DIANE MAKAR MURPHY Happy Hearts rediscover the joyful sounds of tamburitza

I can't recall when I first heard tamburitza music -- the tremolo of a single string rapidly stroked back and forth -- but it must have been when I was very young. As a child with a set of Croatian grandparents, it was inevitable that I would encounter it.
One day, in fact, my father took me to the Croatian lodge so that I might sign up to learn to play. My father and I walked into the enormous hall in Cleveland. He let go of my hand and walked around the large room, peeking in one place and another.
Finally, a woman appeared and said -- and I remember this exactly because of the result it produced -- "I thought you were a DP." She chuckled.
Born in America
My father was born in America; he was a policeman in Cleveland. DP stood for displaced person, an immigrant fresh off the boat from Croatia with no place to go. I don't know if the woman meant it as an insult or as a joke, but it didn't matter.
We took home the literature, and my father threw it away. There was no more talk about my playing tamburitza music.
Perhaps, then, it is an unrequited love I have. On Sundays, when I drive home from church, I find a channel on AM radio that plays it. And recently, I discovered the Happy Hearts Tamburitzans -- a group of children right here in Youngstown who did learn to play tamburitza.
On average, 16 or 17 players from ages 6 to 20 participate in the Happy Hearts concerts, playing instruments and dancing the traditional kola dances of the Balkans. Beginners start by dancing and eventually tackle an instrument. The group is sponsored by the Croatian Fraternal Union.
"We have our practices Tuesday nights," said John Lubonovic, group president. He got involved 11 years ago when a cousin suggested his daughters, Stefanie and Gina, join. Stefanie is now at Duquesne but comes back for concerts. Gina is 17 and still a member.
"I like it. I have really good friends through this," she said. "We go to different cities to perform and meet all kinds of people." Happy Hearts has been to Toronto, D.C., Milwaukee and Disney World, among other places. They hope to go to Croatia next year.
"My friends think it's cool," Gina said of playing the brac -- a stringed instrument smaller than a guitar. "It's interesting to them. I think I'd put my children in it. I've had so much fun." The fun did not come without commitment; daily individual practice and weekly group practice.
Group is shrinking
Angie Zadravec is the group's music director of 36 years. "In 1970, I had 72 children in the group," she said. But the economic woes of the area caused the group to dwindle, and these days, "the kids in the Valley are in so many activities and athletics, they're really working hard. And as the generations go on, it gets further and further removed. Like my granddaughter, Croatia is four generations removed," she said. Zadravec fears the culture is being lost.
The tamburitza family of instruments, Zadravec explained, includes the brac; the prim, a small violin-like instrument that is picked; the cello, held in the arms and played tremolo; the bugaria, which is the equivalent of a guitar and used to provide rhythm; and the bass, which is picked, not bowed.
In charge of the dances is John Seeco, Happy Heart's choreographer since 1972. As a boy, he was supervised by his Croatian-speaking grandparents while his parents worked. He became fluent in the language and found himself frequently exposed to tamburitza music. Said Seeco, "I really enjoyed it."
"I commend all the parents here," he said, "because they're keeping this alive."
I have much more to write about tradition, discipline and camaraderie, but I'm out of room.
Besides, the most important thing I can't do in a column -- let you hear the Happy Hearts play. To do that you must go to the picnic at St. George Lodge, 3200 Vestal Road, 1 p.m. July 27. And if you'd like to inquire about joining, whether you are Croatian or not, call Seeco at (330) 509-8384.
murphy@vindy.com