Klapa Zagora Loses First Tenor Zdravko Grcic
Zdravko Grcic, born in 1964, was the first tenor of Klapa Zagora. The group's members said goodbye to him in a message on Facebook.
Klapa Zagora announced on social media that Zdravko Grcic, its first tenor, has died. The news was posted on the group’s official Facebook page, alongside his photo. Croatian and Serbian media carried it on October 22, among them Dalmacija Danas, Net.hr and Telegraf.
According to Net.hr, Grcic was born in 1964. He sang the first tenor part in the klapa, and his colleagues called him their first tenor in the farewell, a man with whom they had shared the stage for years. Telegraf describes him as a singer whose voice had long been a recognizable part of the klapa’s sound.
What did Klapa Zagora write about Zdravko Grcic?
The members did not issue a formal statement. They left a short message under his photo, which Net.hr says was signed “Your Klapa Zagora”. In their farewell post on Facebook, they wrote:
“Dear Zdravko, it is hard to accept that you are gone. Thank you for every smile, every conversation and all the support. It was an honor to share life with you. You left too soon, but the memories of you stay with us forever.”
The message does not mention the cause of death or the circumstances in which Grcic died. That is where everything the klapa itself has said publicly ends.
What is known about his death, and what is not?
None of the three outlets that carried the news gives the day, place or cause of death. Telegraf says in its headline that Grcic died suddenly, but the article itself backs that up with no detail. The posts we reviewed give no information about the funeral.
Telegraf published the story on October 22 at 10:44 a.m. The date of the klapa’s Facebook post does not appear in any source, so it cannot be stated with confidence.
How did the klapa’s followers react?
Under the Facebook post, friends and fans of klapa singing left a string of condolences. Net.hr reports that many commenters said Grcic’s passing will leave a large gap on the klapa scene. Telegraf writes that friends, acquaintances and listeners of klapa songs joined in the condolences.
Klapa singing is unaccompanied, multi-part singing that originates in Dalmatia. UNESCO added it to its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2012. In that format every voice carries its own part of the harmony, so losing one member changes the sound of the whole group. The first tenor is the highest male voice in the lineup.
Klapa Zagora announced Grcic’s death only with this message and a photo, with no further statements.
