Goran hails from Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia. Goran's story is quite remarkable, he is a multi-instrumentalist, proficient in playing over 30 different instruments and was a notable musician back home in Croatia, and had already spent many years touring the world. He was invited by the Croatian Society here in New Zealand alongside his wife Sanja to teach 'folklore' to generations of Croatians here in New Zealand that have somewhat of a disconnect from the culture of their homeland. Folklore is an umbrella term for music, customs, stories and the traditions of a nation that have been passed down through the generations, and that is exactly what Goran and his wife teach every week to Croatians living in New Zealand - young and old. I'd only met Goran through this project, and i've got so say he's one of the most remarkable people i've met - an incredible musician and a guy that really loves his new country, so much so that he's been touring Maori kapa haka groups through Croatia
About Beats In Our Backyard with Nick Dwyer
Beats In Our Backyard is an exploration of New Zealand's multi-culture through music. All my life I've been all consumed with the discovery of new music and over the last ten years I've been traveling the world in search of new and exotic sounds from all around the globe - especially in the last 4 years with a TV series I present and direct called 'Making Tracks'. Last year I was given the opportunity to host at the Auckland Cultural Festival and it was really then that I realized the extent of our ethnic diversity. From Burundi and Somalia in Africa to Mongolia and Nepal in Asia to nearly every Caribbean Island nation - New Zealand is home to over 150 different nations - each of these people has an extraordinary story to tell, and for alot of them the best way to do that is through their music, which they are all incredibly proud of. The idea behind Beats In Our Backyard is to shine the spotlight on these communities and their music, and hopefully as a by-product you'll learn a little bit more about your relatively new neighbors along the way.