Amateur choir brings joy and community in Serbia
BELGRADE, Serbia—An amateur pop choir that started with a couple dozen singers in a small Serbian town has found unexpected success across the country. Its motto? Anyone can sing.
While community choirs are common in other countries, they are relatively rare in Serbia. The no-stress and fun approach has attracted hundreds of people, mostly women of all ages.
Modeled after similar projects abroad, the choir is encouraging “everyone from 5 to 105” to join and sing for joy and stress relief.
Since starting out in a small town in central Serbia four years ago, Pop Hor has spread to 10 towns across the Balkan country with an ambition to grow further. There are no auditions or voice tests, and newcomers don’t have to know how to read music.
“People come as total amateurs, most of them say they have no clue about singing,” said Nenad Azanjac, who trained as a music teacher and who founded Pop Hor, or Pop Choir, with his wife.
Easing political tensions
Nevenka Bila, 72, said the choir has provided a much-needed positive contrast to the everyday reality of political tensions and prodemocracy protests in the troubled Balkan country.
“In this madness that we are living, where I spend half of my free time in the streets fighting for basic human rights, I found something that feels so good for me,” Bila said. “I discovered a new world.”
The group packs halls and venues across the country weekly to belt out popular tunes—mostly in Serbian, though sometimes they also sing songs by Croatian and Bosnian bands and singers.
Though amateur, the choir often performs at festivals and events in Serbia and abroad.
“I never miss a class,” said Radmila Kozarac, a 62-year-old economist.
She said the choir has changed her life, adding that she has made wonderful new friends and can’t wait for their after-class chat and coffee together.
