The Concerts of Damir Urban, Vlatko Stefanovski, and the Cambi Klapa Impressed the Audience

As part of the Kotor Cable Car concert series, KotorArt organized performances featuring Damir Urban, Vlatko Stefanovski, and the Cambi Klapa.

The renowned Macedonian virtuoso guitarist with a unique sound, Vlatko Stefanovski, held a concert on the evening of August 3. This time, following his 2018 performance at KotorArt where he played with a chamber orchestra, he graced the stage with a trio. The trio consisted of Vlatko Stefanovski on guitar, Ivan Kukić on bass guitar, and Jan Stefanovski on drums. This was a unique opportunity to witness the amalgamation of youthful enthusiasm from the trio, juxtaposed with the seasoned expertise emblematic of Vlatko Stefanovski’s illustrious 50-year presence in the music scene. The audience relished the virtuosity of Stefanovski’s guitar playing, along with the solo contributions by Ivan Kukić on the six-string bass, and the young Stefanovski on drums. They inaugurated the concert with the hit Makedonsko Devojče, and the audience was treated not only to the hits from the band Leb i Sol but also to selections from Vlatko Stefanovski’s solo career. The Summer Stage resonated with tunes like Čukni vo Drvo, Jovano, Jovanke, and Mamurni Ljudi. As an encore, apart from timeless classics like Skoplje and Kao Kakao, the Kotor audience was pleasantly surprised by an arrangement of the traditional Montenegrin melody Još ne Sviće Rujna Zora.

The evening prior to the Vlatko Stefanovski trio’s performance, Damir Urban appeared on the Summer Stage, presenting a concert titled Urban & 4, alongside Luka Toman, on guitar, Sandi Bratonja on bass, acoustic guitar, and accordion, Saša Markovski on keyboards, and Marko Bradashia on drums. Over the course of the multi-hour performance in Kotor, they navigated the audience through decades of creative output, encompassing both the repertoire of the band Laufer, which defined the Croatian rock scene of the 1990s, and Damir Urban’s solo trajectory. Hits such as Biram Ptice, Nitko osim Nas, Kendera, Ruke, Sama, Moja Voda, Iskra, and Mjesto za Mene resonated through the air. The concert commenced with an intimate ambience, featuring Damir Urban’s voice, accordion and guitar in an acoustic rendition of the song Duža Riječ, and culminated with the crownd-pleaser Mala Truba. The elated audience expressed their appreciation through several minutes of standing ovation, prompting the musicians of Urban & 4 to make multiple encore appearances.

On July 19, the Cambi Klapa delivered a performance that will be fondly remembered by the audience for their splendid interpretations of Dalmatian hits and their enchanting energy. Tenors Eduard Šegota, Jozo Delaš and Duško Britvić, baritone Mislav Biočina, bass-baritone Hrvoje Lozančić and bass Dino Šimera captivated the audience with their renditions of klapa songs and covers of Dalmatian pop songs, a quality that has earned them recognition not only from fans of a cappella music but from a broader audience as well. Tomislav Šošić accompanied them on the piano. Among the songs that resonated and were joyously sung along to by the audience were Cesarica, Lipa Moja, Trag u Beskraju, Odlazak, Jedna Rič, Moja Poslednja i Prva Ljubavi, Sad Kada Došla si, and more.

We are immensely grateful that, following the pandemic caused by the Coronavirus, we have successfully resurrected the rock/pop sound series to the KotorArt stage. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the partners and sponsors of the Kotor Cable Car series, the new tourist attraction, the Kotor – Lovćen cable car, which recognized the significance of enriching content for the festival audience and Kotor’s visitors, thereby enhancing the offerings for both the local community and tourists alike. This year, we had the privilege of relishing the virtuoso performance by the celebrated Macedonian guitarist, Vlatko Stefanovski, followed by the remarkably original Damir Urban. Additionaly, the Cambi Klapa took us on a captivating journey through Dalmatia with their renditions of klapa and Mediterranean songs. All three concerts were adorned with an excellent atmosphere, as underscored by the festival’s PR department.