At the Residence of the French Ambassador H.E. Anne Marie Maskay, on November 27th, the prestigious “Order of Knight of Arts and Letters” was awarded to Maja Popović, editor of the music program at the KIC “Budo Tomović” and president of the Jazz Art organization.
The Order of Knight of Arts and Letters is a French decoration awarded by the French Ministry of Culture; it was established in 1957, and is one of the four most important orders in France. The Order is awarded to prominent personalities in the fields of arts, literature, and cultural heritage, as well as those who have significantly contributed to the dissemination of French and world artistic and cultural heritage. Maja Popović received confirmation of the high French recognition last year, and last week the order was officially presented to her by the French Ambassador to Montenegro, H.E. Anne Marie Maskay, at her residence.
The Ambassador highlighted that Maja Popović has been at the head of the KIC “Budo Tomović” music program for 24 years now, and has managed to turn it into a place of cooperation, acquaintance, and dialogue between cultures.
“Your action, at once visionary and deeply rooted in concrete reality, has enabled the creation of lasting links between France and Montenegro, providing thousands of people access to the richness of our heritage, as well as contemporary creativity in all its diversity. With your energy and passion, you have managed to turn challenges into opportunities, to establish a dialogue between music genres, and, above all, to make culture accessible, vibrant, and inspiring for all audiences,” said Ambassador Maskay.
She added that Maja Popović, with the aim of supporting creativity, jazz education, and the promotion of jazz concerts in Montenegro, founded the Jazz Art organization in 2009, which coordinates the event “Jazz Appreciation Month in Montenegro.”
“You have managed to make this an indispensable event every April, an event that brings together Montenegrin talents and artists from all parts of the world, a place where music becomes a bridge between cultures,” she added. She also highlighted Maja’s personal commitment to establishing the celebration of the “Fête de la Musique” at KIC since 2002, a French initiative that is now spreading globally and has become rooted in the Montenegrin cultural landscape.
With gratitude for the decoration, Maja Popović emphasized that she is deeply honored by the high recognition, and expressed gratitude to the French Embassy and the French Ministry of Culture for recognizing her long-standing work in the field of culture and arts. She stressed that the recognition comes from a country that is a symbol of European and world culture, which gives it special weight. She recalled her study experience in Paris as a period that strongly shaped her professional path and motivated her to bring French and world culture closer to the Montenegrin audience.
She said that “France is a great country which, while developing its own culture, has accepted others and woven them into its cultural milieu.”
“Popović highlighted the importance of affirming artistic quality, cosmopolitanism, and international cooperation, and recalled numerous encounters between young Montenegrin musicians and French artists who, as she pointed out, ‘brought new knowledge, opened new horizons, and enriched our music scene.’ She thanked her colleagues and associates for their contribution to the organization of numerous programs, as well as partners and the French Institute, who supported joint projects. She extended special thanks to her sister, Mira Popović.
“‘The Order of Arts and Letters in the rank of Knight does me great honor and obliges me to continue to dedicatedly contribute to the development of the Montenegrin music scene and the cultural cooperation of our two countries’,” Popović concluded.
