The unaccompanied a cappella vocal tradition of the Dalmatian coast — added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2012. Heard in its best form late at night in an Old Town wine bar where a group of Dalmatian men has reached the appropriate stage of Pošip-lubricated conviviality.
Why It’s Worth Your Time
Klapa (from Italian 'capella,' meaning 'chapel singers') is the Dalmatian vocal tradition whose origins in 15th–17th century Venetian church music produced a characteristic close-harmony format: 4–10 male voices without instruments, the first tenor carrying the melody, second tenor and baritones adding chromatic harmony, the bass anchoring the lower register in the mode (between major and minor) that gives Dalmatian klapa its immediately recognizable sound. The competitive klapa festival (Omiš, between Split and Makarska, in July — the most important klapa competition in Croatia) and the Thursday evening klapa performances in Split's Prokurative (summer season, free to attend) are the formal venues. The best klapa is heard spontaneously, late at night, in any Old Town wine bar where Dalmatian men have begun singing from the shared repertoire every Dalmatian knows from childhood.
What Stands Out
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (2012)
- International Festival of Klapa, Omiš (July)
- Thursday evenings in Split's Prokurative (summer, free)
- Performances in Dubrovnik's Rector's Palace (ticketed)
- Best heard spontaneously in an Old Town wine bar