Once you taste the excitment, you're hooked
We are all connected by our love of music and have the unique opportunity to learn from one another's cultures, interests and ways of life. Each month PRELUDE will highlight a music enthusiast from around the world.
Meet Jelena Dobrota
(Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Tell us a little more about yourself, Jelena. I graduated from the Faculty of Economics and now I work at the Tax Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It's funny, the combination of music and economics in my life, but they balance each other perfectly. What is it like living in your country? Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country in Southern Europe. It is known for its beautiful nature, sports and ecotourism. The Winter Olympics was held in Sarajevo in 1984 and the World Rafting Championship was held in Banja Luka in 2009. One of the greatest misconceptions is that Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a safe country, due to the civil war in the early 1990s. Just the opposite is true. My city, Banja Luka, recently became a member of the Safe Communities Network. Tell us about your choir? Banjalučanke is a female chamber choir that has a long tradition. Next year we  | | Banjalučanke choir after taking home the gold at the 2011 INTERKULTUR event, Venezia in Musica. |
celebrate our 35th anniversary. It evolved over time, both in its form and in the music we sing. Currently there are 28 singers, mostly in their mid 20s. Our repertoire is very diverse, as we sing everything from traditional music with modern arrangements to classical pieces to modern pop music. Three years ago we started participating in INTERKULTUR events with great success, earning two gold diplomas (Linz, Austria in 2009 and Venice, Italy in 2011) and a silver medal in the Champions Competition at the 2010 World Choir Games in Shaoxing, China. Will Banjalučanke be participating in the 2012 World Choir Games in Cincinnati USA? We will! I think that once you've tasted all that excitement, you're hooked for life. We can hardly wait until next year. We look forward to seeing our friends we've met in China. And, of course, we also hope to win a gold medal. We're nothing, if not ambitious. Also, we look forward to meeting the City of Cincinnati and its people. For some of us, it will be the first time in the USA. Some of us have already been, but we're all excited just the same.
(Learn more about how your choir can apply for the 2012 World Choir Games.)
Jelena, you recently became an INTERKULTUR choir reporter. How do you like it so far? I just submitted my first story and I love the feeling of being involved, not just the singing, but behind the scenes as well. It is a great opportunity to tell the choir community about our experiences and to be able to share our stories. (Learn more about becoming a Choir Reporter.)
Interested in being highlighted in an upcoming Prelude? Contact Kelsey Clark at kclark@2012worldchoirgames.com.
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