{"id":132,"date":"2013-09-28T19:42:31","date_gmt":"2013-09-28T18:42:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dunjaknebl.com\/w2\/?page_id=132"},"modified":"2025-06-19T18:26:49","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T17:26:49","slug":"biography-by-others","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dunjaknebl.com\/w2\/biography-by-others\/","title":{"rendered":"Biography – by others"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dunja Knebl<\/strong> (born 1946) is an acoustic\/folk\u00a0singer from Croatia.<\/p>\n

She was born in\u00a0Zagreb, Croatia, but has also lived in the USA, Indonesia. and Russia.\u00a0After completing the studies of English and Russian, she worked most of her life as a translator and language teacher. Her favorite hobby was learning folk songs from the countries she lived in and singing them to her friends. She began performing professionally in 1993, and released her first solo album in 1994, an MC with 12 songs collected by the Me\u0111imurean poet, singer and folk song collector\u00a0Florijan Andra\u0161ec, one of the people she often mentions as having a great influence to her music.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In 1997 she was nominated for the music award Porin, the Croatian equivalent of Grammy, in the Best singer category, and subsequently she has had a number of Porin nominations in various categories. In 2008 she was awarded with the Porin prize and the Index prizes for her album Kite\u00a0i kitice<\/em><\/strong>.
\nHer album “Svilarica svilu prede” (with Roko Margeta), self-released on Bandcamp (2019) was charted January 2020 by Transglobal World Music Chart.
\nThe majority of the songs she sings are from Croatia (especially the region Me\u0111imurje), but also from USA, England, Russia, Indonesia. In the 1998 edition of the London-based A Rough Guide to World Music<\/strong> her music is recommended as an introduction to ethno-music from Croatia, as is her album Iz globline srca<\/strong>.
\nThe songs she sings are slow, mellow and often sad and melancholic. Most of all she likes to record songs she has never heard and she arranges them on basis of notes and lyrics she finds in books.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Why I Became a Folk Singer at 47 or The Fear of Cloning<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

She promotes traditional folk songs in many ways as, for instance, with her biographical monodrama Why I became a singer at the age of 47 or the Fear of Cloning <\/strong>performed by the singer\u00a0many times since 1997, and with her musical performance\/show Oj ti to\u017eni \u010dlovek<\/strong> based on Croatian murder ballads where she is the narrator, singer and is supported by participants\/singers\/musicians coming from her workshops. Her album 33 balade <\/strong>released in 2017 contains some ballads recorded during the show.<\/p>\n

Dunja Knebl is noted for her\u00a0 very simple music arrangements, often only with improvised instruments or even without any. She performs with other musicians.<\/p>\n

In 2024 she recorded “Bilo je sada”, a successful album with Nina Romi\u0107 and Jelena Gali\u0107, calling themselves – Dunije.<\/p>\n

In 2025 her third album with Roko Margeta was released, entitled Fauna, yet another album based on forgotten songs in old songbvooks.<\/p>\n

As of 2025 she has released 25 studio albums (CDs, MCs).<\/p>\n

Discography:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Albums<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. \u010cuje\u0161, golub, \u010duje\u0161<\/strong>, MC, 1994., Morje kak Me\u0111imorje<\/p>\n

2. …jer bez tebe nema mene<\/strong>, MC,CD, 1996. ORFEJ https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/jer-bez-tebe-nema-mene<\/a>
\n3. Croatian Folk Songs from Me\u0111imurje<\/strong>, MC, 1998., Trottel Records, Budimpe\u0161ta
\n4. Iz globline srca<\/strong>, MC,CD, 1998., Dancing Bear
\n5. \u010cetiri frtalji<\/strong>, MC,CD, 2000., Dancing Bear
\n6. Da sam barem guska<\/strong>, MC,CD, 2002., Dancing Bear
\n7. Polje \u0161iroko, nebo visoko<\/strong>, CD., 2005., Dancing Bear
\n8. Kite i kitice<\/strong>, CD., 2007., Dancing Bear
\n9. Do\u0111e Bo\u017ei\u0107, oj koledo<\/strong>, CD, 2008. Dancing Bear
\n(with Nina Romi\u0107, Tomo Sombolac, Damjan \u010cakmak)
\n10. Spevala mi papiga<\/strong>, CD, 2009., Dancing Bear
\n11. Jelen pase<\/strong>, CD, 2010. Dancing Bear (suradnik: Tomo Sombolac)<\/p>\n

12.<\/strong> Tamo doli<\/strong>, (Dunja Knebl & Kololira), CD, 2013; Dancing Bear
\n13. I Mara i cvetje<\/strong>, (Dunja Knebl & Kololira), CD, 2015; Kopito Records >https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/i-mara-i-cvetje<\/a><\/p>\n

14. From over There to Over Here 1 USA & England<\/strong> (2014) https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/from-over-there-to-over-here-1-usa-england<\/a>
\n15. From Over There to Over Here 2 – Indonesia<\/strong> (2014) https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/from-over-there-to-over-here-2-indonesia<\/a>
\n16. From Over There to Over Here 3 – Russia<\/strong> (2014)https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/from-over-there-to-over-here-3-russia<\/a><\/p>\n

17.<\/strong> 33 balade, <\/strong>CD, 2017; Geenger Records & Zvuk Mo\u010dvare https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/33-balade<\/a><\/p>\n

18. Love Li(v)es (2019)<\/strong> https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/love-li-v-es<\/a><\/p>\n

19. Svilarica svilu prede<\/strong> (Dunja Knebl & Roko Margeta)<\/strong> (2019) https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/svilarica-svilu-prede<\/a><\/p>\n

20.<\/strong>Tamo gori<\/strong>, (Dunja Knebl & Kololira) Bandcamp, 2020; Geenger Records https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/tamo-gori<\/a><\/p>\n

21. Songbook Songs (<\/strong>Dunja Knebl & Roko Margeta), <\/strong>Geenger Records, 2021 https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/songbook-songs<\/a><\/p>\n

22.<\/strong> Sonce (<\/strong>Zoran Majstorovi\u0107 & Dunja Knebl), <\/strong>Geenger Records, 2022 https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/sonce<\/a><\/p>\n

23. Moje srce se reskoli<\/strong> (Dunja Knebl & Adam Semijalac) (2023) https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/moje-srce-se-reskoli-dunja-knebl-adam-semijalac<\/a><\/p>\n

24. Bilo je sada (Dunije – with Nina Romi\u0107 and Jelena Gali\u0107) <\/strong>Menart, 2024<\/p>\n

25. Fauna (Dunja Knebl & Roko Margeta)<\/strong>, Geenger Records, 2025 :\u00a0https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/fauna<\/a> ,\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/pGvyBc3OC78?si=T7_8-q2gOZCK4TQT<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

LIVE ONLINE ALBUMS
\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Dunja Knebl Live 1995 – 1996 – Traditional Folk Songs from Croatia<\/strong> (2014)\u00a0 https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/dunja-knebl-live-in-1995-1996-traditional-folk-songs-from-croatia<\/a><\/p>\n

Dunja i Irina Live – Traditional Folk Songs from Croatia (2015)<\/strong> https:\/\/dunjaknebl.bandcamp.com\/album\/dunja-irina-live-traditional-folk-songs-from-croatia<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

LIVE CONCERT ALBUM
\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

* ETHNO-AMBIENT LIVE<\/b> – Dunja Knebl, Lidija Bajuk, Legen, MC,CD, 1995., CBS<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

***********************************************************************************************<\/p>\n

ZAGREB IN YOUR POCKET, July 20, 2020<\/p>\n

DUNJA KNEBL<\/strong>
\nFolk music is far too often consigned to the ghetto of national heritage, as if it is something settled and unchanging that exists in order to be re-performed the same way over and over again. One of the people who has consistently striven to reinvent Croatian folk music and make it relevant to modern audiences is Dunja Knebl, the singer and guitar-strummer whose work spans over 31 years of touring and recording. Knebl\u2019s heartland is the music of Me\u0111imurje, the rural flatlands in the far northeast, a region famous for its wistful narrative songs sung by women. A lot of these songs are marked by tragedy, lost loves, painful farewells or crimes of the heart: territory explored on Knebl\u2019s outstanding 2017 album 33 balade (\u201d33 Ballads\u201d). Knebl\u2019s clear-as-a-bell singing style and sparse atmospheric production transform the songs into something timeless and iconic, like the work of Nico or Bjork. In an age when Croatian pop music sounds increasingly anonymous and derivative, Knebl turns the traditional songbook into something magical, mysterious and open to contemporary interpretation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*************************************************************************************************<\/p>\n

SOME VENUES FROM DUNJA’S ARCHIVE <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

1993\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 INTERNATIONAL P.E.N. CONGRESS, Hvar, Dubrovnik (Croatia)
\n1993\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0MIDDLE EUROPEAN WRITERS\u201a SYMPOSIUM, Austria
\n1994\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 INTERNATIONAL FOLKLORE REVIEW , Zagreb, Croatia
\n1994\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 MEDJIMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia
\n1995\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Klub Gjuro 2\u00a0 – recording of ETHNO-AMBIENT LIVE album, Zagreb, Croatia
\n1996\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 MEDJIMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia
\n1996\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL, \u0160ibenik, Croatia
\n1997\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 INTERNATIONAL FOLKLORE REVIEW, Zagreb, Croatia
\n1997 \u00a0\u00a0 PORIN Yearly Awards, Opatija, Croatia
\n1997\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 INTERNATIONAL FOLKLORE REVIEW, Zagreb, Croatia
\n1998\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0PEPSI SZIGET FESTIVAL, Budapest, Hungary
\n1998\u00a0\u00a0 TRNFEST, Ljubljana, Slovenia
\n1998\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN\u201aS FESTIVAL, \u0160ibenik, Croatia
\n1999\u00a0\u00a0 EUROMUSICA, Italy
\n2000\u00a0\u00a0PATAPOKLOSI FESTIVAL, Hungary
\n2002\u00a0\u00a0MEDJIMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia
\n2002 KA\u0160TELA 2002 (folk song festival) Ka\u0161tel Kambelovac, Croatia<\/p>\n

2003\u00a0\u00a0ME\u0110IMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia<\/p>\n

2004\u00a0\u00a0ME\u0110IMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia<\/p>\n

2005\u00a0\u00a0ME\u0110IMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia<\/p>\n

2006\u00a0\u00a0ME\u0110IMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia<\/p>\n

2007 ME\u0110IMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia<\/p>\n

2007 Ethno-ambient Live Festival, Solin, Croatia<\/p>\n

2008\u00a0\u00a0ME\u0110IMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia<\/p>\n

2008 INTERZONE FESTIVAL, Novi Sad, Serbia<\/p>\n

2009\u00a0\u00a0ME\u0110IMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia<\/p>\n

2010\u00a0\u00a0ME\u0110IMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia<\/p>\n

2011\u00a0\u00a0ME\u0110IMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia<\/p>\n

2012\u00a0\u00a0ME\u0110IMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia<\/p>\n

2013\u00a0\u00a0ME\u0110IMURSKE POPEVKE (folk song review), Nedeli\u0161\u0107e, Croatia<\/p>\n

2013\u00a0 34th EBU FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL, Varna, Bulgaria<\/p>\n

2013 Ethno-ambient Live Festival, Solin, Croatia<\/p>\n

2015 Ethno-ambient Live Festival, Solin, Croatia<\/p>\n

2016 Ethno-ambient Live Festival, Solin, Croatia<\/p>\n

2018 Etnofest, Subotica, Serbia<\/p>\n

2018 Festival Kami\u010dak, Sinj, Croatia<\/p>\n

2022 Todo Mundo festival, Belgrade, Serbia<\/p>\n

21023 Merodefest, Belgium<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dunja Knebl (born 1946) is an acoustic\/folk\u00a0singer from Croatia. She was born in\u00a0Zagreb, Croatia, but has also lived in the USA, Indonesia. and Russia.\u00a0After completing the studies of English and Russian, she worked most of her life as a translator and language teacher. Her favorite hobby was learning folk songs from the countries she lived […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-132","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dunjaknebl.com\/w2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dunjaknebl.com\/w2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dunjaknebl.com\/w2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dunjaknebl.com\/w2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dunjaknebl.com\/w2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/dunjaknebl.com\/w2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1233,"href":"https:\/\/dunjaknebl.com\/w2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/132\/revisions\/1233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dunjaknebl.com\/w2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}