Croatia

Croatia is known for klapa, the UNESCO-listed a cappella tradition of Dalmatia, and for zabavna glazba, the festival pop canon built by voices like Oliver Dragojević and Mišo Kovač. Zagreb's novi val scene made Croatian new wave the most celebrated in former Yugoslavia, Slavonia contributed the tamburica string-band sound, and modern Croatia exports everything from Severina's pop to 2Cellos' classical crossover.

Klapa is traditional multipart a cappella singing from Dalmatia, on Croatia's Adriatic coast. Small groups, historically of men, harmonize songs about love, the sea, and home, with the melody carried by the first tenor. UNESCO inscribed klapa on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2012, and modern ensembles like Tomislav Bralić i klapa Intrade fill arenas with it today.

Oliver Dragojević is Croatia's most beloved voice, and Mišo Kovač is the best-selling artist of the former Yugoslavia. Internationally, the cello duo 2Cellos and pop star Severina carry the flag, while Baby Lasagna's Eurovision 2024 runner-up Rim Tim Tagi Dim became a global streaming hit. In rock, Prljavo Kazalište and Parni Valjak have filled stadiums for decades.

Novi val was the Croatian arm of the Yugoslav new wave, centered on Zagreb from roughly 1979 to the mid 1980s. Bands like Azra, Haustor, and Film mixed punk energy, reggae, and art rock with sharp, poetic lyrics about everyday life in socialist Yugoslavia. It is still considered the most influential era of Croatian rock, and Azra's Branimir Štulić is quoted like a poet.

Not yet as an independent country, but it has come close twice. Riva, a band from Zadar, won the 1989 contest for Yugoslavia with Rock Me, and Baby Lasagna finished second in 2024 with Rim Tim Tagi Dim while winning the public televote. Other notable Croatian entries include Doris Dragović's Marija Magdalena (1999), Severina's Moja štikla (2006), and Let 3's Mama ŠČ! (2023).

Last reviewed: 2026-07