President Milanović Hosts Croatian Folklore Group Zagreb from Australia on a Tour of Croatia

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović hosted today members of the Croatian Folklore Group Zagreb from Western Australia who are on a tour of Croatia from 1-14 July. The tour is entitled “To je zemlja dide mog i oca mog“ (It is the land of my grandfather and my father). During their tour of Croatia, this folklore group from Australia will perform in Zagreb, Vukovar, Đakovo, Korčula and Split, and today they presented a brief folklore programme in the Office of the President of the Republic.

Seventy members of the folklore group taking part in the tour will perform songs and dances for the Croatian public, the president of the Croatian Folklore Group Zagreb Zrinka Vlasic and vice-president Raymond Vicko Pecotić told President Milanović during their meeting. In presenting the Croatian Folklore Group Zagreb, they said that they operate at the Croatian Centre of Western Australia in North Fremantle, suburb of Perth, which has a strong and active Croatian community. They have operated since 1955, and today number more than 90 dancers aged 5 to 55 years, who perform at major celebrations within the Croatian community, represent the Croatian identity and culture to the broader Australian public. They perform dances from Slavonija, Baranja, Lika, Međimurje, Prigorje, Posavina, Hvar and Korčula.

Furthermore, they pointed out that the group nurtures the Croatian language, culture and wealth of Croatian heritage through song and dance, and that by passing it on to younger generations and descendants of Croatian emigrants, they lay foundations for preserving ties with the Croatian homeland. The Croatian Heritage Foundation helped them organize the Croatian tour as part of its cooperation with emigrants, and the tour was supported by a monetary donation from the Central State Office for Croats Abroad.

Also attending the meeting with President Milanović apart from the dancers from the Croatian Folklore Group Zagreb from Western Australia was the Consul of the Republic of Croatia in Perth, Zoran Šangut.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek