You need to upgrade your Flash Player.

about author

    

The composer singer and flutist Tamara Obrovac from the Croatian city of Pula is one of the most impressive artists on the Croatian music scene, and in the past few years she has become very popular due to the influence of the Istrian folk music that has been the creative force of her works. Istria is a beautiful Croatian region, a North Adriatic peninsula, particular for It's musical and dialectal tradition. She writes lyrics in a local dialect and sings in an ancient dialect which is not spoken any more - the Istriotic dialect.

 

Her international Transhistria Ensemble incorporates elements of Istrian and Mediterranean national music, jazz, and many elements of modern music skilfully and naturally, "the warm bowed and stringed instruments played by the excellent musicians from her current Transhistria Ensemble make up genuine musical mohair, warming and softening even the chilliest of souls."

 

Her music, completely original and autochthonous, goes beyond time and geographical boundaries, thus becoming a universal artistic message, establishing Tamara Obrovac as an exceptional artist who managed to create her own unique musical expression.

This creative musician has become known for her highly aesthetic performances, her interpretations are suffused with spontaneity, inventive improvisation, freedom, humour and the ability to communicate with the audience, an artist of a strong persona, a life and artistic force able to enchant any audience; there is undeniably more than a few ways to define Tamara Obrovac. It's like those who write about her are competing to produce the most extravagant discourse to describe her stroke.

International recognition came also through the nomination for the BBC Radio 3 World music Awards 2004 (European Music and Audience Award).
Here is what John L. Walters, Guardian, 20/02/2004 said while browsing the Double CD with all the nominees songs:
"Fortunately, the random nature of awards compilation like this provides the opportunity to browse and skip and fall headlong for something you've never heard before. In my case, the "blind date" artist is Tamara Obrovac. Cansoneita (A Small Song) performed by Obrovac with the Transhistria Ensemble, is a floating, beguiling track, with spacious drumming, tuneful accordion and a delicious lead vocal by Obrovac."

 

She published 7 author CDs: “Triade”, 1996; “Ulika”, 1998; “Transhistria”, 2001; “Sve pasiva”/”Everything fades away”, 2003; “Daleko je”/”Is faraway”, 2005; “Neću više jazz kantati”/”I won’t sing jazz any more”, 2009, and latest "Madirosa", 2011,  in colaboration with string quartet Epoque,  in which she broadens her artistic expression with the sound of the string quartet, experimenting with the border areas of jazz, classical music and different ethnic traditions of the Mediterranean.

Through her albums, Tamara profiles her own auctorial approach and creates a unique artistic form which, inspired by the Istrian and broader Mediterranean tradition, establishes “the personal poetics of the author”.

 

Awards

- The Croatian national theatrical award: best music in a theatrical work for the play "Tanac od mrtvih(dance of the dead)" (INK) 2002
- The "Golden smile" award: best music and performance for the play "Jelka kod Ivanovih(Christmas at the Ivanovs)" (ZKM) 2003
- Porin(Croatian national music award) 2004:best world music album
- zlatna koogla award: best croatian female artist 2003
- Nominated for BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music 2004 (European music and audience award categories)
- Award for best music in a theatrical work for "Antigona" @ Marulovi dani, Split 2005
- Porin 2006: best world music album
- Porin 2006: best female vocal performance
- Porin 2006: best vocal collaboration(with Tedi Spalato)
- Golden Arena award(croatian national film festival): best score for Hrvoje Hribars film “Sto je muskarac bez brkova(what is a man without a mustache?)”
- best music in a theatrical work for the play "Zagrljenici",National theatrical festival Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2007
- best music in a theatrical work for the play "Zagrljenici",6th festival of Bosnian and Herzegovinian drama, Zenica 2007
-- Porin 2008 for best female vocal performance of 2008 <br>
-- Award for best drama for its music at the festival Regoč Croatian drama for children <br> 2008
-- President of the Republic of Croatia awarded the Order medal Danica Croatia

- “Mali Marulić”, CROATIAN CHILDREN’S DRAMA FESTIVAL, 2009., Award for the music in the theatre show “Regoč” by Ivana Brlić Mažuranić, performed by Zadar Puppet Theatre.
- RUNJIĆ’S EVENINGS , 2009., Golden Seagull Award for the best remake of Runjić’s song “A vitar puše” was given to Tamara Obrovac and Matija Dedić
- 42nd PIF – INTERNATIONAL PUPPET THEATRE FESTIVAL, 2009. The International Professional Jury Award for the music in the theatre show “SVAROŽIĆ”, performed by the Zagreb Puppet Theatre (Zagreb, Croatia) 

 

Share |