 fiddlers compete for the title of the best.
Fiddles are one of the greatest national treasures of the Serbian people and an important part of the cultural heritage, said the president of the Association of fiddlers of the Republic of Srpska, Boško Golijanin.
He noted that 38 fiddlers performed in the semi-final evening, 20 of whom won a performance in the final, and that he is especially pleased by the fact that the number of young people who are involved in preserving this tradition is growing year by year.
He emphasized that the fiddle is the poetry of the Serbian people and one of the most important custodians of Serbian tradition, history and cultural identity, that through folk epic songs the memory of heroes, sufferings and the fight for freedom, as well as wisdom that has been a guide for generations in difficult times, has been preserved.
The president of the Festival’s jury, ethnomusicologist Zoran Guja Dražet, pointed out that it is an honor for her to be in this position, but also a responsibility, especially since she comes from a region with a strong fiddling tradition.
She clarified that a good fiddler must have a quality performance, a good story and text, and present the epic expression and tradition in the right way.
“This was also shown at the semi-final evening, where you could hear very high-quality performances that preserve the essence of fiddling, even though the way of performance has changed over time,” said Dražeta.
According to her, along with fiddling, folk costume, stage performance and the overall experience that presents the cultural heritage of the Serbian people to the audience are also important.
“The fiddle has a future because we have a good youth and young people who show interest in our culture and tradition. Thanks to them, this significant part of the national heritage will continue to live on in the coming generations,” said Dražeta.
The mayor of Pale, Dejan Kojić, reminded that after 14 years, Pale is once again the host of the Republika Srpska fiddler festival and wished the finalists good luck.
He noted that the technical organizer is the “Starina Novak” Violin Society, which has been in existence for 49 years and next year will mark half a century of work.
Fiddler Miloš Parević from the “Nevesinjska Puška” fiddler society from Nevesinje assessed that fiddles have an immeasurable historical, cultural and artistic significance, and that it is especially important that young people become more and more involved in preserving this tradition.
“We have about 12 young fiddlers in the company, and several of them are well on their way to becoming top performers. Success requires work, persistence and talent,” said Parević, who introduced himself to the audience at Pale with a song by Radovan Bećirović Trebješki.
