The most awarded Dalmatian klapa celebrates 40 years
The Cambi a cappella group from Kaštel Kambelovac, the most awarded a cappella group in the history of a cappella music, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. They will celebrate their great jubilee with a gala concert on March 15th at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall.
“We are proud of the path we have taken, but even more so of the song that continues to guide us,” say Cambi, a klapa that has won over the audience with timeless hits such as “Od zipke do križa”, “Ne more mi bit”, “Kriva karta”, a duet with the Bosutski bećari “Sad kada došla si”, and the inevitable “Popucale rebatine” and “Do pobjede”. Their covers of Gibonni’s songs, among which “Lipa moja” and “Judi, zviri i beštimje” stand out, are also particularly notable.
For the concert at Lisinski, the klapa announces a selection of these popular hits, and they will be joined on stage by a special guest, the popular Dalmatino.
Cambi remains a true symbol of Croatian musical tradition, but also of contemporary breakthroughs in its interpretation.
This is confirmed by the impressive awards: ten Porin music awards, a series of victories at the Dalmatian Klapa Festival in Omiš, as well as numerous recognitions from domestic and international festivals. Forty years of music and numerous successes will be celebrated in the most beautiful way possible, with a few more surprises that the klapa is preparing for its loyal audience.
The Cambi a cappella group was founded in 1986 and has been performing since then as part of the "Cambi" cultural and artistic group from Kaštel Kambelovac, and became known to the wider public in 1991 with its first performance in Omiš at the Dalmatian a cappella festival. In addition to the many awards that their performances, songs and albums have won, there are many highlights from the musical activities of this cappella group that adorn their musical story, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2026.
This klapa group played an important role in a kind of "klapa revolution" that took the song from the cobblestone streets and squares of Dalmatia to the rest of Croatia, but also beyond its borders. It all started in 1999 with covers of Gibonni's songs such as "Lipa moja" and "Judi, zviri i beštimje", with which they immediately won over the audience. This gave contemporary song a universal value along with the traditional a cappella approach, which left the audience speechless, and which continues to delight today, without losing its charm. In doing so, Cambi showed that klapa music can be innovative, while maintaining authenticity and connecting different generations and musical styles.
The revolution that occurred also gave rise to the concert of the Cambi klapa at Poljud on August 28, 2011, a unique moment in the history of klapa music. With it, they became the first and until then only klapa to fill the Split stadium with a solo concert. As part of the project "We Will Not Give You Our Letter", Cambi then celebrated 25 years of work with a concert that combined traditional klapa writing, original compositions and contemporary interpretations.
Poljud that evening became proof that a klapa song can carry even the largest stages while maintaining its authenticity. From today's perspective, that concert stands as a symbol of courage, vision, and the exceptional relationship of the klapa with the audience.
Today, more than a decade later, the American-Canadian tour of the Cambi a cappella group in January 2013 is clearly seen as a significant step forward for the a cappella group, but also for the entire Croatian cultural heritage. They performed at five concerts in New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Mississauga and Chicago - in prestigious venues such as the Kaufman Concert Hall, the Ohio Theatre and the Harris Theatre - where the audience was not exclusively made up of our emigrants, but primarily American and Canadian concert audiences, accustomed to the highest world standards.
This anniversary year is given special weight by the fact that the Cambi klapa has been operating for five years as part of its golden generation – a line-up that has given the audience a series of timeless klapa hits such as "Od zipke do križa", "Ne more mi bit", "Kriva karta", the duet with the Bosutski bećari "Sad kada došla si", as well as the inevitable "Popucale rebatine" and "Do pobjede". Of course, each new generation of singers has brought new quality to the klapa and many great singers have passed through it. Cambi has shown incredible vitality throughout these years, and after each change of tenor they would emerge better, of higher quality, somehow fresher and ready for a new step forward.
Forty years of dedicated work and timeless melodies confirm that Cambi remains a true symbol of Croatian musical tradition, but also of contemporary breakthroughs in its interpretation.
Photo: Sasa Buric
