Slovenia

People are always asking me how I came to Slovenia. My first visit was in 1992, just after the newly-formed Republic had been formed. A group of Slovenes heard me singing at Gaunts House in Dorset and invited me and my friend John Christian to their new country. I thought that any place with the word ‘Love’ in its name had to be special, and over the years, I have developed my own personal ‘love affair’ with this beautiful little country, which has inspired a whole collection of songs from me.

The breathtaking beauty and unspoiled nature of Slovenia, together with the Slavic soul of the people who from my first visit took me, my voice and my music to their hearts, still continues to touch me in so many different ways. The concerts have now run into hundreds in an amazing variety of venues from huge concert halls to beautiful baroque churches, craggy castles and lake-side chateaux, old vineyard wine cellars, hospitals, homes for the mentally and physically disabled and the elderly, schools, forests, mountain-tops and sometimes even rustic barns. I have learned to sing in Slovene too and love to mix the traditional Slovene folk songs together with the Irish, Welsh and Scots tunes from the British Isles, and I’ve also enjoyed setting some of the poem’s by Slovenia’s literary gem Preseren to music.

Slovenia has inspired a variety of projects in me over the years, from my ‘Vanishing Lake’ cd to the ‘Simply Slovenia’ book with Slovene photographer Bogdan Kladnik which has a cd of my Slovene songs, including the new ‘Green Dragon’ (Zeleni Zmaj) Ljubljana tribute. It is now more than sixteen years since I first visited Slovenia, but my friends and joyful experiences in this country continue to multiply – as does the singing. From a concert in Sneznik Forest to assist Janez Kandare and friends in the fight to save the ancient beeches of Sneznik, to one at Bled alongside Slovene singing star Aleksander Mezek and colleagues to help save the Sava Dolinka river, to another to help raise money to rebuild the Alpine Village of Log pod Mangrtom after a mudslide, to closing the Unicef Show at the Cankarjev Dom with my children’s song ‘Kako Lepo’, you’ll always find me there with guitar and open heart, celebrating the joy and beauty of this wonderful country and people.

"When I am near you, it feels like the spring to me

When I am near you, the mountain tops sing to me

When I am near you, I am never alone….Slovenia…"

Shirlie Roden is a Trustee of the British Slovene Society in London (www.british-slovene.org), and well-known in the Republic of Slovenia for the healing power of her voice, her uplifting concerts, the positive appeal of her music and lyrics, her sound workshops, and also her vision to work alongside and help preserve nature and the environment.

Shirlie in Slovenia

Shirlie is currently organising her own dates in Slovenia. Please email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to arrange a workshop, meditation, relaxation evening, concert or one-to-one session.

(Ce ne govorite anglesko: kontakt: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

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