History cannot be separated from the present and the future. Apart from being willing to accept a revised version of recent history, Croatian fans of cajke might also be more inclined to embrace a “regional” future. It’s evident that cajke are swiftly steering Croatia in the direction of the “region,” i.e., the former Yugoslavia. Croatia should be looking towards Europe, the USA, and where it rightfully belongs—as a member of both the European Union and NATO, as well as a part of the global community.

An Instrument of Greater Serbian Cultural Conquest of Croatia

Some analysts claim that cajke are a tool of Serbian intelligence services, deliberately propagated in Croatia. Whether this is true or not, we cannot know. However, what is true is that cajke are an instrument of Serbia’s soft power (as music is for any country), and through this quasi-music, official Belgrade aims to increase its influence in Croatia. In this way, Croatia becomes vulnerable to Greater Serbian aspirations that are being pushed under the guise of the so-called “region.” The fact remains that Croatia defeated Serbia and Montenegro in the war, but to some extent, Serbia has managed to culturally conquer part of the Croatian population through the cajke phenomenon.

Damaging Croatia’s International Reputation

The situation in which Croatia has become a promised land for turbo-folk performers has significantly damaged the international reputation of the Republic of Croatia. Cajke are seen as trash in the West and much of the world. But the truth is that this “trash” sells well in Croatia. Consequently, Croatia increasingly strays from the European cultural sphere to which it formally belongs and instead identifies with the Balkan frameworks it has long sought to overcome. Instead of promoting its own musical heritage, the state indirectly enables the dominance of music often associated with kitsch, crime, and societal regression. Such a perception can have long-term consequences for tourism and for how Croatia is viewed as an EU member.

At the same time, major global music stars like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Olivia Rodrigo, or One Direction continue to skip Croatia. It’s worth noting that the turbo-folkization of Croatia is happening under the rule of the HDZ, a party that tries to present itself as center-right. This is a manipulation. The cajkization of Croatia shows that this party has no real connection to the right or center-right.

A Civilizational Issue

Today, well into the 21st century, banning cajke in Croatia is not a matter of left or right, nor of patriotism or lack thereof—it is a logical outcome demanded by common sense. That common sense should be present among Croatian decision-makers, especially politicians at national, regional, and local levels. Politicians must turn off their emotions, turn on their brains, and make decisions that are logical—one might even say decisions of civilizational significance. Cajke should be removed from public spaces under the control of the state and local government, and relocated to privately-owned venues on the outskirts of cities (nightclubs, cafes, restaurants, etc.). Why the outskirts? Because if something takes place in the city center, it means it has the support of that city and, by extension, the state of Croatia.

A late-night walk through the central streets of cities like Rijeka or Zagreb is enough to see that these supposedly “culturally advanced” Croatian cities resound with rhythms similar to those of Bijeljina, Niš, or Šabac. This is degrading, especially considering that cajke clubs are often located in historic city centers. Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque buildings are paired with folk-pop hits. It would be laughable if it weren’t so culturally and civilizationally horrifying. With cajke, Croatia has slipped back into the Yugoslav or Balkan quagmire it tried to escape for decades in the latter half of the 20th century. Now that Croatia exists as a political reality on the world map, cajke are pulling it back into outdated frameworks it had long outgrown.

An Alternative

Is there an alternative to turbo-folk? Absolutely. The only logical alternative is to promote the Croatian music industry and Croatian performers. Croatia must create its own stars who perform music rooted in Croatian musical tradition. Croatian singers must fill stadiums and arenas within Croatia, and this should be a strategic goal—particularly of the Ministry of Culture. Music cannot thrive without state support. A great example is South Korea, which helped develop K-pop into a globally recognizable brand.

In addition to Croatian performers, foreign musicians should also perform in Croatia—but real artists, not poor Balkan imitations. The Croatian state (especially the government) should work to make Croatia a place where the world’s biggest music superstars want to hold concerts. If global superstars started visiting Croatia, the economic argument often used by cajke supporters would fall apart. They claim that arenas and stadiums cannot be financially viable without turbo-folk performers. That’s a lie. Regional stars cannot be compared to global superstars.

The Lie About the Economic Irreplaceability of Turbo-Folk

Let’s compare the earnings of the City of Zagreb from five concerts by Prijović with the potential earnings from five concerts by Taylor Swift in Zagreb or Split. According to some estimates, the City of Zagreb earned between five and six million euros from Prijović’s five concerts. This includes revenue from tourism, visitor spending, ticket sales, and services related to the concerts. Given that three of Taylor Swift’s concerts in Warsaw brought 45 million euros to the Polish capital, we can draw a comparison. Taking into account the capacities of the renovated Maksimir or Poljud stadiums, fan accommodations, hospitality venues, transportation, retail, and tourism, it is estimated that five Taylor concerts could generate between 45–55 million euros in Zagreb or 45–50 million in Split. In short, the world’s most popular singer would generate roughly eight times more revenue than the most popular Serbian star.

Push Cajke to the Margins

In cinematic terms, cajke could be compared to pornography. Pornographic films aren’t banned, but they’re shown on specific internet channels and not on public television. Cajke don’t need to be literally banned—they just need to be pushed to the cultural margins. Figuratively speaking, to the outskirts of cities, where they belong. Let turbo-folk remain in private venues. Whoever wants to listen to it—go ahead. That wouldn’t be a bad thing. Reportedly, hundreds of thousands of Croats listen to cajke. Their fans could finance the construction of nightclubs, restaurants, and cafes. If 100,000 Croatian cajke fans each gave 1,000 euros (many of them already spend that much in one night at a club), you’d have 100 million euros that could be used to build cajke-centric venues. That’s a solid solution.

Author: Matija Šerić

Featured image: Večernji list