Diva overload

 

I watched from a far this year's Croatian music awards "Porin" - inaugurated in 1994. right after Croatia became independent country and it is a local version of "Grammy" but unfortunately it is a small country so awards seems to go in the circles and its always same faces congratulating each other, occasional posthumous award and three recording companies patting themselves at the back. I know this is not what anybody wants to hear, but the size of homegrown market means that this is neither big, nor important really - it is what happens between several towns. I grew up in much, much bigger Yugoslavia  where market was six times bigger, competition far more stronger and getting a national award meant achieving actual success across the borders - in comparison, our tiny "Porin" is like a children's garden party. Oh well. 

Two veteran singers who were genuine superstars back in the days of Yugoslavia and are still around were photographed together - I find it very interesting because there are not many photographs of Tereza Kesovija (82) and Josipa Lisac (71) together, although they must have shared same stages, musicians, colleagues and surely same lyrics writer (Ivica Krajač) during 50 years in music. They both created their own individual paths and enjoyed impressive careers, perfectly comfortable in their own orbits and always talking respectfully about each other. Perhaps this is a sign of a true superstars who are relaxed and don't hold a grudge, unlike some of their contemporaries who were never even close to their success but still complain about not getting their due. Oh, the curse of backup singers ...

Both ladies were huge superstars back in 1960s and 1970s when I was growing up, so they had to establish themselves amongst far bigger competition. While Lisac eventually re-designed herself as the first local rock diva, Kesovija also balanced a French career together with homegrown and just a few days ago French government awarded her with Officier des Arts et des Lettres (she was already a Chevalier two decades ago, around the same time as Philip Glass, Tina Turner and Yohji Yamamoto). Its wonderful to see them happy and still going strong.