Rovinian Night 2001
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Widely known, Rovinian entertaining and gastronomic trilogy goes back for several decades. Rovinj, in tourist slang often known as Dubrovnik of the north always had an imperative in creating grand, exciting, middle-summer party, including all city inst
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Widely known, Rovinian entertaining and gastronomic trilogy goes back for several decades. Rovinj, in tourist slang often known as Dubrovnik of the north always had an imperative in creating grand, exciting, middle-summer party, including all city institutions in its organization. Rovinian party is a matter of tourist prestige, gastronomic delights, dinamic and various entertainment, often real star glamour. This is the way city and Tourist Association show gratitude to their faithful guests, as well as those, which visit our beautiful turist Mecca of the north Croatian Adriatic for the first time.
Practically, all important stars from Croatian music sky performed on the main or some other city square in the last 30 years. We should add Gipsy Kings, Toto Cotugno and many other international stars that decided to spend hot August nights sweating under Rovinian starry sky. Considering all that, it is clear to us that this is an important and carefully nurtured manifestation. Like the gigantic magnet, for three days it swallows everything that walks and breathes in this part of Mediterranean. Except for losing your personality on account of general madness in, traditionally crowded town, or being forced to feel like a part of one great European family, you can easily be seduced by magical aromas of barbecue, lamb, pork and grilled fish, and stay enchanted at one of many stands till the early morning hours with a big bowl of cold beer in your hand. But, except for aromas of delightfully prepared food, you will probably be attracted by music aroma as well, that will constantly obsess your ears from all directions and so provide entertaining-gastronomic balance. From traditional, national music to folklore, pop, rock, jazz or classic music you can be adverted only with magnificent fireworks. Traditionally, it is held on the last night of this parade, and signalises the party is soon to be over. All considered, Rovinian party, popularly called Rovinian night, is one of the biggest and most attended on Adriatic and surely holds an important place in the memory of those who will remember Rovinj as an unforgettable tourist destination for a summer adventure.
Thursday, 16th of August, 2001
Rovinian party is also traditional site for interesting sport-recreation events, which are held during a day as a part of a three-day entertainment. For the second time this year, an aspiring basketball event called “Simpa open air” was held on the glowing hot asphalt of the main square in Rovinj. “Simpa open air” is also the name of the open championship at street basketball, popularly called “pickup game”. Each year all the interested lovers of a classical basketball are competing for gastronomic awards and the prestige of a pickup game in the categories of under-sixteen, junior and senior. The rules came of a long-standing standard which settled throughout Croatian basketball grounds and say that the game is usually played till one team scores 11 or 21 points, three-point shot is worth two points and the ball remains at the team who last scored a point. Except for the referees who infer in uncertain situations, the players are usually referees themselves.
The “Hakl” association is a pioneer association for promoting street basketball and, for many years, it deals with organizing different events of such kind in Croatia. The members are extremely ambitious and their goal is to bring street basketball, like beach volleyball, into the Olympic games one day. A special attraction of the festival is its entertaining component responsible for a modern musical background, which constantly dictates the rhythm of sweating teams during the occasional timeouts.
Pero Štambuk, the association secretary says: “Four years ago, in Velika Gorica, we met with a dance club “Megaplast”, the official state championship in street dance, and realized that we both attract the same group of young people so in order to acquire bigger audience we started to work together and that’s what we still do. Last year we performed in 33 towns where we asked the local tourist associations to regard us as a local tourist attraction and also to sponsor us. In this matter, I want to thank the Rovinj tourist association which recognized us as such and considerably helped us with their engagement.”
This year the festival will gain the official status of the Croatian state championship in street basketball. This year 1200 tams throughout Croatia took part in the event, out of which some 10 teams came from Rovinj doing all heir best during the games. In a briskly but extremely fair and friendly match the team of the Rovinj veterans won and celebrated their victory in the streets of Rovinj.
First day of the Rovinian party was an interesting combination of sport activities, entertainment and serious cultural offer. This is supported by an extremely visited concert of classical music, which began at 9 p. m. in the church of St. Euphemia. Guest artist were “Coast chamber orchestra” from Slovenia, formed in 1983 with 25 members.
Under the conducting of Marko Vatovac the orchestra played “Stabat mater” by Vivaldi and their deeply lyrical and cathartic tunes left the audience speechless. During their 18 years of performing, the orchestra has become one of the most important factors of a cultural life on the shore and the only holder of such kind of musical art in Slovenian Istria. They also played an Istrian suite by A. Kumaro and a suite called “Ancient Dance and Melodies” by O. Respighi. A talented alto soloist Mirjam Kalin who is a member of the Ljubljana Opera made the performance even more pleasant.
At the same time an interesting exhibition of Dubravka Rakoci, a painter from Zagreb, was held at the church of St. Thomas. In 1979 she graduated painting from the Art Academy in Zagreb, under the guidance of professor Raoul Goldoni, and has exhibited her works since then. Since then she can be proud of one-man and group shows throughout Europe and Croatia. This time she presented herself with an installation called “Blue night”. A few stylised reflectors were producing dim blue light, which spanned throughout the church and illuminated white canvases of a medium format where drawings in the manner of classical minimalism could be seen. The exhibition is opened till 1st of September.
Meanwhile, down at the square, the festival began to show all the charms of a festival scents, vivid people and music began to mix inseparably into a flow of amusement which decided to go its own way till early morning hours. Watchful parents with their children, groups of young people running excitedly through the streets of Rovinj in order to find their own little space, romantic couples hugging each other in the warm Mediterranean night, granddads and grandmas walking slowly among the hurried crowd could be seen there.
After that we came back to the place of pleasure. At 11 p. m. in front of St. Euphemia church the “Rovinj night of beauty” began, another small tradition, which offers delightful entertainment and artistic small outdoor spectacle. Situated near the church, the old fortress covered with growth served as a stage for designer’s models wearing their creations, actors, musicians, directors and numerous audience for two-hour-show.
The rich and colourful programme started with Jadranka Šegota creations made of leather, then Sandra with her wedding dresses. The third designer, Lidija Fištrek, presented herself with casual clothes and the last one, Luka Nreka, a young designer from Rovinj, with his futuristic creations. Iris, Dvina, Lana, Danijela, Iva and Aret were models that were drawing the attention from boys present there, and together with the sea, greenness and historical setting were a part of an exotic scene, directed by Mother Nature. Matija Ferlin is a famous actor in Istria for a long time. Pantomime is his specialty and this excellent actor performed a part of a show called “Tepli zdrhi” and with brilliant performance made the audience laugh thunderously.
Josipa Lisac, the star of the night, concluded this ambitious programme. She is certainly the greatest star of Croatian musical scene that sings with the same power and devotion for more than 30 years. She is a passionate lover of extravagant clothes and most recognizable woman rock voice in this area. At the concert she sang her new songs as well as her old everlasting hits in jazz and funk versions. She recently started to work with a new band of studio musicians.
The producer of the spectacle, Robert Raponja, arranged another night of beauty, which ended up with a small fireworks, a warming up for the great Saturdays final. The first night of the festival ended up at the unavoidable square again, and so did we, tired a bit but determined to carry on till the last source of happiness.
Friday, 17th of August 2001
The second day of the festival began with sport activities, same as the day before.
At Vladimir Nazor square, across the gallery of Tobacco factory, a water-polo club Delfin set two floating balloon goals and two water baskets. On that improvised sea playground the Delfin team of under-sixteen played a match that lasted 14 minutes.
Four teams with 6 players in each one provided an unusual scene on the part of the waterfront which is usually restricted for walking and observing the island of Catherine that looks like a big ship, stuck between the stony marina and the old town of Rovinj. A bit later the same teams moved to the nearby water baskets that stick highly out of water and require great effort of players to score a point.
At 6.30 p. m. Delfins girl team formed for the first time this year, played a match. In these places, as well as in the world, female water polo is quite rare so it was quite an attraction. But girls looked like swift, shiny otters and with a few good moves they showed that the only difference between them and their male colleagues was a sheer physical power.
An hour later, the last match played the veterans of the team who were in the past responsible for the reputation and the league status of the team. After their match blue tones of a crystal char night were cast over Rovinj.
The evening after was already in its best atmosphere when we started walking across the square, towards Bregovita Street in the old part of the town.
The street is not only famous for the church of St. Thomas but also for the most picturesque and intimate little square “Campiello del Monte” or “Plain on a hill”, a well-known gathering place of poets from all over Istria. The square, which is a cult place of all the people living in Rovinj, creates a scenic atmosphere and that’s what it looked like when the numerous and greatly interested audience awaited the launching of a new CD by a folklore group “Batana”, called “Even by foot”. The band was presented by Danijel Načinović, a famous poet from Istria, who announced the band with those words: “With a ”Batana” (float-bottomed square-stern boat) the traditional boat of Rovinj, it is easy to sail, and with “Batana” also to sing.” Later on the poet also took part in the show and recited some of his poems.
The CD was made in the studio of Angelo Tarticchi in Pula. The name of the CD was inspired by a nostalgic message of the song which is similar to Italian cabaret and talks about an American immigrant who dreams of returning to his home city, even by foot. The city of Rovinj, Rovinj Tourist association, the association of Italians living in Rovinj and Foto Carrera supported the recording of the CD. After the programme a party followed, and domestic cheese and ham and top-quality malmsey was served. To the satisfaction of the native people, domestic and foreign visitors, another gala event in Rovinj ended.
After the “Plain on the hill” we go again to the hot and entertaining arena on the waterfront. The people down there were already in great mood; singing, dancing and hugging each other. On Friday night, a newly opened nightclub “Zanzi bar” helped to bring about such mood. It attracts the passers-by with its luxury outlook and crazy night enjoyments. The lovers of house music could dance all evening, led by the beginners and an expert of this modern type of music, Marshal Jefferson. With the father of house music and DJ Ivan Mastermix, its host, the party carried on till early morning hours.
The middle of the programme was reserved for bands and solo-singers that made their appearance on the stage in a great style. Among them was Sergio Preden Gato, an evergreen solo-singer from Rovinj, a classical rock band “Energy Band” and also a version of “Give me Five” with a talented young singer Patrizia Sfetina. The great satisfaction of Italian tourists Sergio Preden made an especially impressive appearance with world hits like “Volare” and “O, sole mio”.
The band “Give my Five” sang several new Italian pip hits that made the Italian visitors even more satisfied. The old-hand and vigorous “Energy Band” took care of everybody else. With their hard rock repertoire till early morning hours the band managed to take the utmost of strength out of those who were most persistent and to press out the last drops of sweat from the audience in the sultry August night.
Saturday, 18th of August 2001
Saturday has always been the most important day of the festival, as one can tell by the biggest crowd and the most impressive programme.
That’s how it was this year too. Somewhere round noon, a regatta of cruisers and optimists started from the Rovinj port and turned out to be a delightful scene to watch. At the Olympic outdoor swimming pool of the swimming and water polo club Delfin where one has got a wonderful view on the old town of Rovinj, swimming and water polo events have taken place since early afternoon hours.
The meeting is the official championship of Istria County in short events in the categories of under-sixteen, junior and senior. Man parents, swimming fans and some accidental passer-by gathered there. For the busy evening, the swimming pool was covered with benches and stalls selling food and drinks and all that looked like a crowded childrencs playground. The swimming programme consisted of several disciplines; 50 backstroke, breaststroke, crawl, dolphin and Australian relay swimming. The Delfin team, Poreč, Pula, Olympic and Primorje team took place in the event. At the same time, at Vladimir Nazor square, last preparations were made for the traditional race of “Batana”, traditional boats of Rovinj.
From the little port, competitors (nine of them) slowly began to gather at the start line where interested crowd, always in a mood for a few jokes, awaited them. And so the Rovinj native people, some of them nearly 60 years old, rowed small but swift boats and hurried to go round buoys as quickly as possible. For all that sailing boats, transit boats and other accidental passer-by were crossing their way. After hard but very exciting and a bit funny race, Giovanni Venier won and got Istrian ham as award.
After that we shortly popped to the main square. At 8 p. m. Istrian folk dancers and singers, members of the Folklore Association “Cera”, were dancing, singing and playing traditional musical instruments: Istrian long flute round the streets of Rovinj. In that way, they directly met with numerous visitors on the streets of Rovinj.
Some ten metres away a bit exotic event could be seen. There was a big floating balloon, which threw fire like a dragon from a fairy-tale, and the interested adventurers could go for a ride up and down in the balloon.
At the terrace of a pizza place, owned by the boating club Maestral, Duo Jolly made their appearance. The academic players from Rovinj, Massimo Brajković and Vlado Benussi were playing the keyboard and the guitar and their music was suitable to romanticists of a bit older age
After a short scene in the very centre of town, we came back where we had started, at the swimming pool, where a referee whistled to start the water polo match of the second Croatian league north, Delfin from Rovinj playing versus Biograd. Water polo fans and numerous visitors who had decided to have a snack at the stalls could enjoy the 40 minutes at the uncertain match.
The Delfin team won and insured the championship title of this year. After the match, female water polo team played a match and with their relaxed game gave a relief to the nervous Delfincs supporters. They also managed to win the Pula team who didn’t care much for the defeat but went out in the festival. Between the matches graceful girls and their synchronized swimming fascinated the audience. They have started to work a few years since, giving hope to the growth of a new sport in our town.
With a few little mistakes, which are normal father age, the gaudy dressed synchronized swimmers, performed their number gallantly and sincerely pleased the audience. Children took care for the true party mood. In order to reach one of the precious prizes, they kept falling of a popular ”cucagna” a greased wooden balk over water.
Definitely closing the sports chapter and leaning the crowded swimming pool, we hurried on to the very centre of the square where the main event of the Saturday’s spectacle for numerous domestic and foreign visitors and also for the citizens of Rovinj took place. The square was bursting out of happiness and dynamics. The Croats, Italians, Hungarians, Czechs, Dutch and Germans were in high spirits, scattered about numerous gastronomic posts out of which the biggest and most substantial Valalte and Jadran companies should be mentioned.
The visitors could enjoy typical pieces of roast-meat with acceptable prices. We went for most popular grilled minced meat fingers and concluded they were delicious, same as last year.
On big Kegs that liked like tin fountains one could notice lots of beer pumps for serving drought beer. Out of different makers we went for Istrian Favorit, not the best one, but cheapest and for a thirsty person a real experience of freshness. This warm Saturday, Rovinj turned out to be a festival of food and drinks in great amounts, a genuine Istrian Octoberfest. Then splendid fireworks followed, a moment when numerous visitors of that summer evening stopped for 15 minutes, like petrified crowd, and silently looked up in the sky. This year too, the clear sky above Rovinj shortly turned into a fiery fountain whose colourful live coals flew down the dark night.
After a good meal and rinks at the square we decided to satisfy our desire for music and looked for such place as good as possible. That was a quite difficult task since the clock has struck one after midnight, meaning there were no more free spaces left. Musical show, traditionally placed at two locations, a big stage on the square and a small one on a famous Big pier, was offering high-grade solutions for everyone taste which is always the principal goal of an organizer, in this case the tourist association of Rovinj. The concert that took place on the big stage gathered a great number of people, just like a real big concert. The band that made their appearance there were Gustafi, a famous Istrian rock band whose songs are for several years number-one on radio stations round the country. Gustafi are famous for their making of good atmosphere on the stage, and uproarious temper and since they are singing in chakavian dialect they are real contagion for local people.
This time the star of the night was an entertainer of the most valuable voice on Croatian scene who tempts sighs of teenage girls by singing his pop hits. For the second time, Toni Cetinski made his appearance in his hometown. Because of the reputation of the festival, known by crazy entertainment till early morning hours, a rock band “Le Monde” made their appearance as well. At the Big pier stage, known as the alternative stage as oppose to the central stage, one could hear the unremitting tunes of Duo Demižan. The Duo is unavoidable for Rovinj and they play their Mediterranean repertoire, consisting of everlasting hits of that type of music, in impressive way. Beside them, Franci Blašković also made his appearance, a legend of the Istrian alternative scene known by many bizarre things. One of these things is that Blašković is the founder of the “League for struggle against tourism” and that on his numerous concerts, held every year all over Istria, has got a big polysteroil foam penis as a symbol. This time, he decided not to do so.
The programme at the big pier was meant for most radical goers of the festival and this time it lasted till 9 a. m. Scenes like dancing on the tables, beer pouring, and faces slightly misshapen of exhaustion are usually the last one you can come across if you eventually decide to take part in the iron man show, held every year in early morning hours at the place called Molo Grande.
