Ruze Dalmatinke

Deep passion and intense devotion to Croatian musical heritage have kept the group active since 1981, and have inspired the group's lead vocalists, sisters Binki and Alma, since childhood. Ljubica “Binki” Franulovich Spahi and Alma Franulovich Plancich lead Ruže Dalmatinke in singing, and are responsible for the group's adherence to traditional purity in their music.

From the town of Vela Luka on the island of Korcula, Dalmatia, Croatia, they immigrated with their family to the United States after World War II. Having sung together since childhood, the sisters brought with them their lifestyle of singing, as well as an oral tradition generations old. Their voices are accompanied by instrumentation, adding to the vocal harmonies. The band members, also vocalists, along with Binki and Alma, perform music from the many different regions of Croatia - from the tranquil Dalmatian ballads to the strident melodies of the interior.

When members of Vela Luka were visiting their native Croatia, they heard a familiar traditional song lilting through the doors of a nearby church. But some important verses and parts of the chorus were missing. They visited the church and sang their more complete version of the song to the delight of the local choir of nuns. Much of this song had been lost as a result of over 60 years of war and social displacement in the village. Far away in Anacortes, Washington, a family had been keeping alive these local songs, music, dance, and myriad other expressions of Croatian folklore for over 60 years and were now bringing them back home.

Marija Damjanovic Franulovich and her family came to the United States as refugees after World War II. A native of the Dalmatian coast in Croatia, Marija brought an immense repertoire of songs, stories, and history to the U.S. She learned traditional Croatian songs and stories through oral tradition in her home village. In refugee camps in Italy, South America, and Haiti, Franulovich taught her children her songs, stories, dances, needlecraft, and foodways. They joined her mother-in-law in Anacortes in 1949, where Marija and her late husband, Jure (George), immediately recognized the importance of maintaining their traditions in this new land. Their home became a center of Croatian culture for the Puget Sound region. Her daughters, Maria, Alma and Binki later organized Washington's acclaimed Vela Luka Croatian Dance Ensemble and the Ruže Dalmatinke Orchestra.

Marija Damjanovic Franulovich, the Croatian tradition bearer, passed away in November 2011 but her legacy continues through her children, grandchildren, and now great grandchildren who sing and dance with Vela Luka or Ruže Dalmatinke.

Vela Luka was founded in 1975 to perform music and dance. The core of their repertoire comes from the Dalmatian coast, an area particularly well known for beautiful harmony singing. Croatian immigrants from this region were attracted to the Anacortes area because it closely resembles the climate and topography of their native fishing villages. One-quarter of the residents of Anacortes and Fidalgo Island, Washington are descended from immigrants from another fishing village: Vela Luka, on the Island of Kor?ula, Croatia. One of Marija’s daughters, Maria Franulovich Petrish, is the Executive Director of Vela Luka Croatian Dance Ensemble.

Ruže Dalmatinke was formed to help preserve and perform music and song. They accompany Vela Luka in performance, but often perform separately at festivals and community events throughout the Northwest. The group was founded by the two other daughters, Binki Franulovich Spahi and Alma Franulovich Plancich. They have recruited some of the Northwest’s best musicians in their nearly 40 year history. Both Vela Luka and Ruže Dalmatinke have expanded their repertoires to include music and dance from most regions of Croatia.

The groups’ love of and dedication to preserving this music is evident in their spirited performances. Their talented voices and musicianship have captured the wide range of styles from the pastoral inlands to the seafaring islands. Some types of Croatian traditional music which they have mastered include but aren’t limited to: Otvoren glas, open throat singing - a tradition of inland regions and mountainous areas of Croatia, consists of a solo voice singing one line of lyrics with others joining in a “call and answer” manner; Klapa - a form of a cappella harmony singing particularly prevalent in Dalmatia. Klapa traces its roots to liturgical church singing. The songs often celebrate love, the sea, food and wine, and the homeland. Occasionally, a stringed instrument may accompany klapa. The tamburica form of music is related to string instruments of the same name. Tamburica became popular in the 1800s, paralleling similar developments in Russia, Ukraine, and Italy. Tamburica groups range in size from small groups to ensembles. Their music generally celebrates qualities of rural life.

When asked what keeps these traditions so alive and well, within the Washington immigrant community, Alma Plancich said, “family and our love for our culture’s preservation.”

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7/18/12: Ruze Dalmatinke

The Croatian singing group from Washington State presents an evening of Croatian folk music. Part of Homegrown: The Music of America concert series.

Ruze Dalmatinke

The Croatian singing group from Washington State presents an evening of Croatian folk music. Part of Homegrown: The Music of America concert series.

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