---B I O G R A P H Y TODORA KOMAZECA NARODNOG SVIRAČA
---Komazec Todor (1934. - 2003.), born in Žegar, municipality of Obrovac ( Bukovica ), Republic of Croatia. He was born in a family traditionally connected with national music instruments making and playing the same. Except they had been making well carved instruments, and they were careful about quality for playing.
National craftsmen from that region are mainly from one family, KOMAZEC ( hamlet of Gradina ), sold their instruments in Obrovac, Benkovac, Zadar, Knin, Drniš and other places.---Beside agriculture and cattle breeding, making instruments were their income for living in poor and rugged region of Bukovica, for centuries.
Craftsman have improved their crafts for generations, and transferred it from generation to generation and have kept it in their family as their trademark. They have made all music instuments and other souvenirs by hands only without any machines , so it is original and unique way of making instruments. They have their ancient original names and of the parts.---Todor Komazec, as young man got it from his father Todor, old national craftsman of shepherd´s flute and flute in the whole region Bukovica. So Todor has started making the first instruments when he was 15 years old. With the feeling of charm for carving and playing instruments he had decided to live in that region and he devoted himself for making his music instruments.
---As young and talented he differed from the others and became the best player and master for carving these kind of instruments. He became a partner of many museums for national art and ethnology very early. Today you can find his instruments in Zadar, Zagreb, Belgrade, Oslo, Germany, Australia, USA and other countries. He participated at the International folklore festival in Zagreb at 1967.
---Croatian television and other TV studios made TV shows about making instruments and the way of playing. You can find those video records at the Institute for ethnology and folklore study in Zagreb. Todor became a member of instrumentalist society of Croatia " Croatia - concert" in Zagreb.
He made a TV appearance for cultural club LADO in Zagreb and has been their guest at many festivals. He practiced his playing at shepherd's flute (diple) very well without bag ( goatskin ), and without break for taking breath, that is unique.---He took his part with many cultural and art groups at many perfomances around Europe.
