BELGRADE, Serbia — What began as a small musical gathering in a Serbian town has blossomed into a nationwide movement bringing together thousands of amateur singers. The Pop Hor initiative operates on a simple principle: every person has the ability to sing.
Community singing groups remain uncommon throughout Serbia, making this relaxed and welcoming approach particularly appealing. The movement has drawn hundreds of participants, with women of various ages making up the majority of members.
Drawing inspiration from international programs, the organization welcomes participants ranging from young children to elderly adults, promoting singing as a source of happiness and tension relief.
Pop Hor launched in the central Serbian community of Gornji Milanovac four years ago and has since expanded to ten municipalities nationwide, with plans for continued growth. The program requires no tryouts, vocal assessments, or musical literacy from participants.
“Participants arrive as complete beginners, with many claiming they lack any singing knowledge,” explained Nenad Azanjac, a trained music educator who established Pop Hor alongside his spouse.
Nevenka Bila, age 72, described how the choir offers welcome relief from the ongoing political unrest and democratic demonstrations affecting the region.
“In this madness that we are living, where I spend half of my free time in the streets fighting for basic human rights, I found something that feels so good for me,” Bila said. “I discovered a new world.”
The ensemble regularly fills performance spaces throughout Serbia, performing contemporary songs primarily in Serbian, along with selections from Croatian and Bosnian artists. Despite their amateur status, the choir frequently appears at festivals and cultural events both domestically and internationally.
“I never miss a class,” stated Radmila Kozarac, a 62-year-old economist. She credits the choir with transforming her life positively, noting the meaningful friendships formed and anticipation for post-rehearsal socializing over coffee.
The choir has had “a very positive effect on me, psychologically,” she said. “It is joyful, it reduces stress.”
Musical participation offers documented neurobiological and psychological benefits, according to psychologist and Singidunum University professor Aleksandra Djuric. Group singing allows people to “release the energy together, cortisol (levels) come down and positive hormones rise out of union and happiness.”
“I keep telling my students that we can’t be exposed on a daily basis to information, to be bombarded by information and follow everything all the time,” Djuric said. “We need to find a space to calm down, relax and connect.”
Serbia experienced devastating conflicts, international isolation, and financial hardship throughout the 1990s. Political divisions and economic challenges persist today. Student-led demonstrations against populist President Aleksandar Vucic emerged in 2024 following a railway station disaster attributed to widespread corruption and negligence in government infrastructure projects.
Azanjac noted that numerous participants joined after mental health professionals suggested singing for stress management. Members “find a sense of belonging here, they enjoy it,” he explained, describing a “feeling of togetherness.”
“Singing comes second, socializing comes first,” Azanjac said.
Approximately 2,000 individuals have participated in Pop Hor since its 2022 inception in Gornji Milanovac. Azanjac envisions continued expansion beyond current boundaries.
The goal is “to have the whole region sing,” he said.
