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    INTERVIEW Grupa Kumovi: Every performance has something special!

    Popular Croatian group Godfathers she recently published a musical story that left no one indifferent. Their latest single, “I know you're cheating on me", is an emotional ballad that explores the feelings of unrequited love marked by deception. Is it a real-life story and their most honest song yet or pure fiction? This song left room for speculation and further increased the audience's interest, and Kumovi proved once again that they can win the attention of listeners with their music and leave a strong impression.  

    In an interview with Croatians Online, the band members revealed to us what they think about the competition on stage, recalled their favorite performances and told about their plans for the future, read below.

    1. Your new single "I know you're cheating" has seen the light of day. What are the first reactions of the audience?

    In general, the reactions are very good and mostly positive. Of course, there are worse ones, but that doesn't bother us. It's always good to hear both criticism and praise. In a very short period of time, we achieved a large number of views on Youtube, which makes us very happy. Currently, the song has over 300 views. Also, the song played very well on the radio stations. Already in the first week of broadcasting, it reached the official national top list HR TOP 40. This makes us very happy and we can say that we are really proud of the results so far.

    2. Do you think that the new song is stylistically different from the previous ones? At first it seems to us that we hear in it the retro tone of the early Magazine. Does this mean that we can still expect songs in retro style or maybe you will give us some interesting surprise?

    It's interesting how a new song in a modern arrangement can really bring an undertone of early Magazin, which can certainly be refreshing and interesting for listeners who enjoy those old sounds. However, this does not necessarily mean that our other songs will be in that style. It is possible that you will hear different musical styles from us in the future. As artists, we often experiment with new ideas and sounds, especially if we want to surprise our audience and fans. Although the current single may be reminiscent of some past musical periods, it is not excluded that the next songs will be a real surprise and bring a completely different sound or approach. Therefore, expect the unexpected.

    3. In your long career, you have had numerous performances. Can you single out some that are particularly close to your heart? What are your plans for future performances?

    Uh, really tough question. We must say that we are extremely glad to hear that people in our neighboring countries also know our songs. We often perform in Slovenia, and this year we were invited to Hungary for the first time. Those were special and very dear performances for us. Of the performances in Croatia, we cannot single out our favorite ones, because each performance really has something special. Each is interesting in its own way, but we have to say that the recent New Year's Eve in a club in Čakovec left us with a particularly fond memory. There were over 700 tickets sold, the atmosphere was fantastic and our night literally flew by in a flash. As for future performances, we can boast that 2025 is almost fully booked. We are very happy and grateful for that. Throughout the year, we have contracted a large number of private events and wedding ceremonies. We especially look forward to public concerts in city squares and tents. There will be a lot of festivities and joy like every year, but first we will rest a little during January!

    4. At your performances, you perform well-known hits in various genres. In which music genre do you feel the best? What does Elena prefer, and what does Tomislav prefer?

    Yes, we really tried to expand our repertoire so that there is always something for everyone, we would say "from Bach to Sevdah!" We mostly perform domestic fun music, and we try to do such music as original music, so that's where we feel best. Personally, I also like the pop genre in addition to entertainment, and I feel especially good singing old Magazin songs. Tomislav loves rock, and he especially likes to perform rock-ballads and that suits him perfectly!

    5. What is your opinion about the music coming from the East? Do you also perform that type of music at your performances? Which songs generally get the best reception from the audience at your performances?

    We have nothing against any kind of music, including music from the East. Everyone listens to what they want, what they like, and I don't think that can be influenced. As entertainers, we have to give what the audience wants to hear. If there was no audience, there would be no us. At our performances, local entertainment music goes best. Probably because we do such music as our own, and because we have already taught the audience what kind of repertoire they can expect from us. However, we do not limit ourselves to any genre and we have no problem with performing a few songs with that or a similar sound.

    6. What are your plans for the future? When can we expect a new album?

    Although we already have 5 singles released, plans for the future are still under consideration. It is important for our fans to be patient, as creating a new album takes time to complete all the details, whether in terms of music creation, production or artistic expression. We already have two studio albums behind us, and we will reveal all the details about the third in time through the media and social networks. So, our dear followers and fans, follow our official channels and you will be informed and informed about everything in time.

    7. Have had several musical collaborations so far. Which one got the best reception from the audience? Are you planning a new duet with whom you would most like to record it?

    Collaborations with other musicians often add a special touch to a band's musical work. If we look back at previous collaborations, the popularity of a particular song often depends on the achieved chemistry between the performers. The collaborations with Natko Smoljan "Ljubica", Lidija Bačać "I'm still waiting for you" and Flying Squad and Željko Bebek "Cini mi se brate" certainly achieved the best response from the audience. As for future collaborations, it will be a surprise, because as musicians we often plan new duets or collaborations without prior announcements. If we consider a duet with someone, it mostly depends on the musical direction and artistic connection with the other performer. Ideally, we want to collaborate with those who share a similar passion for music. First of all, fun music, but also those who can bring something new and challenging. Possible collaborations in the future may be with musicians from similar or different genres, depending on what kind of sound we want to explore.

    8. What do you think about the competition on the stage and the increasing hyperproduction of new songs? Discographers these days seem to release anything they can get their hands on. Is this the main reason for the current bad state of the local music scene?

    Competition on the stage, as well as the increasing hyperproduction of new songs, have really become prominent factors in today's music industry. In today's digital age, where music is easily distributed and shared through different platforms, artists and record labels have access to a global market, which also increases the number of released songs. However, this large amount of content can cause an "overload" of the audience, which becomes more selective and perhaps less connected to music, because it is difficult to spot the best quality things among so many offers. That increased production of songs can also result in lower quality, as the speed at which new songs are released sometimes means less time to think about depth, innovation and detail. On the one hand, discographers may opt for quantity to meet the fast pace of the market, while on the other hand, artists may feel pressured to "fit in" with current trends, which sometimes means fewer authentic and original releases. The current "bad state" of the domestic music scene is not necessarily only the result of hyperproduction, but also the influence of commercial interests that often outweigh artistic values. On the other hand, there are also many talented artists who try to maintain a high standard despite these challenges. It is crucial that the balance between quality and quantity is encouraged and that the audience continues to support those who strive to bring something new and authentic. While the competition can be tough, there will always be room for true artists who make a lasting impression.

    9. Tell us what you think about radio as a medium and will it be able to survive in the new digital age? How often do you listen to music on the radio and how important is radio to you in your daily life?

    Personally, I like listening to the radio because I always hear what's new and which songs are playing the most, that is, what the listeners like to listen to because of the work I do. For us performers, radio is a very important medium, because new songs have always been brought to listeners via radio. However, I believe that in this new "digital age" it is more and more difficult to reach listeners of the younger generation via radio and that other digital media should be additionally used for them, such as social networks - Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok. Today, everything is closely related to social networks. Literally, if something isn't posted on Facebook, it didn't happen. It is definitely more likely that people will follow something if it is also posted on social networks where they are constantly present, especially the youngest.



      

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