Elemental and Marčelo are a great example of the cooperation between Serbia and Croatia in postwar times. What makes these artists different from the others are their texts that are well known to all the youngsters in the whole region. The reason for that is the similar environment where these young people are raised. Torn between the past that our countries did not deal with and an unpredictable future, they tend to idolize persons promoting violence, chauvinism, bigotry and negative role models. Those role models are precisely what these musicians criticize, fighting against the violence, corruption, nationalism…
„ I think that young people from Belgrade need to visit Zagreb first and people from Zagreb need to visit Belgrade”
The conversation started with a subject that always brings up one question: should the music as an art be politically oriented? “Music has that fun component but we always try to send a message. I think that music that does not carry any message does not fulfill its purpose”, said Remi. Marčelo added that nobody deals with politically oriented art with an intention to change the world, but because of “one very personal need to react to some injustice in society”.
The key activity in breaking the prejudices is meeting whatever that “different” is, that’s why Remi said that it was necessary for young people from Zagreb and Belgrade to meet each other in Berlin for example. Marčelo corrected her: “I think that young people from Belgrade need to visit Zagreb first and people from Zagreb need to visit Belgrade”.
Concluding that the exchange is crucial if we want to move forward, as a society and individuals, the debate in Božidarac Centre was over, and then everybody headed to the concert which gathered over 500 young people from Serbia and Croatia.
