Petar Dragojević, a famous Split singer, is the most sought after Croatian musician among the Croatian Diaspora around the world. Many of them know Petar as Oliver’s nephew, whose singing skills often remind them of the musical legend. Petar and Oliver even created a duet titled “Istog smo roda” (“We are the same”) a couple of years ago, reports Dalmacija Danas on April 22, 2019.
Performing at concerts from Australia to Germany, the young Dragojević often remembers this, especially when his audience knows that he is Oliver’s blood.
“We spent a lot of time together in Vela Luka, where we used to be together 24 hours a day. Oliver’s family and my family lived together until I was three, and we are still very attached today. I have excellent contact with my cousins, Oliver’s sons, and Vesna. There are a lot of nice memories, the emotions from fishing to the bocce we often played, as well as cards. There was only a little song, and you will not believe that we talked very little about music in these family circles, mostly about family topics. If you’d touched on music then the conversations on the subject would be good, short and fruitful. Oliver did not like to philosophize. He would just give me advice for three minutes, saying it would be good to write that song,” said Petar Dragojević.
“Then if I would bring the text of that song a second time and sing it so Oliver could hear it, he would simply say: ‘That’s a good thing for you!’ He always said that the most important thing is a good song and how the song will best succeed. So that’s how we came to do a duet when we recorded the song ‘Istog smo roda’. Concerning the music, we talked for three minutes and that was all. I really miss Oliver, first as an uncle and then as a man. He was an icon of the Croatian music scene, for 50 years writing songs for people who were emotionally attached. I see how much it means to people today, how people miss him, and no one can replace or inherit him. Oliver is unrepeatable!”
Did Oliver have anything to do with the beginning of Petar’s music career?
“Absolutely. In our family, everyone was involved in Oliver’s music, my father and our grandfather, and even great grandfather. Genetics were like that with me. Otherwise, Oliver and my dad never needed to push their kids into music. Only when someone had ambitions, Oliver would support them. I went to music school and music was my path from the beginning. Oliver immediately recognized that and helped me at the most important moments, and knew to say, ‘You fight for it son because only you will achieve what you want!’
Petar will also honor Oliver with concerts around the world.
“Most performances are in Germany and then in Canada and Australia. Soon we plan to organize 70 concerts around the world for our Diaspora. The concerts will include the most beautiful Oliver songs, featuring ten famous performers, including my little one. All singers will follow Oliver’s musical composition. The tour will last for a year and a half, and will start in Sweden, Germany, Australia, Canada, America, mostly in larger cities, where many of our emigrants worshipped Oliver.”
Petar wants to remind the Diaspora of Oliver’s music.
“I often visit our Diaspora in Frankfurt, and I am very pleased to visit Kruno Perković in Darmstadt, where I plan to hold a performance soon. He often presents our songs to his guests, which I enjoy. I see that our successful business people around the world have not forgotten their roots and they remain connected with their homeland,” concluded Petar.
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