Croatian vocal group Divojke emerges from Rijeka's Putokazi

Six Croatian women, united by their shared passion for music and their past experience in the Rijeka vocal group Putokazi, have formed a new ensemble called Divojke. The group, which includes Vedrana Lisica Pavlović, Antonia Svetina, Jasmina Sokoli, Helena Živković, Dolores Marinić, and Magda Martedić Šimac, officially launched their work through a collaboration with Tondini on the song "Grad se beli preko Balatina."

“

Thanks to that collaboration, Divojke were born and we finally stepped into something we had long talked about and actually wished for years.

The formation of Divojke was a serendipitous event that began in late 2024 when Tondini reached out to Vedrana for ethno vocalists for a project. Initially, they believed it was for Tondini's music production studies, but it evolved into something more significant. Tondini's involvement provided the final piece needed to bring their long-held desire to sing together again into reality.

“

We are open to different collaborations, and currently we are particularly attracted to covers of traditional, but also popular songs that we can interpret in our own way. The most important thing for us is to continue creating and developing the recognizable sound of Divojke.

"Thanks to that collaboration, Divojke were born and we finally stepped into something we had long talked about and actually wished for years," the members shared. They are now looking to continue their collaboration with Tondini and explore their own original work. They are open to various collaborations, particularly interested in reinterpreting traditional and popular songs in their unique style, emphasizing the creation and recognition of the Divojke sound.

“

Some of us have known each other for almost twenty years, some for fifteen, and some for ten. It was precisely the years of working, performing, and creating together that connected us in a strong friendship and taught us how to breathe and sing as one.

The members have a long history together, with some knowing each other for nearly twenty years through Putokazi, which concluded its 38-year run in 2022. Despite the end of Putokazi, their desire to sing together persisted. The name "Divojke" itself originated as an inside joke, referring to their informal gatherings, but it came to signify something deeper. They felt it perfectly captured their essence, connecting to the tradition of folk music sung by ordinary women during daily activities.

“

In the beginning, it all started as a joke. That's how we internally called our gatherings and joint singing - 'we are just some girls singing together'. Over time, we started to attach deeper meaning to that word. We realized that it perfectly describes what we do because traditional music has always belonged to ordinary women and girls who sang in the fields, by the river, on the way through the forest, or during daily chores.