Ojkača

Krajina Serbs have lost their homeland, houses, monasteries, churches and many other material things, but have managed to preserve what they hold most dear – tradition and spirituality that are now living through their original songs – Ojkače, and are continuously transferred to newer generations.

Ojkače, ojkan, rozgalica or groktalica are all the names for the original songs from Krajina – Dinara region. The specificity of these songs is an extended yell of the syllable “oj”, “aoj” and “joj”. A group of singers most commonly performs these songs.There is only one leading singing voice, while others accompany it, thus creating a melody. Male, female and rarely mixed members form the group that perform these songs.

Although the vast majority of those songs are performed without background music, it is not uncommon to find them accompanied with tamburica (long-necked lutes popular in Southern Europe and Central Europe) and diple or dvojnice (old folk wind instruments of the end-blown flute type). Besides the songs and the dances, folk customs are also an important part of age-long tradition. The male and female singing groups have different costumes that consist of traditional clothing, mainly handcrafted.

Motherland, love, pain and joy are the main themes of these songs. Almost without exception, people of Krajina sing their traditional songs at prelo (spinning-bee is a type of women’s working bee; bee – gathering for the purpose of mutual helping out in carrying out a certain task; Serbian – moba) or poselo, during the hoeing of corn, during marriage proposals or weddings. Those are the occasions when Krajina Serbs gather and celebrate, grieve or rejoice. For years now, this is the way to transfer knowledge and customs as well as traditional songs and dances to the generations to come.

Today, there are over a hundred choral groups and cultural-artistic associations in Serbia,which actively cherish original songs from Krajina.