Yugoslavia in search of a new national anthem

Press, 5 November 1984, Page 19

Yugoslavia in search of a new national anthem

By

RICHARD

BALMFORTH

of Reuters Belgrade Imagine trying to fit a phrase such as “self-man-agement socialism and nonalignment” to music. Or how about “basic organisation of associated labour”? It is a mouthful in any language. Such is the prospect that faces bards and poets as Yugoslavia searches for a new national anthem to mark celebrations next year of the fortieth anniversary of the present-day state.

It has been made clear that the lyrics should reflect accurately Yugoslavia’s unique political and social system of self-management socialism.

That means, in practice, finding a place for some of the fearsome terms in which Yugoslavia’s political lexicon abounds. The influential daily “Pol-

itika” wrote, “The song must be poetic and easy to sing and should express the noble feelings of the nations and nationalities of our country and express a warrior-like and revolutionary quality, brotherhood and unity, and freedom of work, spirit and creativity.” Yugoslavia has in fact been looking for a national anthem ever since the founding of the modem Communist State in 1945.

Four previous attempts to find one by public competition failed, in part over the difficulty of accommodating such cumbersome set pieces as “brotherhood and unity of nations and nationalities” in the lyrics. The closest they came was in 1973 when a Macedonian musician came up with an air that won general acclaim. But there were no suitable words to go with it. In the latest attempt, a public competition has at-

tracted contributions from 500 musicians and poets, anxious for a niche in history and with an eye fixed on $lOOO prize. By next March after the entries have been scanned, mouthed, hummed, and played by a 15-member juiy and then put to a public debate, it should be clear if there is likely to be a new anthem ready for the fortieth anniversary festivities in November, 1985. Since 1945, Yugoslavia has got by with the PanSlav song, ‘Hej, Sloveni,’ which was adopted as an unofficial national song after being sung spontaneously by Tito’s partisans in 1943.

The trouble is that it is a Pan-Slav song that does not relate specifically to Yugoslavia.

Additionally, the tune of ‘Hej, Sloveni’ is almost identical with the national anthem of Poland, a circumstance that gives rise to a

curious double-take effect when both anthems are played during bilateral visits.

Authorities, mindful of a Constitution that provides equal rights to the six nations and eight other nationalities that make up its 23 million population, say, somewhat tongue in cheek, that the new song may be written in any of Yugoslavia’s languages. But few Serbs, the country’s largest group, see themselves singing a national anthem written in, say, Macedonian or Albanian.

Few people disguise their belief that the project may be shelved yet again.

“After all, in another 10 years we will be celebrating our fiftieth anniversary. Why not put it all off until then? I am happy to go on singing ‘Hej Sloveni’,” said one middle-aged Serbian woman.