August the 1st, 2022 - The Groznjan jazz programme has succeeded in gathering together generations of jazz music lovers from a multitude of different countries from all across the world.

As Morski writes, exceptional cooperation between participants of various educational programmes and their mentors, along with top-notch knowledge and great talent have been woven into the foundations of the International Cultural Centre of Croatian Musical Youth under whose auspices jazz programmes are being held in Groznjan, which is fondly referred to the smallest jazz metropolis in the world.

The Groznjan jazz programme, Festival Jazz is Back! BP, the Summer Jazz School and the Croatia Drum Camp, has successfully brought together all generations from as many as twenty countries spanning four continents, as well as a large audience, that enthusiastically followed the musicians this summer.

Along with the main organiser, Croatian Musical Youth (HGM), the co-organisers of Festival Jazz is Back! BP, is the Istrian Municipality of Groznjan itself, and the Polyvalent Cultural Centre in Groznjan.

''With its favourable geographical, climatic and traffic conditions, this small, old Istrian town on the one hand optimally meets the needs of artists and the Musical Youth for a place to gather together and work, and on the other hand, the artists and the Musical Youth offered a superior programme back to Groznjan,'' pointed out Dubravka Dujmovic Kusan, the secretary of the HGM.

The participants of the Groznjan jazz programme were from all over Croatia, Germany, the neighbouring countries of Hungary, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, as wellas Israel, Bulgaria, Austria, Australia, USA, Italy, Finland, France, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Russia, Puerto Rico, Greece, Ukraine, Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

Workshops were held daily as part of the Groznjan jazz programme, and music was also played on the streets of this quaint Istrian town, sometimes in an organised manner, and sometimes quite spontaneously, which was enjoyed by both Croatian and foreign visitors to the town.

It is important to mention that the participants of the Groznjan jazz programme were accompanied by their mentors Luis Bonilla, Alex Sipiagin, Famoudou don Moye, Elvis Penava, Karlheinz Miklin Jr., Lea Lovrencic, Joe Kaplowitz, Goran Rukavina, John Riley, Dick Oatts and Marko Lazaric. Also performing were Jim Rotondi, Jon Boutellier, Gary Smulyan, Andrea Pozza, Aldo Zunino, Bernd Reiter, Primoz Grasic, Mario Mavrin, Vid Jamnik, Blaz Jurjevcic and Tijan Grasic, all of them being truly excellent musicians immortalised by their numerous awards, and among them were and multiple Grammy and Porina winners.

Zvjezdan Ruzic, Borna Sercar and Lado, Zdenka Kovacicek and the Green House Band, Amira Medunjanin and Ante Gelo, Branko Sterpin, Srdjan Kolarevic, Srdjan Kuzmanovic, Marco Quarantotto and Edi Maruzin with the Edi East Trance Blues Band also performed as part of the Groznjan jazz programme.

Young talent is continuing to arrive in Groznjan to attend the string seminar led by Andjelko Krpan, Milan Cunko, Branimir Pusticki and Ilin Dime Dimovski, and the programmes of the International Cultural Centre of the Croatian Musical Youth in Groznjan are going to be held until the middle of September.

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May the 24th, 2022 - Istria is set to play host to one of the most prestigious wine competitions on the face of the Earth, which will be fantastic promotion for this region of Croatia which is celebrated for its wine and other indigenous products.

As Morski writes, what the Champions League in the world of sport is is what the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is to the wine world. This prestigious international competition is coming to Istria in May 2023, and this acts as great recognition not only for the gorgeous Istrian peninsula and Istrian winemakers, but for the whole of Croatia.

With the aim of promoting Istrian wines and the Istrian peninsula as an attractive wine destination, Vinistra has nominated the coastal city of Porec to host this famous evaluation in the section of still red and white wines, which will be held from the 11th to the 14th of May, and will gather more than 350 evaluators, top wine connoisseurs and other similar experts. Among them will be wine journalists, and in a few days about ten thousand wine samples from about fifty countries will be evaluated in total.

Accompanying programmes, excursions and tastings will be organised for the participants of this international wine event, so the evaluators will get to know Istria, and posts on social media, portals, blogs, TV shows and magazines will tour the world. Showcasing Istria and Croatia and the amazing wine the country produces, which still tends to fly under the radar in the shadow of the likes of France for most.

Since Istria a small region, we've opted for excellence and that's why today we can proudly say that we produce top quality wines and that for the seventh year in a row we have been proclaimed to have the best olive oil in the entire world. Wine and winemaking are part of Istrian traditions and have made Istria a recognisable brand on the global market. That's why being the host of the international wine evaluation, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, is a great honour and a perfect opportunity for us to present just why Istria is famous to the whole world,'' said the Istrian prefect Boris Miletic.

Along with Decanter and IWC, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is the world’s largest wine evaluation and it was founded way back in 1994, and since 2006 it has been held every other year in a different country. So far, the competition has visited fifteen of the most famous wine countries, including the Republic of Croatia next year.

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