Croatia's Ojkanje Singing Makes UN Safeguarding List

The UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, has included Ojkanje along with three Chinese traditions on a list of items that require safeguarding, in its meeting in Nairobi this week.

Ojkanje is "two-part singing, found in the Croatian regions of the Dalmatian hinterland, [that] is performed by two or more singers (male or female) using a distinctive voice-shaking technique created by the throat. Each song lasts as long as the lead singer can hold his or her breath. Melodies are based on limited, mostly chromatic, tonal scales, and the lyrics cover diverse themes ranging from love to current social issues and politics," UNESCO explained in a press release.

It explained that Ojkanje has come under threat and the transmission of the art from generation to generation has become increasingly difficult. "Recent conflicts and rural to urban migration that reduced the population of the region and changes in ways of life have caused a sharp decrease in the number of performers, resulting in the loss of many archaic styles and genres of solo singing," the press release added.

With the addition of the four new cultural elements, the list now includes 16 traditions. The states where the traditions are practiced must pledge to implement plans to protect the heritage and submit reports on the safeguarding effort to the UN. They may also benefit from financial support from UNESCO for their work to protect the art.

Other traditions vying for a place on the list include the gastronomic meal of the French and the hopping procession of Echternach from Luxembourg.