Klapa Kastav

Klapa Kastav is the klapa of Kastav, near Rijeka: a men's klapa founded in June 1992 and a women's klapa founded in April 1994, both led by artistic director Saša Matovina. They sing the traditional songs of Hrvatsko primorje and Istria as well as newer klapa songs, and together they form the mixed ensemble Kanat – Kastav.

The men's klapa was started by four friends, Zoran Grbčić, Miodrag Zajc, Vedran Mlakar and Saša Matovina, and first sang in public on 12 September 1992 at the first meeting of North Adriatic klapas on Kastav's Trg Lokvina. In 1995 they revived the Kastav custom of the koledvari, the Christmas carol singers, which had lain dormant since 1946.

Their first album, Svojmu gradu (1997), gathered folk songs of Hrvatsko primorje and Istria and songs by local writers. U plavom beskraju... (2001) brought a cappella versions of popular Croatian songs, and 'Vo je naša zemlja (2011) the classic klapa repertoire. The women's klapa recorded the Istrian songs of Ca je more (2003) and Si naši vijaji (2005). In 2019 the men released the concert album Uživo u Kastvu, recorded with the HRT Tamburica Orchestra, and in 2021 both klapas made Draga nam je zemlja, devoted to the vocal music of the composer Ivan Matetić Ronjgov, for Aquarius Records; their Christmas album Porodil se j' followed. Both klapas have been nominated for Porin awards several times.

They have won often at home and abroad. The men won the Buzet festival five times and took medals at the World Choral Games in Linz, South Korea, Bremen, Cincinnati, Pretoria and Auckland, and the Grand Prix of the Cornwall International Male Choral Festival in 2019. The women won in Buzet three times, came third at Omiš twice and won gold medals at the World Choral Games in Riga, Sochi and Auckland. The Kanat ensemble won the Grand Prix of the 51st meeting of Croatian choirs in 2018, and an award for its performance of Ronjgov's "Bela nedeja".

On stage they have sung with Bruno Krajcar, with Damir Kedžo and with the HRT Tamburica Orchestra. Klapa Kastav's playlist here is their album More, nebo, zemja, with "Pod orehon", "Daž", "Kanet na vetru", "Kastafšćina", "Del tebe" and "Zalud pismu pivan".