As part of its tour of Croatia, KIA ORA HRVATSKA 2025 arrived in Split for the first time, where, in front of the Croatian National Theater and with the support of the Croatian Heritage Foundation – Split Branch, it connected New Zealand and Dalmatia through a unique cultural and musical program.
The 1100th anniversary of the Croatian Kingdom symbolically united the Croatian diaspora with the Split-Dalmatia County and the City of Split on July 10, 2025, when Sofia Aroha Nada Kačurov, a Croat from New Zealand, performed the song “Dajem ti srce zemljo moja” by Zlatan Stipišić Gibonni.
During its KIA ORA HRVATSKA 2025 tour, the ensemble visited Split for the first time, leaving the Split audience, the Croatian diaspora, as well as the many guests in awe with their rich and diverse programe, in particular due to the originality of the choreography and music program, by the conceptual protagonist and versatile artist Goran Kačurov.
The significance of the Split concert was further emphasized by the venue where it was held, in front of the Croatian National Theater in Split, on Gajo Bulat Square; the concert also served to open the event Splitski litnji koluri, organized by the Tourist Board of the City of Split, while the concert was co-organized by the Split branch of the Croatian Heritage Foundation.
The Croatian Cultural Society in Auckland, under whose organization the Kralj Tomislav Folklore Ensemble operates, presented a multicultural union with the Land of the Long White Cloud (New Zealand) – AOTEAROE (its Maori name), a mosaic of choreographic numbers and a performance by the Maori Kapa haka group Te Ropu Manutaki and vocal performances by the group The Shades, whose members derive from Samoa and Tonga.
For more than 30 years, the Kralj Tomislav Folklore Ensemble has been one of the largest and most successful promoters of the traditional culture of Croats and the preservation of the identity of the Croatian people in New Zealand, our most remote emigrant community in the world.
The event featured a performance by the Jedinstvo Folklore Ensemble, presenting part of its rich artistic repertoire to the guests from New Zealand, which they have been realizing for over 105 years.
In addition to the large audience, the concert was also attended by the Prefect of Split-Dalmatia County Blaženko Boban, the Deputy Mayor of the City of Split Matea Dorčić, the Head of the Culture Department of Split-Dalmatia County Željko Primorac, member of the Advisory Body of the Government of the Republic of Croatia from New Zealand Goran Katić, the Head of the Split Branch of the CHF Ante Ćaleta, the President of the Jedinstvo Folklore Ensemble Emin Sarajlić, and the Secretary General of the Association of Culture and Art Societies of Split-Dalmatia County Marijana Botić Rogošić, while the program was emceed by Tatjana Rau and Mirella Meić.
Text: Ante Ćatela / Photo: Ante Roca
