Dara Bubamara – Kraj I Tačka (choreo)

I was hoping to have this video published a few days ago, but I ran into some issues with my normal platform. This is my second original choreography video, but this was actually the first song I choreographed for my own Zumba® class, and it’s the 3rd choreography of my own that I’ve presented to the public over the years. I’m currently trying to add 2 original choreographed songs to each playlist rotation (about every 8 classes).

I’m not exactly sure what genre you’d categorize this as, but I simply call it Balkan since it’s not as easily recognizable as Salsa, Bachata, Bhangra, Kizomba, etc. Dara Bubamara is a Pop (Turbofolk) singer from Serbia and I wanted to incorporate some of the music I listen to into my classes. Turbofolk is one of my guilty pleasures, but this particular song isn’t as (how to put it?) obnoxious as some and was easy to add into my classes. My students have loved this song and the dance that goes along with it!

Photo by Danalicious Photography

When I started going to Zumba® Fitness classes and becoming familiar with the rhythms they showcased, I was a bit disappointed to find that Eastern Europe wasn’t getting much love. However, some Russian music started creeping in, though most of it was a mix with other Latin music. Still, I got super excited and knew it was only a matter of time before they’d be looking to expand their reach. The program took off internationally, which I fully expected would mean it would be even more of a musical melting pot.

In 2016 a song called “Hey Hey!” was released to ZIN™ (Zumba® Instructor Network) on Zumba® Mega Mix 55. It was labeled as Balkan, and I was stoked! Unfortunately, it fell totally flat for me. I saw it as an unfortunate example of poorly executed cultural appropriation without proper appreciation or any form of understanding. The song itself kinda sounds like a Nokia ringtone and is fine as a modern Belly Dance type song (Crazy Girls TV on YouTube did a fun choreo for “Hey Hey!”). It definitely fits in with other Zumba® instrumental music that came before and after it, but Balkan it is not. Thus, I made it a point to add Balkan music into my repertoire!

Balkan music, like the region itself, is very diverse and has many layers to it. I would not say “Kraj i tačka” is the best example of a Balkan song, but it’s a nice way to add in some Pop music from overlooked areas. You might even be surprised by how many songs from the Balkans use Latin rhythms in their music. I fully intend to incorporate as many as possible in the years to come.