President Milanović at Opening of 10th Edition of Bećarfest in Babina Greda: You are the custodians of the centuries-old heritage of our people
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović attended tonight the opening of the 10th edition of Bećarfest, a festival featuring the bećarac folk song singing and playing of Slavonia, Baranya and Syrmia organised as part of the three-day event “Nema sela nad Babine Grede.” The jubilee was held under the auspices of President Milanović.
At the opening of the Bećarfest festival, President Milanović said he had come to listen to the performers and custodians of Croatian heritage. “My dear friends, the Šokci from our beautiful Slavonian, Croatian Šokadija. We have come here to listen to the performers, the custodians of the heritage of our people, our centuries-old heritage. I have come here with joy and pleasure and I will come again given some luck and time, and I will do my best to find it. I hereby declare Bećarfest open. Stay healthy and merry. Long live Babina Greda! Long live the Croatian Šokadija!”, President Milanović told those present.
“Nema sela nad Babine Grede” [There is no village above Babina Greda] is a culinary and cultural event that lasts for three days in June, and the Bećarfest festival evening is its central celebration. The goal of the event is to preserve, pass on and present the most popular melody of this region – the bećarac, which is on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. This year, Bećarfest is being held for the 10th time and traditionally gathers men’s and women’s tamburitza ensembles from the local county and the wider area. The traditional event “Konji bijelci” [White Horses] is also held during the three-day celebration in Babina Greda. Adviser to the President of the Republic for Human Rights and Civil Society Melita Mulić and Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković were in the company of President Milanović in the community of Babina Greda.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta