Imagine the scene: it is St Patrick's Day 1997 and in the Croatian town of Vukovar, pummelled to rubble after a siege by Serb forces, the sound of Irish music rises from one of the few buildings left standing. The audience is the Irish Regiment, part of the peacekeeping force in Croatia. The band is the Orthodox Celts - which is made up of Serbs, none of whom have ever been to Ireland.
The Orthodox Celts are rapidly becoming one of the top bands in Serbia. They packed the 4,000-capacity Sava Centre in Serbia's capital, Belgrade, with a St Patrick's Day concert this year. Their latest CD, Green Roses, is number one in the charts. Their single, The Rocky Road to Dublin, is number one in the singles charts.
The group was formed in 1992, when several members began to express their love for Irish music. Anna Djokic, a music graduate, used to get together with Dusan Zivanovic, who now plays percussion. Gradually they met with the others and formed the band, recording their first album, The Ortho]dox Celts, in 1994.
The second album, Chaos Strikes Again, was recorded in 1997. This included two compositions by the band. The latest CD Green Roses, which was delayed because of the Nato bombing, has seven original compositions and the remainder are instrumentals or traditional songs arranged by the band.
What attracts them to Irish music? "It is the optimism of every aspect of Irish culture - the faith of the people in themselves and in God - which is so strong that we got caught up in it and ultimately that was what brought together this seven-member band," says Aleksandar.
Anna says they immerse themselves in Irish culture: "We are living as if we are living in Ireland. We are listening to the music. We are reading the books. "We are living in such a terrible situation here in Serbia that perhaps this is a way to live differently. We are actually making our own world."
"This optimism is something that the audience too feels very strongly. There is a feeling that this is the way to overcome the troubles," says Anna.
The Orthodox Celts, a Serbian traditional Irish music group: `We are living as if we are living in Ireland'
