2020, the year when Rijeka will become the European Capital of Culture, is just around the corner, so RIJEKA 2020 decided to take the opportunity and cooperate with Novi List, which is celebrating its milestone 120th anniversary, in inviting all the citizens of Rijeka and everyone from the rest of Croatia who might be interested in attending a musical get-together in the centre of Rijeka in December.
Rijeka – European Capital of Culture and Novi list are organising the Rijeka, My Cityconcert, a musical get-together with the citizens, at 128th Brigade HV Square on Monday, 16 December at 7 p.m., featuring performances by the Rijeka supergroup Ri-Val, Let 3, Turisti, Nord and Gerila.
Vlado Simcich Vava, Emina Višnić and Ines Boban Štiglić
With 2020, a very important year for Rijeka, drawing close, Ri-Val from Rijeka got back together after 22 years to sing Moj grad (My City), a beautiful love-letter to Rijeka. The song features the trademark Rijeka rock soundand celebrates Rijeka as a city that is free and open-minded, values that a majority of the residents feel and espouse and this is exactly the kind of Rijeka that will be presented to Europe via the European Capital of Culture project with the slogan Port of Diversity.
Concert attendees will get a sneak preview of the Moj grad video, while most of the culture and arts programme that will take place in Rijeka throughout next year will also be presented.
Rijeka sends out the message of a free and open-minded city
“At the Rijeka, My Cityconcert, one can expect a big Rijeka rock party, with Ri-Val their sharing their explosive energy and emotions with everyone. The song speaks of the heart and soul of a city and the emotion it possesses, it speaks about the way of life in Rijeka and sends out a clear message that we live in a city where everyone is welcome“
,Emina Višnić, Director of TD RIJEKA 2020 d.o.o., pointed out.
The person who deserves the most credit for the reunion of Ri-Val after a staggering 22 years is Vlado Simcich Vava, who wrote the song Moj grad.
“I have to admit that all it took was a single phone call to all the participants in this project, after which everyone was on board without a moment’s hesitation. This song was inspired by my own feelings for the city where I was born and that played an important role in shaping my identity. The song deals with a city that I like to think is not limited by hatred or any kind of intolerance. The European Capital of Culture project is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence and I, for one, can say that I’m happy to belong to a generation that will see it happen.”
For over 30 years, Ri-Val has borne witness to the unity of the Rijeka rock scene, and in moments that are important for the city and the region. A video directed by Radislav Jovanov Gonzo and shot at various locations around Rijeka, such as the former building of Exportdrvo, the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral, on the roof of the former Ivex factory building at Delta, as well as other recognisable locations in downtown Rijeka, will premiere at the upcoming concert.
The song Moj grad is performed by a symbolic number of 20 singers: Zoran Badurina (Jonathan), Sandro Bastiančić (En Face), Luka Benčić (My Buddy Moose), Stane Grdaković (The Siids), Valter Kocijančić (ex-Paraf), Edi Kraljić (Denis&Denis), Davor Lukas (Fit), Ivona Maričić Kukuljan (E.N.I.), Ivanka Mazurkijević (Mr.Lee & Ivanesky), Iva Močibob (Turisti), Marina Perazić (Denis&Denis), Zoran Prodanović Prlja (Let 3), Mihael Prosen (ex-Father, NORD), Marko Rogić (White on White), Leo Rumora (ex-Ogledala, Fiumens), Dean Škaljac (ex-Grad, Gerila), Boris Štok, Darko Terlević (The Siids), Elena Tomeček Zdjelar (E.N.I.) and Nikolina Tomljanović (E.N.I.). The instrumental parts were provided by Vlado Simcich Vava (ex-Laufer, Turisti), Damir Martinović Mrle (ex-Termiti, Let 3, Mr. Lee & Ivanesky) Bobo Grujičić (Turisti, Kojoti), Darko Terlević (The Siids), Vladimir Tomić Mosk (Moskva) and the producer Matej Zec (Let 3).
Joining Ri-Val at the concert performance are other bands from Rijeka, such as Let 3, Turisti, Nord and Gerila, some of whose members also play in Ri-Val.
An extensive culture and arts programme is ready for 2020
At the get-together on 16 December, visitors will be shown a shortvideo animation that will present the most important parts of the European Capital of Culture 2020 programmes, which will feature more than 600 events. It should also be noted that buildings and facilitiesdedicated to cultureare being built and renovated in Rijeka.
Highlights of next year’s extensive programme include gala concert performances by two present-day opera divas, Elina Garanča and Karita Mattila, and the exhibitions With a Collectionby David Maljković and Unknown Klimt: Love, Death and Ecstasy”.The Kitchen of Diversity flagship has, among other things, the following events in store for next year – the Porto Etno World Music and Gastro Festival and the Short Story and Hay Festivals. Next year, children will again be able to enjoy the well-established Tobogan Festival, while the Children’s House flagship will undoubtedly delight both kids and grown-ups with the first ever large-scale exhibition dedicated to Professor Balthazar. The large-scale international group exhibition “The Sea Is Glowing”, which deals with invisible economies associated with the sea, and the series of accompanying exhibitions, will gather some of the most relevant experts in the philosophy of work and future technologies in Rijeka. The ECoC programme also brings a robot opera, a robot concert and large unusual mechanical installations to Rijeka. All seven European Capital of Culture flagships have prepared a plethora of interesting programmes, which offer something for everyone.
The Rijeka, My City concert is part of the Rijeka Advent event in December, which is organised by the Rijeka Tourist Board and held in the centre of Rijeka this year.
“It is my great pleasure to be included in the unique story that is the Rijeka, My Cityconcert and I believe that events like these best showcase the true colours of Rijeka, the type of energy that flows through this city and the strong sense of unity among various organisations gathered around valuable projects, such as the European Capital of Culture. As partners of this project, we are looking forward to 2020 and everything it brings to culture. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Novi List, our newspapers, on their 120th anniversary”
,Ines Boban Štiglić said outside the Rijeka Tourist Board building.
Novi List celebrates its 120th anniversary in 2020
Novi List was founded on 2 January 1900 by the Croatian journalist, publicist and politician Frano Supilo. As the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Novi List, Supilo emerged as a reformer of Croatian journalism and paved the way for modern newspapers in Croatia with Novi List. Towards the celebration of this milestone 120th anniversary and the year in which Rijeka becomes the European Capital of Culture, Novi list and RIJEKA 2020, will organise this large-scale rock concert in Rijeka in order to celebrate the upcoming year of culture and the landmark 120th anniversary of the most read newspapers in the city.
It will be a celebration that Rijeka deserves, staged in the downtown area and bringing Novi List together with its readers and RIJEKA 2020 together with its fellow townspeople, the residents of the European Capital of Culture!
