A memorial was held in the Small Hall of the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall to honour the recently deceased legendary Croatian singer Mate Misha Kovac. The farewell was organised by his home record label, Croatia Records, and gathered numerous prominent names from the domestic music scene, collaborators, writers and friends.
Stage colleagues Zeljko Bebek, Jacques Houdek and Niksa Bratos, who is a producer and president of the Main Board of the Croatian Music Union, came to pay their last respects. Among those present were dramaturg Zeljka Udovicic Pleshtina and director Vinko Bresan.
The state leadership was headed by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. Speaker of the Parliament Gordan Jandrokovic also arrived at the Lisinski, along with ministers Nina Obuljen Korzinek, Gordan Grlic-Radman, Branko Bacic, Tonci Glavina and Oleg Butkovic. Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic also attended the memorial.
Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Korzinek emphasised that Croatia was saying goodbye not only to a great singer and the best-selling artist in the history of Croatian discography, but also to a man who had been the sonic backdrop to our lives and had transcended all stage, social and institutional frameworks.
Houdek said: "Misha is the song of our soul, is he not? Misha is the soundtrack to our lives, and to the lives of our parents, perhaps even our grandparents. Imagine what a long career that is, and what an impact he has had on pop culture among Croats".
