Vuprem oči is a very tender and poetic Croatian folk song from the region of Međimurje on the north of Croatia. Its simple melody follows a pentatonic pattern, so typical for this part of Croatia. We express our deep gratitude to Professor Krešimir Veselić, distinguished Croatian mathematician, who informed us about popularity of this song in France. We also owe our sincere gratitude to numerous French choirs and their conductors for their exceptional perfomances. Moreover, they all sing this song in Croatian! This song is a jewel of the European cultural landscape. On the photo Mrs. Pascale Scarabin from France, fantastic solo interpretor of Vuprem oči .
Ignacio Frezik Croatian that flooded Colombia and half of the world with his strawberries
For half a century, The Frezik-Rozman Family is reputed to sell the most delicious strawberries in EL FRESAL (The Strawberry Place) located at Saucio neighborhood, Choconta Municipality of Colombia. Ignacio Frezik came to Colombia in 1954 as a refugee from World War II after escaping from four concentration camps. With his wife Elizabeth Rozman (on the photo) and their children also from Croatia, he began less than zero: Bricklayer, domestic service, foreman, farmer, cook and micro-entrepreneur.
Everything is Forever by Victor Zimet docu-drama on the life of Nenad Bach World Premiere April 11th 2014
WorldFest, founded in 1961, is the third oldest film festival in North America & the Oldest Indie Film Festival in the World! This annual event has evolved into a competitive Independent International film festival showcasing rising Indie cinematic talents! WorldFest Houston is a non-profit Educational and Cultural Organization. Croatian rocker/composer Nenad Bach’s cinematic journey through war and peace and rock and roll. An unflinching examination of the universal creative process. The world premiere will be in Houston on Friday April 11th @ 9PM.
Survey for scientific Diaspora and its linkage to home country
We would like to kindly ask you to participate in a survey concerning the Scientific Diaspora and its linkage to their home country. The survey is conducted in the framework of the EU-funded project “WeB-InUnion” (Bringing South East Europe closer to Innovation Union: An example of EURAXESS Regional Collaboration). The project’s overall aim is to facilitate the realization of the Innovation Union (IU), a key policy of the EU for 2014-2020 period, in South East Europe countries. One of the 34 Commitments of the IU is that of retaining the highly skilled human capital while attracting more from third countries in order to cover the high EU demands for researchers.
Branko Istvancic Croatian filmmaker recipient of the Liliane Stewart Award for Design Arts in Montreal Canada
Branko Ištvančić is recipient of a highly praised award at the The International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) 2014 in Montreal, Canada, for his very beautiful and poetic documentary film “Straw-Girls.” The “straw girls” are anonymous Croatian artists of Bunjevci ethnicity who live in the province of Bačka. They found straw to be the “green” medium of choice for creating paintings, sculptures and applied art objects as an antidote to their difficult life on the vast Pannonian plain. In 2013 Mr Branko IIštvančić already won the Gold Camera Award for best documentary in Los Angeles, USA.
Quietest road race ever? Croatia hosts electric vehicle rally in May 2014
Nikola Tesla would be proud. In May, Croatia will host its first electric car rally that winds from the northern coast to the capital Zagreb through some of the country’s most scenic spots. The route includes a visit to electricity pioneer Tesla’s hometown too. Over five days, electric car and motorcycle drivers will pass through three national parks – Paklenica, Plitvice Lakes and Krka – as well as resort towns like Opatija and Rovinj.
Katarina Peročević published The Right to Dignity on The Cyprus higher education Portal
Even at first glance, it is clear that we live in a materialistic world, where man is (or has already become) the means and the goods to make a profit. We live in modern slavery, where slaveholders have been replaced by employers, in which hard labor work has been replaced with working hours from morning to evening and in which, instead of meals, we get a cellphone and the company car, so we can always be available and on time. That is the reason why today, more than ever, human rights are being heavily discussed and among them also the right to dignity. Isn’t that a paradox in a society where the basic human needs are not achieved…
Caltech Appoints Diana Jergovic to position of Vice President for Strategy Implementation
Caltech has named Diana Jergovic (left) as its vice president for strategy implementation. In the newly created position, Jergovic will collaborate closely with the president and provost, and with the division chairs, faculty, and senior leadership on campus and at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to execute and integrate Caltech’s strategic initiatives and projects and ensure that they complement and support the overall education and research missions of the campus and JPL. This appointment returns the number of vice presidents at the Institute to six. Dr. Jergovic is the daughter of Croatian immigrants to Chicago’s South Side.
Ukrainian – Croatian friendship
Croatian-Ukrainian ties are very old. The so called White Croatians originate from the western part of Ukraine. It is no surprise that, for example, the Ukrainian traditional art and the architecture of wooden churches are close to that of the north of Croatia. In 2010 a nice monument was erected in honor of distinguished Ukrainian writer Ivan Franko in Croatian town of Lipik, who spent a few years in Croatia. Ukraine was the first country which, as a member of the UN, recognized the Republic of Croatia. On the photo one can see Croatian and Ukrainian Easter eggs, decorated by Annette Hricko Czupylo, an Ukrainian living in the USA.
Professor Suncica Canic Croatian-American mathematician uses math to build better stents
University of Houston mathematician Sunica Canic and her colleagues build computer models to study stents. Their simulations could lead to better designs and also help doctors select the right stents for specific procedures. Computer scientists usually model stents in three dimensions, keeping track of about 200,000 mesh points points Together with her collaborator Josip Tambaca of the University of Zagreb in Croatia, and her Ph. D. student Mate Kosor, Canic wrote a much simpler program that approximates stents with only 400 mesh points.
Croatian Fraternal Union CFU founded in 1894 in the USA celebrates 120 years of existence
From a membership of less than 300 in 1894, the Croatian Fraternal Union, or in Croatian – Hrvatska bratska zajednica, has grown into an organization with approximately 60,000 members worldwide. The history of the Croatian Fraternal Union actually coincides with the history of the Croatian people in North America. From the beginning, when an itinerant young newspaperman came to Pittsburgh from Chicago in the late fall of 1893, Zdravko V. Mužina attracted more than 300 people to a meeting on Jan. 14, 1894, to organize a mutual benefit society for all Croatians. On the photo Mr. Bernard Luketich, president of CFU.
2CELLOS Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser: Resistance – Benedictus – Sir Elton John speaking
2CELLOS Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser performing their arrangement of Resistance by Muse, from an exciting, unforgettable and emotional evening at the beautiful Roman Colosseum in Stjepan’s hometown of Pula, Croatia. Next, performing their arrangement of Benedictus by Karl Jenkins with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. Then, Sir Elton John talking about 2CELLOS Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser…
Vinko Coce 1954-2013 Croatian tenor and klapa singer from the city of Trogir
Vinko Coce is a distingushed Croatian pop and klapa singer, known for his numerous unforgettable songs like “Vilo moja“ (My Fairy), „Ribari“ (Mariners), or „Mirno spavaj ružo moja“ (Sleep peacefully my rose). He is known for his numerous humanitarian concerts, in particular during the 1990s. Among his memorable appearances are the concerts at the grand stadium in the city of Split. We invite You to listen to his singing.
Croatian Ambassador to USA Joško Paro leads campaign to reduce dependance upon Russian Energy
For more than a year Croatians and Americans have been proposing that Croatia be an entry point of U.S. natural gas into the European market. The recent crises in the Ukraine has brought the matter to the forefront as it becomes more and more evident that dependency on Russian energy supplies places Europe at a marked disadvantage in negotiations with Russia.
England U18 1-2 Croatia U18 the second Croatian soccer victory against England in just 48 hours
England’s soccer team Under-18 has been defeated by Croatian young team U18 with the result of 2-1 for the second time in just 48 hours. Congratulations to Croatian players and their coach for this big sports success in two friendly matches St George’s Park in England. We remind the readers of the CROWN of the historic 3:2 Croatian sports victory against the English senior soccer representation at Wembley in London in 2007.
The Croatian School in Houston Celebrated its First Anniversary in January 2014
The Croatian School of Houston recently celebrated one year anniversary. The Croatian community in Houston is extremely proud of this volunteer and non-profit initiative. The Croatian School of Houston is the first Croatian School in the greater Houston area. For the very first time the children in Houston have the opportunity to learn the Croatian language, cultural heritage, history and geography, while having fun. The main purpose of the school is to teach and perpetuate the standard Croatian Language. The main objective is to preserve Croatian cultural traditions and national heritage.
Chess champion Garry Kasparov granted Croatian citizenship
Garry Kasparov, 50, has been granted Croatian citizenship in February 2014. During the last 20 years he spent many summer holidays at a house he owns in the southern Croatian town of Makarska and he speaks the Croatian language. Since the 1990s he was also a member of the Borovo Chess Club in the town of Vukovar, which he has played for during the Serbian aggression on Croatia. Mr. Kasparov is Armenian on his mother’s side, and Jewish on his father’s side.
Heritage and History Tour of Croatia with Robert Jerin September 26 – October 9, 2014
Join noted genealogist, Robert Jerin, for this custom designed exploration of Croatia’s history and heritage. We’ll have a chance to meet with local villagers as well as professionals working in the field of genealogy while we tour this country rich in tradition and benefiting from a confluence of cultures for thousands of years. We will be visiting: Dubrovnik, Peljesac, Medjugorje, Makarska, Split, Brac Island, Plitvice Lakes, Karlovac, Zumberak, Samobor, Zagreb
Julia Dujmović wins Gold in Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
Saturday 22 February 2014 is a day which 26 year old Julia Dujmović will never forget. Her first run in the parallel slalom left Julia a dissapointing .72 seconds behind Anke Karstens from Germany. Julia Dujmović gave her all in the second run to overtake Karstens, pulling ahead in the course to win the gold by .12 seconds, winning the first gold medal ever for Burgenland in the Winter Olympics.
Dr. Svyetlana Vyalova Russian expert in Croatian Glagolitic Script writes about the Bercic Collection
Svyetlana Olegovna Vyalova is distinguished expert in Croatian Glagolitic Script, working in the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg, which the Russians claim to be the largest in the world. The library is in possession of the Berčić Collection, which is the largest collection of Croatian Glagolitic manuscripts and books kept outside of Croatia, purchased by the Russian Imperial Academz already in 1865. It contains 228 items, and among them is extremely rare 1483 Croatian Glagolitic incunabulum, which is considered as one of the greatest valuables of the Library. According to her own words, Dr. Vyalova dedicated her best scientific years to the research of the Croatian Glagolitic heritage.