The Folklore Ensemble Jedinstvo Split was founded in 1919 and has been active in the city of Split for almost 105 years, tirelessly nurturing generations of young people from Split with love and respect for tradition, showcasing the folk heritage and folklore of Split and Croatia on stage. From 1919, the name Socialist Workers' Singing Choir, through the names Sveta Cecilija, Espero, Zora, Sloboda, and finally under the name Jedinstvo since January 1937, FA Jedinstvo now operates as an independent folklore ensemble of the city of Split.
FA Jedinstvo, one of Croatia's most decorated and successful amateur ensembles, has a rich history of success. With a series of 87 awards won at competitions worldwide and numerous recognitions, including 11 awards and plaques from the city of Split, 2 awards from the Split-Dalmatia County, and a charter from the Republic of Croatia, their achievements are a testament to their talent and dedication.
The year 2024 holds a special significance for the members of Jedinstvo as they celebrate the 105th anniversary of their ensemble. This milestone marks a momentous occasion for the oldest folklore ensemble on the Croatian coast and promises a year of exciting celebrations and events.
The longest-standing cultural and artistic society in Split will mark its jubilee year with many events, including exhibitions, TV shows, solo concerts, and performances by Jedinstvo and a series of domestic and international co-productions. Their full evening dance concert at the Jubilee 70th Split Summer Festival stands out.
There is a special bond between the Croatian National Theater Split and the Split folklore ensemble, and there is also a somewhat not-so-secret connection between the Split Summer Festival and Jedinstvo. From the first performance at the Split Summer Festival and the legendary performance of Aida in 1954 at Peristyle, in which the widely known mixed choir Jedinstvo participated as "reinforcement" to the HNK choir, to the present day, 70 years later, when the dancers of FA Jedinstvo have been performing the Final Round dance in the opera Ero the Joker for decades, the intertwining of the Split theater and the first neighbor from Poljana Tina Ujevića, or our beloved Cankar, has been ongoing. Because of all this, it may sound strange that this dance-musical performance by Jedinstvo at the Split Summer Festival will be their first independent full evening concert in over 30 years.
In its anniversary year, Jedinstvo is proud to present to its fellow citizens, for the first time on the stage at Plinara in the center of Split, a rhapsody of sounds and dance images shaped into an entire evening folklore concert. Accompanied by a mandolin-tamburitza orchestra, the dancers of Jedinstvo will take you on a playful journey throughout Croatia. Enjoy the beautiful costumes and the performance of old Split dances, reminisce about your childhood in the villages of the Dalmatian hinterland, sail to the islands, or pay tribute to the love for Slavonia and Međimurje felt in every beat of the rich Croatian dance tradition.