The artistic duo “Tashana“, consisting of composer and pianist Ana Krstajić and vocal soloist Jana Rančić, held two memorable concerts, stirred up emotions and brought tears to the eyes of spectators at the Serbian Pavilion in Dubai.

“Our music is emotion, and the Balkans are our heart and our soul, so the spectators felt deeply everything we sang and played and reacted to it very emotionally“, the young artists said, in high spirits after the concert.

Tashana in Dubai with the help of the Serbia Creates platform

“We are grateful to the team Serbia creates, which enabled us to present our work and tradition of our country at the largest world event, such as the World Exhibition in Dubai, which gathered visitors from all over the world with whom we shared our emotions.”

The authentic music of the duo “Tashana” is based on improvisation inspired by folk songs from the Balkans, but also from other parts of the world.

Ana and Jana were united by boundless love for our tradition and songs, as well as by the desire to add new elements of different musical directions to the Balkan sound, so in addition to folk duos, they also create authentic songs, which are the fruit of improvisation and combination of different musical genres.

Ana Krstajić: Tashana gives me pure emotion

Our mission and vision focus on deeper research and preservation of the Balkan, and primarily Serbian tradition, says Krstajić and adds:

“It is very important for me to be in deeper contact with my roots so that the music I compose would be richer, and playing the piano within the duo “Tashana” gives me just that through exploring the harmony and different rhythms of our traditional music. The essential emotion of our folk songs is simple, sincere and true, and that is why it has such a direct and healing effect on people.”

Jana adds that behind their songs are the temperament of the people and the spirit of the time in which they were created, and each song has a secret the key to which they are tirelessly searching for:

“The search for the essential values ​​of the epoch and what is left of all that and how it was transformed, inspires me and always gives new ideas in interpretation. I try to spread awareness of the importance of cultural heritage because understanding and connecting with tradition raises the level of culture and gives a sense of belonging and security. It is important to convey that to young people in the right way, and I think that “Tashana” is exactly the “right way”, said Jana Rančić before the performance.

Only the 5th concert and we have another four and a half months of Expo 2020 Dubai

It is interesting that Ana Krstajić, a multi-award-winning composer whose music has been performed around the world, graduated from the Faculty of Music in Belgrade in the class of the masterful artist Isidora Žebeljan, and received her master’s degree from the Berkeley College of Music in Boston.

She inherited her love for tradition from her grandfather with whom she grew up listening to him playing the “gusle” and singing epic poetry, which, as she says, fascinated her. Ana Krstajić is the creative ambassador of the “Serbia creates” platform.

The World Exhibition Expo 2020 Dubai is being held from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, and the theme of the appearance of the Republic of Serbia is: Serbia creates ideas – Inspired by the past, shaping the future.

Through an attractive and authentic program of Serbia’s presentation, which in six months will include more than 150 different events, both at the Pavilion and at some of the Expo venues – our top artists, performers, musicians, creatives will have the opportunity to present themselves to the world and, as the best creative ambassadors, to represent Serbia as well.

See the entire photo gallery, from both concerts, HERE.