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| Local musical show "Tovareća mužika" |
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Fish hunting in Sali has a centuries long tradition and fishing oily fish has been of special importance. A boat that lit a lamp to attract a shoal used to have a horn for giving signs to fishermen and other boats when they were about to catch the fish in their net.
Therefore each house had a horn as a utensil.
However, younger generations used horns for making jokes on account of those who would get married when already of a certain age, which referred to marriage of a widower or a widow.
Such “serenades to newly married” used to be called “tovareća mužika” (“just married music”). In 1960 an old maid married a widower in Zaglav.
The marriage ceremony was intended to be held in secret but young people found out and arranged a practical joke. They went after wedding procession blowing into horns, banging with metal parts of tools and irons. To get rid of them the groom and the bride had to buy them a drink and upon returning to the village the pranksters decided to repeat such “concerts” for their own pleasure.
Thus the “just married music” (“tovareća mužika”) became a part of local festivities and by repeating over the years it was integrated into tradition of the island of Sali. For most young men from Sali it is an honor and pleasure to take part in concerts and accompanying pranks of this local musical show. Over time they made their own unwritten rules. They are dressed in clothes that reminds of finery that used to be worn by workers of anchovy factory that has existed in their hometown for more than 90 years.
They wear sailor hats called “rašketa”. Although only the more skilled ones can play up to three tones on a horn, they can still “offer a program” of several different performances. Especially attractive is a rhythmic accompaniment, which is performed on different household utensils. They gather in a small village Zmorašnje selo from where they head to the center of the village of Ravanac going past the parish church of St. Mary.
In the village they greet the gathered villagers and continue further past the church of St. Rok where they head down to the port of Porat and go around it couple of times.
They have a few obligatory stopping places where they play, perform various sketches and make jokes on their account and the account of the audience. It is all led by a ceremony master who very inventively and wittily conducts the whole ceremony.
The whole event finishes late in the afternoon when the performers together with the ceremony master slowly enter the sea in Porto whilst continuing to play until the water reaches their necks, at the same time holding their instruments high in their hands.
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lemax
