Once a European pop star, Croatia’s Tajci shares spirit

By John Benson

YOUNGSTOWN — Granted, singer Tajci (pronounced TY-chee) may not be a household name in America, but for a moment in her homeland of Croatia, there was no one bigger.

Today, Tajci, who was born Tatjana Matejas in Zagreb, Croatia, lives in Cincinnati where she pursues a musical career that has evolved from European pop to a contemporary Christian slant. She will perform Sunday in Youngstown at Sts. Peter and Paul Church.

Tajci became a pop star throughout Europe at age 19. But in the 1990s, the 21-year-old shrugged off her stardom and moved to the United States, where she was an unknown.

She turned to prayer and began to tell the story of her own spiritual awakening in concerts. Still popular in Europe, Tajci — who speaks nine languages — is on the rise in the United States and throughout the world.

Sunday’s concert in Youngstown will be about Christmas.

“This is the advent season, and I have this beautiful concert that is basically the story of Christmas,” said Tajci, calling from her Queen City home. “But it’s from a perspective of I grew up not knowing what Christmas was about. I grew up in a family that had to be very careful with communism and persecutions. They just played it safe.

“Basically, I’m trying to bring my perspective and show the elements that really drew me into the whole Christianity. Because at the time I had my spiritual awakening, I was already a star with everything this world has to offer — glamour, fame, whatever. And it just really was a tremendous contrast to try to understand that this God would send his son. That this baby would be born in a stable next to a cow and donkey, and then to see the tremendous value of the very simple things rather than the royal velvet and gold and diamonds. That really spoke to me.”

Though Tajci’s latest solo effort was 2008’s “Need A Break,” the singer will be performing “Emmanuel: The Christmas Story” and various Croatian and Hungarian carols at her upcoming concert, which includes three backing musicians. It’s quite a stark contrast to her European paparazzi past with million-selling albums and stadium concerts.

“All of my shows are pretty much telling stories,” Tajci said. “It’s hard to explain. My shows are really not concerts; they’re not really theater performances. They are something in between where once it starts it’s not your regular concert with just songs. It starts with a story and it ends with a story. And the music ranges from the Gregorian chants to pop sounds to ethnic [songs], and it almost feels like the soundtrack to the story. So it’s really inspirational. And even though it’s Christian-based, it doesn’t really fall into a category of contemporary Christian music because it’s not necessary worship music. It’s more self-reflecting stories that bring you in.”

Even though her show is Christian-based, Tajci is confident everyone who attends will enjoy themselves.

“I had a young kid who was 22 years old say to me, ‘I don’t really listen to that style of music, but I was so pulled in that I didn’t even notice,’” Tajci said. “And that was a very honest but beautiful comment. It means my show just pulls them in, and it’s like watching a show.”

She added, “And even if you’re a nonbeliever, it’s a beautiful inspirational story, and the music is very artistic and sophisticated. It has a high-production value, and it’s really something for everybody.”

if you go

Who: Tajci

When: 1 p.m. Sunday

Where: Sts. Peter and Paul Church, 421 Covington St., Youngstown

Info: admission is free. Call (330) 747-6762