Karin Kuljanić - The Voice of an Angel

 

Karin Kuljanić made her debut at MIK in 1994, ending up in the 3rd place by public vote with the song “Zami me sobun sakamo”. As I watched the video cassette of that festival I was thinking: This voice is something else! I hope it's here to stay. Luckily for MIK fans, it has.

Those were was the beginnings of a beautiful sequence of Karin's MIK appearences and successes, with songs about love, and Quarner, and love for  Quarner, She took a break from these themes at MIK 2007, when she decided to sing a song about mother's love, or more literally, about mother's hands. „Materine ruke“ represented a slight detour from Karin's style, which got her so many fans and at the preceding 13 MIKs. She didn't know this change will be accepted at the Festival, but there was no doubt that "Materine ruke" was what she wanted to sing. And the reward came much sooner then expected. „My heart is full when Gea (her daughter) sits next to me, takes my hands and says: These are mother's hands. With this, I have already achieved more then I ever expected.“ she said.

That's how she is, passionate about her songs, putting in them all the beauty of her voice and all her soul, thus making a spontaneous connection with the audience and delivering unforgettable music and story about life in her beautiful corner of the world. Karin never forgets the support from the audience. At the award presentation following the 2006 MIK concert, she seized the moment between her award and the one for the first place to thank the audience of Rijeka for making her #2 in their vote. A few days later, when I told her how much my family enjoyed MIK concerts, she replied: I am glad you enjoyed it and participated, and supported out beautiful „Ča”.

During the concert in Kraljevica in the Summer of 2005, as she was announcing the upcoming song - about beauties of Quarner, of course, the tears appeared in her eyes and the voice choked. But being a professional, as she is in everything she does, she quickly put herself together, apologized for the tears and said: "The show must go on", and  motioned to Robert Grubišić on the keyboard to start the music for the next song.

In Spring of 2007, when I learned about her upcoming MIK song being different in style from the previous ones, my first reaction was: I hope the song is in dialect and has your beautiful soft “ć” in it. Karin replied quickly with reassurances: Not much has changed. The song It is in our dialect. I’ll always be me!”

This was a relief of sort – even knowing that any song would turn out beautiful when she sings it. Being herself also meant that once off the stage, Karin is a cheery and amiable... and a great friend. At the MIK rehearsal she cheered her “competitors” and consoled them when they were concerned about something. And at joint performances, when others sing she joins the audience in singing along and  cheering from behind the stage. Outside of MIK Karin is often seen (heard) at cultural and benefit events... for which she somehow finds time between work at the hospital, and study to be even better at it, and taking Gea swimming ice skating, etc. The very fact that Karin continues to pursue her career in health care while singing out of love of music and her native soil speaks for itself.