Croatia to take offers for third mobile phone operator
 

Mon Apr 26,10:46 AM
ZAGREB (AFP) - Croatia is set to get a third mobile telecommunications operator for which the country will publish an international tender in the coming weeks.

"We will most likely publish the tender for a new operator by mid-May while a decision is to be announced in autumn," head of the state telecoms council, Zeljko Debanic, told Monday's edition of the Vecernji List daily.


Croatia, with a population of 4.4 million, has a mobile phone penetration rate of about 55 percent.

The Balkans country's mobile phone market is currently shared by Croatian Telecommunications (HT) and VIPnet, which won a concession in 1998.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040426/tc_afp/croatia_telecom_mobile_040426144655

Justice Searches for Truth and a Post-9/11 Way

MOVIE REVIEW | 'JUSTICE'
In New York, Justice Searches for Truth and a Post-9/11 Way
By DAVE KEHR

Published: April 28, 2004
 

Paul Bacca
Michael Jai White, left, and Erik Palladino in "Justice."


Evan Oppenheimer's independent feature "Justice" follows the currently fashionable formula ("21 Grams," "Kill Bill," et al.) of laying out a number of apparently unrelated stories and gathering them together at the end, thus making a grand statement about fate and human interdependence.

Despite its outsize ambitions Mr. Oppenheimer's film, which opens today at the Two Boots Pioneer Theater in the East Village, is generally low-key and likable, thanks mainly to a talented cast that includes Erik Palladino, formerly of "E.R."; Ajay Naidu of "Office Space"; and Daphne Rubin-Vega from "Anna in the Tropics" on Broadway.

Mr. Palladino plays Drew, a 30-ish writer of comic books, who finds in the wake of 9/11 that the inherent escapism of his chosen form no longer suits him. He convinces his reluctant publisher (David Patrick Kelly) to let him start a new character, Justice, an ordinary New Yorker without superpowers. Justice, dressed in the black robes of a judge, will cruise the streets of the city, righting wrongs with the aid of only a high-powered flashlight ("the Light of Justice!") and a stun gun. Drew's point is that ordinary people can be heroes, too, just like the friend he lost when the World Trade Center was destroyed.

Mr. Naidu is Mohammed, a recent immigrant from India who operates a coffee-and-bagels cart near Madison Square Park. In Mr. Oppenheimer's asynchronous structure, time moves much more slowly for Mohammed than it does for the other characters. While weeks go by for Drew, only minutes have passed each time Mr. Oppenheimer cuts back to Mohammed's cart, where he is waiting anxiously for a delivery of fresh bagels in time for his morning rush.

The third major character, Roberta (Ms. Rubin-Vega), is an energetic, fast-talking social activist who spends her days stalking City Hall budget bureaucrats, seeking money for the East Harlem agency she heads. Roberta also desperately wants to have a child, a subject she discusses with her husband via cellphone as she charges from appointment to appointment.

As Mr. Oppenheimer slowly gathers his threads, the characters live out their minidramas in the gathering shadow of overwhelming tragedy. The separate episodes, though, are loosely written and not very dramatically compelling in themselves, and the viewer is left with plenty of time to wonder what these people have to do with one another. The final revelation proves to be both a genuine surprise and a mild letdown, ingeniously deployed but thematically obvious.

JUSTICE

Written and directed byEvan Oppenheimer; director of photography, Luke Geissbuhler; edited by Allison Eve Zell; music by Nenad Bach; production designer, Beth Kuhn; produced by Amy R. Baird and Amelia Dallis. At the Two Boots Pioneer Theater, 155 East Third Street, at Avenue A, East Village. Running time: 80 minutes. This film is not rated.

WITH: Erik Palladino (Drew Pettite), Michael Jai White (Tre), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Roberta), Ajay Naidu (Mohammed), Catherine Kellner (Mara Seaver), Marisa Ryan (Julia) and David Patrick Kelly (Marty).

Source:http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/28/movies/28JUST.html?ex=1083211200&en=70f86108c00b34cd&ei=5059&partner=AOL

Female Croatian composer ?

Dear friends:
As you may know, I'm very interested in the art music of Croatian
composers. I think that this excellent music is neglected only through
ignorance and once it is generally known, that it will begin appearing
in concert halls more and more often.
I have just received information that a book by Dr. Anne Gray is
about to go to the publishers. It is entitled The Popular Guide to Women
in Classical Music. This will be a reference book for musicians in
libraries and music schools all over the English speaking world. There
were only four Balkan names, identified as Yugoslavian. The friend who
sent me the information asked if any of them were Croatian. As it turns
out, they were not. I asked if Dora Pejacevic was listed in her book.
She is not. In fact, not even ONE female Croatian composer is listed in
this book.
Please, if anyone has information about any female Croatian
composer of art music for either voice or any instrument -- PAST OR THE
PRESENT -- please either let me know at lordlord@siu.edu , or email Fran
Irwin at Fmirwinstl@aol.com . Fran is Croatian-American and she alerted
me about this upcoming book. We are both appalled that a book of this
scope could come out without mention of any Croatian.
Thank you for your help,
Srdacno, Suzanne Lord

U prodaji je novi broj hrvatsko-americkog mjesecnog glasila

Croatian Chronicle

U novom broju citajte;
-Brojne vijesti i reportaze o dogadanjima u hrvatskim zajednicama diljem Amerike
-Sve o petom Hrvatskom festivalu djece i mladih u New Yorku; reportaza u slici i rijeci!
-Maestro Sandro Zaninovich Celebrates Thirty Years at the Helm of the Beverly Hills Chamber Orchestra
-Hvarski pucki pjevaci osvajaju svijet 500 godina starim korizmenim napjevima
-John Kraljic: Croatia and Croatian Americans
-Split native Vanja Rogulj takes his world-class swimming talents to Virginia
-Croats in London Working to Build Croatia’s Image
-Simple Perfection, Warm and Memorable - that’s Buon Gusto Restaurant

Sve to i jos mnogo vise procitajte u najnovijem izdanju Hrvatske kronike!

Na podrucju New Yorka Croatian Chronicle se moze kupiti u Hrvatskoj crkvi sv. Cirila i Metoda na Manhatannu, i u u crkvi The Most Precious Blood u Astoriji nakon nedjeljne mise. U Astoriji se novina jos moze pronaci u ducanima Adriatic Meat, Iva Unisex Salon, Gaspar's Deli, te u kioscima s etnickom stampom.
U New Jerseyu novina se prodaje u ducanu Dubrovnik Deli.

za sve informacije i upite
nazovite nas na telefon 718 278-5760
ili nam pisite na info@croatianchronicle.com
Zahvaljujemo na suradnji i ocekujemo vase priloge, sugestije, pisma i poruke!

CROATIAN CHRONICLE
HRVATSKA KRONIKA
www.croatianchronicle.com

Pretplatite se na svoje hrvatske novine!

Tel: 718 278-5760
Fax: 718 228-4311
P.O. BOX 3531
Astoria, NY 11103
info@croatianchronicle.com 

The New Issue of Croatian-American Monthly Newspaper,

Croatian Chronicle

In the latest issue you can find:
-News and stories about events in the Croatian communities all across the US.
-Croatian Childrean's and Youth Festival-New York -April 17th&18th
-Maestro Sandro Zaninovich Celebrates Thirty Years at the Helm of the Beverly Hills Chamber Orchestra
-Lenten Folk Singing from the Island of Hvar
-John Kraljic: Croatia and Croatian Americans
-Split native Vanja Rogulj takes his world-class swimming talents to Virginia
-Croats in London Working to Build Croatia’s Image
-Simple Perfection, Warm and Memorable - that’s Buon Gusto Restaurant
...and more!!

The paper can be bought at the following locations in NY:
- After the Sunday masses at the Croatian churches of Sts Cyril and Mathodious in Manhattan and The Most Precious Blood in Astoria
- The following locations in Astoria: Adriatic Meat, Iva Unisex Salon, Gaspar's Deli, and stands selling ethnic newspapers.

The paper can be bought at the following locations in LA and San Pedro area:
- After the Sunday masses at Mary Star of the Sea and St Anthony churches
- The following shops and businesses in San Pedro: Croatian Hall (Hrvatski dom), Libertas Travel, Mc Cowan’s Supermarket, South Shores Meat Market, Sunshine Market.

Subscribe to your paper,
Croatian Chronicle!
www.croatianchronicle.com

Please contact us at:

Ph: 718 278-5760
Fax: 718 228-4311
P.O. BOX 3531
Astoria, NY 11103
info@croatianchronicle.com 

Vesna Krezich Kittelson

Solo exhibition of her paintings in Queens’ College, Cambridge

Icarus Preparing

Exhibition:
April 30 – May 9, 2004
Opening Night, April 30, 6-8 PM

Croatian artist Vesna Krezich Kittelson is having a solo exhibition of her paintings in Queens’ College, Cambridge, England. She is the first Croatian artist to exhibit in Cambridge.

Queens’ is a wonderfully picturesque college founded in 1448 under the double patronage of the two queens. This makes the Queens’ one of the oldest colleges in Europe.

Vesna Kittelson has exhibited in America and Europe; she is the recipient of the Bush Artist’s Fellowship for Painting; Open Studio Day, sponsored by the Walker Art Center; Minnesota State Arts Board Career Opportunity Grant; and Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship.

Vesna Kittelson lives permanently in America and spends summers with her family on Brac.

Icarus Surveying All Parts

Exhibition:
April 30 – May 9, 2004
Opening Night, April 30, 6-8 PM

Contact: Vkittelson@aol.com

Trafalgar Fountain

A MESSAGE FROM DENNIS KUCINICH
RECORDED THE EVENING OF APRIL 20, 2004

TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO POSTCARD:

Hi, this is Dennis.
The situation in Iraq continues to get worse, and unfortunately leaders of both political parties do not seem to know any way out and they are guiding us towards a path of sending in more troops, which will inevitably prolong the war, and put us in a situation where we are going to have more casualties on both sides, and a greater cost to the American taxpayers and an alienation further from the nations of the world.
Your help has enabled me to bring a message that war is not inevitable and that peace is inevitable if we are willing to work for a new plan which will enable us to go to the United Nations and bring in U.N. Peacekeepers and bring our troops home. As you know, now we've been talking about this plan for six months. And as you know, with your help, I've been able to stay in this presidential campaign to continue to talk about the need for peaceful resolutions of the conditions in Iraq.
Now more than ever your help is needed to help us keep this message going. Now more than ever I need your financial assistance to make sure that we can carry this message not only through the platform committee process, but through to the convention so that our Democratic party can offer the American people a real alternative. It really isn't fair to the American people that they have to choose between a Democratic version of Iraq and a Republican version of the war in Iraq.
Yet our campaign gives the people some hope that there are alternatives. That we can go to the U.N. and ask the U.N. to handle the oil assets of Iraq on behalf of the Iraqi people until the Iraqi people are self-governing. The same with the contracts. That we tell the world community the United States is no longer interested in the privatization of Iraq. That we ask the U.N. for help in scheduling elections and drafting a constitution for Iraq. That we help to pay for what we destroyed, that we pay reparations to families of innocent victims and noncombatants who lost their lives in the conflict, and that we help fund a U.N. peacekeeping mission.
It's not inevitable that we stay in Iraq. And it's not necessary for our troops to have the bear the responsibility for stabilizing Iraq. You know and I know that the U.S. invasion created the instability in Iraq. That the U.S. invasion created a situation where the war is deepening, and that only when we get our troops home is there going to be any hope of bringing about a resolution provided of course that we can come to and agreement with the U.N. for a new peace plan. And that's exactly what I've offered.
This is the moment when we get a chance to consciously choose a new direction for our nation. Your support for this campaign has made it possible for us to get this far. But I can't take another step without your help. I need your help to keep funding our effort. I need you to go right now to our website at kucinich.us and send another contribution so that in the next weeks and months so that we can keep this message alive inside the Democratic Party.
We have to have the Democratic Party stand for peace. We can't tell the American people that they're going to be asked to choose between a Republican version of the war in Iraq and a Democratic version of the same. So your help is going to be so important in helping to send this campaign in a direction where we can enable the Democratic Party to stand for something. To stand for a new hope. To stand for a new way to stand for a course of action which will bring our troops home.
As we speak, 10,000 miles away, there are men and women who serve this country who wonder if their leaders are going to be able to come up with a solution so that they can come home and be with their families. As we speak, there is bloodshed in the streets of Iraq and people are wondering if there is any way out of this plight that seems to afflict this country without end.
And yet, we have it within our hands to take a new direction. We have it within our hearts to cause the American dream to be opened up to people in this country when we start focusing the resource of this country on rebuilding the American way of life, instead of using our military might to try to force people to accept conditions which are basically foreign to them.
This is the time that we get an opportunity to say what we stand for. Please stand with me as I continue to carry the challenge forward. The challenge that America must walk the way of peace. The challenge of a Democratic Party must offer true peaceful alternatives. A challenge that as we prepare for a November election that our people can be given a real choice. And that when the choosing is complete, that they will have chosen peace, that they will have chosen reconnecting with the world community.
With your help this is possible. I look forward to continuing to work for you and with you in the weeks and the months ahead, as we prepare America to take a new course of action which will bring peace not only with Iraq, but will enable us to reconnect with the world community in the hopes of creating peaceful tomorrows. Thank you very much.

Dennis Kucinich
======
Contribute by calling 866-413-3664 or online at https://www.kucinich.us/contribute.php or by sending your check to the address shown at the bottom of this page.

PLEASE NOTE - You can also help the campaign by ordering ORIGINAL CAMPAIGN MEMORABILIA such as cups, travel mugs, t-shirts, and buttons and in the Official Campaign Store: http://www.kucinich.us/store.php  . These designs are limited stock; once these quantities are gone they will be no longer available.
Sign Petitions: We are taking signed petitions to the Democratic National Convention in Boston this July, focused on the critical issues this campaign has stood for. Petitions to end the war in Iraq, repeal critical sections of the PATRIOT Act, and to establish a cabinet-level Department of Peace are among those available. You can sign the petitions online right now, or print and circulate them. Get the petitions here: http://kucinich.us/VolunteerAction/petitions.php .
"DENNIS TALKS ABOUT" is a series of 2 to 5 minute reports of Dennis on the campaign trail. In these clips, Dennis discusses in detail his current thoughts on specific issues. You can watch the video online, hear the audio, or read the text transcript on each of the issues. Below are the latest installments of Dennis Talks About.
Just in from North Carolina, just in time for Earth Day which is tomorrow, 4/22...
The Environment:http://www.kucinich.us/talksabout/environment-talksabout.php
Also new:
PATRIOT Act: http://kucinich.us/talksabout/PATRIOTact-talksabout.php
Military Draft: http://kucinich.us/talksabout/draft-talksabout.php
Affordable Housing:http://kucinich.us/talksabout/housing-talksabout.php
[ more Dennis Talks About: http://kucinich.us/video/issues_video.php ]
Do you stand with Dennis? Tell us why:http://www.kucinich.us/standsfor_form.php
Find out why others stand with Dennis:http://www.kucinich.us/standwithdennis1.php

HEAR THE AUDIO POSTCARD
Click here to contribute to Kucinich for President online.
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Contact us:
Kucinich for President
11808 Lorain Avenue - Cleveland, OH 44111
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http://www.kucinich.us

Hrvat Ivan GaĹĄparoviÄ? doĹĄao na Ä?elo SlovaÄ?ke

SENZACIONALNI REZULTATI NADMETANJA PREDSJEDNIČKIH KANDIDATA

Vijest o izboru Ivana GaĹĄparoviÄ?a brzo se proĹĄirila GriĹžanima, gdje mu Ĺžive rođaci

Nepredvidivo slovaÄ?ko biraÄ?ko tijelo odradilo je u joĹĄ jednu senzaciju; Ivan GaĹĄparoviÄ?, predsjednik Pokreta za demokraciju, pobijedio je na predsjedniÄ?kim izborima u SlovaÄ?koj i posatao treći predsjednik samostalne SlovaÄ?ke. GaĹĄparoviÄ? je izborima pristupio kao kandidat kojemu su predizborne ankete dodjeljivali treće, Ä?etvrto mejsto. Prvo su davale Eduardu Kukanu, ministru vanjskih polsova, i uz premijera Dzurindu najzasluĹĄnijem Ä?ovjeka za ulazak zemlje u NATO i EU, te Vladimiru MeÄ?iaru, kontroverznom premijeru devedesetih godina, za mnoge koÄ?niÄ?aru ulaska zemlje u reÄ?ene euroatlastske integracije. Nakon debakla u prvom krugu, agencije za predviđanje izbornih rezultat nisu se ni oglaĹĄavale prije drugog kruga u koji su uĹĄli MeÄ?iar sa 32,73 posto i GaĹĄparoviÄ? sa 22,28 posto glasova.

Uvjerljiva pobjeda

U drugom je krugu, GaĹĄaparoviÄ? svojeg nekadaĹĄnjeg ĹĄefa i bliskog suradnika MeÄ?iara (za Ä?ije je vlasti bio predsjednik parlamenta, no proĹĄle su se godine Ĺžestoko raziĹĄli), uvjerljivo nadvisio - 59,91 prema 40,09 posto. Odnosno, viĹĄe od milijun glasaÄ?a dalo je glas GaĹĄparoviÄ?u, a 722 tisuće MeÄ?iaru. Poraz je MeÄ?iar primio toliko teĹĄko da nije ni primio GaĹĄparoviÄ?evu ruku u susretu nakon izbora. MeÄ?iaru nije pomogao ni 15 puta jaÄ?i proraÄ?un kampanje za drugu rundu.

Veliku pomoć GaĹĄparoviÄ?u je pruĹžio Robert Fico, predsjednik koalicijske stranke Smer, sve veći kritiÄ?ar Vladine i Dzurindine samodopadnosti. Bela Bugar, predsjednik koalicije mađarskih stranka, smatra da je odluÄ?io strah od povratka MeÄ?iara na vlast. Fikusne ovlasti predsjednika ipak mogu usporiti Vladine reforme. GaĹĄparoviÄ? pak tvrdi da će biti predsjednik svih građana, a Dzurinda koji se hvalio da neće ni ići na glasovanje brĹže-bolje izraĹžava spremnost na suradnju.

OduĹĄevljenje u GriĹžanama

Vijest o izboru Ivana GaĹĄparoviÄ?a za novog predsjednika SlovaÄ?ke brzo se proĹĄirila GriĹžanima i Tribljem, mjestima u zaleđu Crikvenice u kojima Ĺžive njegovi bliĹži i dalji rođaci. U zaseoku BlaĹžići u Triblju posjetili smo Anicu Miklić, Ä?ija je baka Margareta BoljeĹĄić rođena sestra bake slovaÄ?kog predsjednika GaĹĄparovića, Agne. Prema njezinoj priÄ?i, Agna se pred poÄ?etak I. svjetskog rata udala za Tomu GaĹĄparovića i nedugo zatim braÄ?ni se par odselio u SlovaÄ?ku. Tada je, naime, gotovo svaka kuća imala nekoga u ekonomskoj emigraciji, a nerijetko su glave obitelji od prvog zarađenog novca kupovale kartu za svoje supruge kako bi im se pridruĹžile u svijetu. Anica Miklić ne zna toÄ?no jesu li GaĹĄparovići pritom sa sobom imali i dijete, ali zna da su Tomo i Agna u SlovaÄ?koj imali puno djece, među njima je i Vladimir, po Anici, otac danaĹĄnjeg slovaÄ?kog predsjednika Ivana GaĹĄparovića. Obitelj iz SlovaÄ?ke nikad nije izgubila vezu sa starim krajem, izmijenjivala su se pisma i Ä?estitke, a prije Ä?etrdesetak godina tada već starica Agna sa sinom Vladimirom posjetila je GriĹžane i svoju rodnu kuću u BoljeĹĄićima, kao i rodnu kuću supruga Tome u Baretićima.

Razumljivo, nakon prve objave izbornog rezultata u SlovaÄ?koj svi su se GaĹĄparovići, kojih je u ovome kraju mnogo, oduĹĄevili ĹĄto imaju rođaka - predsjednika. Nitko ovdje ne dvoji da je Ivan GaĹĄparović praunuk Agne i Tome, a to je ponosno susjedima i novinarima objaĹĄnjavala Anica Miklić, njegova rođakinja u trećem koljenu. Cijela se obitelji u nedjeljno poslijepodne okupila kako bi i oni, iako daleko od SlovaÄ?ke, proslavili izborni uspjeh svoga rođaka zaĹželjevĹĄi mu, uz zdravicu, uspjeĹĄno vođenje zemlje u kojoj je postao prvi Ä?ovjek
ŽELJKO VALENTIĆ, ANTON FICKO

Izvor: http://www.vecernji-list.hr/2004/04/19/Pages/hrvat.html

President of Slovakia Ivan Gasparovic's Croatian Roots

According to Vecernji List, newly elected president of Slovakia, Ivan Gasparovic has Croatian roots.

The original Croatian article can be found at:http://www.vecernji-list.hr/2004/04/19/Pages/hrvat.html

GASPAROVIC WINS SLOVAK PRESIDENTIAL RACE...
Ivan Gasparovic, leader of the extraparliamentary Movement for Democracy (HZD), defeated three-time former
Prime Minister and leader of the People's Party-Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) Vladimir Meciar
in a presidential runoff of 17 April, international news agencies reported. Gasparovic won by a convincing
margin of nearly 60 percent as against slightly more than 40 garnered by Meciar. Gasparovic is to take
office on 15 June, six weeks after Slovakia joins the EU. Turnout was 43.5 percent, according to CTK.
According to TASR, Gasparovic won in all of Slovakia's eight regions. Upon learning of his victory,
Gasparovic pledged to try to find common ground with Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda and said he wants
Slovakia's EU integration to be smooth. Dzurinda congratulated Gasparovic, according to TASR. The premier
said he will "strive to have a good relationship with the president because this is in Slovakia's
interests," Reuters reported. Parliamentary speaker Pavol Hrusovsky said the electoral outcome
signifies "the final defeat of Meciar's policies." All leaders of the four-party center-right
coalition stayed away from the poll, saying there is "no lesser evil" to chose from. MS

Ivan Gasparovic's official website (in Slovak)http://www.gasparovic.sk/ 
 

KLAPADOOWOPELLA

www.klapa.us

 A NIGHT OF KLAPA MUSIC

More than one-hundred miles to the east of Italy is the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. It is typically Mediterranean,
and very mountainous. The crystal-clear Adriatic washes along the hundreds of miles of coastline. The precipitous
Dinaric Alps rise thousands of feet, they being so convoluted and rugged that travel along the coast and its
islands is restricted to marine traffic and a two-lane highway that twists and turns.

Important coastal cities here include Omis, Split, Rijeka, and Dubrovnik. This coast and its cities have been
witness to hundreds of years of strife. During WWII, this and the adjacent Slavic countries were called the
"underbelly of Europe." The spark that started WWI occurred inland, and more recently, atrocities have been
committed between the various Slavic factions.
Even so, the Klapa tradition has been developing for hundreds of years. Originally, groups of men would join
together in their villages and sing folk songs based on love, fishing, and the sea. A unique style developed, and it
was a mix of local dialect and Slavic sentiment, far eastern sound, and Italian harmonic organization.
In good times, and also in bad; on weekends and late into the night, the Klapas would sing. Until the collapse of
the communist government, men's voices could be heard harmonizing in the taverns and along the streets.
Traditionally, these groups singing in four-part harmony would attract small crowds of hangers-on and listeners.
Women occasionally might join in, especially if it was a nationalistic or familiar folk song, but generally the
women enjoyed listening in the background.
The music exhibits tremendous emotion and feel. All the standard and theoretical elements of music can be heard;
complex and free rhythms, folk and Italianate harmonies, dynamics, song and verse. It is joyous and romantic; a way to be released from the cares of the world.
Today, it is hard to gather for singing, as it is difficult for Dalmatians to scrape out a living. The economy is
heavily dependent on tourism, and they therefore restrict their singing to the non-tourist seasons as this is their
only free time for practice. And this is a shame, because people of all ilks love music. Klapa singing perhaps can
be reenergized to entertain both tourist and resident alike.
In a world far away, imagine, then, hearing voices emanating from a nearby square. As you approach, the strains
become louder, but not in a sense of volume; instead, more of an intensity. Men are organized in a circle in the
center of a plaza, the plaza, in turn, overlooking a reflected moon on the surface of the Adriatic sea. A warm
breeze blows through, and on the edges of the stone courtyard, people are seated or standing, quietly listening to
lovely, lovely music.
We have been to such a place and experienced this warm breeze and the view of the glistening sea while singing Klapa songs. We would like to take you there through listening to our CD or enjoying us in live performance.


 

HISTORY OF KLAPADOOWOPELLA

The Klapa was formed in 1981 in Seattle, Washington, as a result of interest generated in Adriatic Folk singing. It
consisted of as many as eight members, and was originally named "Klapa Sokoli" which in English, means "Eagle
Group."

The Klapa performed actively in the Seattle area for folk festivals and balkan-oriented events. The group also
participated in the famous Omish festival of Dalmatia in the former Yugoslavia where they were, to say the least,
quite a novelty.

The group added American folk tunes over the years, especially "doo-wop" which is comparable to the United States
what Klapa singing is to Dalmatia--that is, an outgrowth of singing on the streets. Thus, the words "doo wop" were
incorporated into the name resulting in the unusual title of "Klapadoowopella."

Songs sung by the "Klapa" are in a number of languages, including Balkan dialects, Russian, Italian, Latin, and, of
course, English.
 

Diane Mahoney

Friend of Croatia

Pozdravi! I am a new advertiser on CROWN, and a long-time reader of this marvelous web site. Nenad has asked me to write a little bit about myself, as an introduction to his readers. I have enjoyed reading the articles and features on CROWN for quite some time. I learn something new about Croatia every time I log on.

I am an immigration defense attorney (I help immigrants stay in the U.S.) living in Sacramento, California. My husband is also an attorney, working for the State of California as an environmental lawyer. We have a 17-year-old daughter who will be leaving for college in another year. My family has visited Croatia twice, and we absolutely love it. We hope to go back and visit again soon.

I was born in Chicago, Illinois, of Polish ancestry. “Mahoney” is my married name. My family moved to California when I was six, when my father took a job transfer. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and attended college in San Jose. I came to Sacramento to go to law school and have lived here since 1979. My husband and I met and married here, and our daughter has never lived anywhere else.

I was led to practice immigration law by a series of events. My church, a Catholic Franciscan parish in downtown Sacramento, was very involved in offering sanctuary (help & protection) to Central American immigrants fleeing civil wars in the late 1980’s. I was a new lawyer then, and thought that the best way I could help these immigrants was with my legal skills. I volunteered for Catholic Social Service (CSS) and started out handling asylum cases for them. That led me to other types of immigration cases, working with people from diverse immigrant communities. Finally, when my daughter was old enough to go to school, I was hired as the staff attorney for the immigration program at CSS. I stayed for about 8 years, before the program was “down-sized” for lack of funding. I worked for another immigration attorney for 18 months, and then started my own firm with a friend who had worked for me at CSS before she became an attorney herself. Eventually, we took on a third partner, and that is the composition of our firm today.

Southeastern Europe and Croatia first came to my attention in 1991, when the Homeland War was just starting. I could not believe what I was reading about the Serbian aggression towards Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia, and the world community’s lack of resolve to do anything about it. I followed the progress of the war closely, but did not have a personal connection to Croatia until 1994, when I met a client who became a close friend. He was at that time living in the U.S. and needed immigration help. I see only a few clients from Southeastern Europe, living where I do. We do have a Croatian presence in Sacramento, including a beautiful Croatian Cultural Center, which the local community built entirely from private funds, but we do not have the numbers that exist in other parts of the U.S. I connected with this particular client/friend and became much more aware of the personal cost of the war to individuals. My friend was from Vukovar, and his family had lost everything in the war. They managed to get out alive, but lived as refugees in Našice for years, before finally returning to their home and finding it in ruins.

My friend’s experience induced me to learn more about Croatia and about the history of the whole Southeast European region in general. I have read many books on the subject, to better understand the history and culture. I have a Croatian cookbook and music CD’s which I bought in Zagreb and enjoy here at home. I love the Internet because it keeps me informed about what is happening in Croatia and the region now. There are several news source web sites that I visit regularly. And, of course, there is CROWN for culture, sports, human interest, and political articles.

My friend eventually returned to Croatia after his father died suddenly. His mother needed him and by that time, they were able to return to Vukovar and start the arduous task of re-building their family home. About three years after he left, my family made a vacation trip to visit him. We saw all of Croatia, because he kindly drove us everywhere. We landed in Zagreb, drove through Eastern Slavonija to Vukovar, and stayed a few days there. The war damage was heart-rending to see, but it was encouraging to see new construction going on, too. Our friend had completely re-built his home by then and it is beautiful, overlooking the Danube River. From Vukovar, we drove through Bosnia (stopping in Sarajevo briefly) to the Croatian coast. We saw Dubrovnik (very impressive) and stayed at Tucepi, near Makarska, for a few more days. We drove north then, passing through Split, Zadar, and Rijeka, to end in Pula. We concluded our trip with a bus ride from Pula to Venice, then back to the U.S. We were captivated by the beauty of the Croatian coast and wished we could spend more time there. We will definitely go back in the future.

Last summer, my daughter and I made a second trip to Croatia, this time with my father. Our friend was getting married and we were invited to the wedding. It was an unforgettable experience. The wedding was in Vukovar, at the local Catholic church, with the reception at the Dunav Hotel. About 100 people attended. We were the only Americans, and we felt very welcomed. We were honored to be a part of such a special day. The people we met were all wonderful to us, very friendly and kind.

Since our friend’s wife does not speak English, I decided it was time to start learning Hrvatski so I could communicate with her by letter, phone, and hopefully, in person in the future. I started studying in September 2002 and am still learning. Ucim Hrvatski svakog dana jednu satu navecer. Imam tri udžbenika i dva rijecnika, ali ne razred! Nima razredi u Californiji, bar u Sacramentu. Ali, imam odlucan ucitelj koji sam sastala kroz CROWN. Šaljem njemu pisma e-mailom i ispravlja moje Hrvatski. On je Hrvat iz Splita, radi u S.A.D.-i. Puno mi pomože. Znam da sam pocetnica, ali cu poboljsati na vrijeme. Kada se vratim u Hrvatsku ponovo, želim govoriti i razumjeti jezik.

Hvala vam for the opportunity to introduce myself. I very much appreciate being a part of the community of CROWN readers.

Svako dobro,

Diane Mahoney

P.S. One last thing: remember I told you last week that my local paper had a travel feature article about cities in Eastern Europe that U.S. tourists had to visit? They left out Dubrovnik, so I wrote to tell them about it. They printed my letter, in its entirety, in this Sunday's paper! You inspire me to promote Croatia as you tirelessly do. Every little bit helps.

Svako dobro,

Diane