Croatia Farewells Music Legend Oliver Dragojevic

Family, friends, state leaders and devoted fans gathered in the Croatian coastal city of Split on Tuesday to bid a final farewell to one of Yugoslavia's most famous musicians, Oliver Dragojevic, who died on Sunday at the age of 71.

The commemoration included a capella performances of his much loved songs, and after the ceremony, his coffin was taken by catamaran to his birthplace of Vela Luka on the island of Korcula, joined by a flotilla of 500 boats.

Dragojevic, who passed away in Split after a year-long battle with lung cancer, had enjoyed a long and illustrious career and was considered one of the most iconic music stars in Croatia.

He gained much fame from his performances at the annual Split festival, at which he performed some of his most famous hits, including 'Galeb i ja' ('Seagull and I') and 'Picaferaj' ('Lamplighter'), but it was in the 1980s that his popularity across former Yugoslavia soared.

Dragojevic was one a few musicians from the region who has performed at some of the world's most iconic venues, including New York's Carnegie Hall, London's Royal Albert Hall, Olympia in Paris and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

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