We Make it Clap!

What is klapa?

A klapa singing group is composed of four to 10 people, usually men. At minimum, a klapa group has a tenor, a baritone and two bass singers, and may have additional tenori, or tenors, who serve in supporting roles.

While there may be two or more singers in the same role, there is always just one lead singer—the first tenor. He functions as the leader of the group and starts each song, and then the other singers join in.

History of klapa

Klapa as a musical form was first recognized by music historians in the late 19th century, though the musical form is thought to have existed long before that. During this period in history, Dalmatia, which includes the entire southern coast of modern Croatia, was controlled by the Austrian Hapsburgs. Dalmatians of ethnic Croatian heritage increasingly resented and resisted Austrian rule.

Klapa songs were written in and for specific towns and islands contributed to the forming of a national Croatian identity. They were handed down as oral traditions from father to son, and became part of the cultural fabric of their communities and of the broader region.

A new, younger generation of klapa groups exists in Dalmatia, and they compete and perform at festivals and events around the country, including the prestigious summer Klapa Festival in Omiš, south of Split. While klapa groups were once exclusively men, there are now all-women groups.

Though not the tradition, it’s also not unusual to see klapa singers accompanied by one or more stringed instruments. As klapa singing evolves and expands, it remains an integral part of Dalmatian identity. For visitors to Croatia who don’t speak or understand the language, a klapa performance is still a mesmerizing cultural experience.

In Split, the round, masonry vestibule of Diocletian’s Palace remains a favorite place for klapa artists to perform. In 2012, klapa multipart singing was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.