Alka Vuica | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1961-06-08)8 June 1961 (age 64) |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Children | 1 |
Alka Vuica (pronounced[âːlkaʋûitsa]; born 8 June 1961) is a Croatian singer, lyricist and television presenter.[1]
Vuica is most notable for her 1980s and early 1990s songwriting work for popular Yugoslav musical acts such asŽeljko Bebek,[2]Oliver Mandić (hit song "Dođe mi da vrisnem tvoje ime"),[3]Neki to vole vruće [hr] (hit "California"),[4]Denis & Denis (hit "Ja sam lažljiva"),[5]Boris Novković (most of theJači od sudbine [hr] album),[6]Josipa Lisac (hits "Gdje Dunav ljubi nebo" and "Danas sam luda"),[7]Vlado Kalember (hit "Vino na usnama"),[8]Viktorija,[9] andTajči (hits "Hajde da ludujemo" and "Moj mali je opasan").[10]
In 1994, after a decade of writing songs for other performers, Vuica started a solo singing career with a mixture of pop and commercialCroatian-Balkan folk.[11] Her biggest hits are 1994's "Laži me" and 1999's "Varalica".
Born inPula to Zvonko and Zdenka Vuica, she started writing songs at a young age.[1] At the age of 18, she moved toZagreb where she started a relationship with theSrebrna Krila drummer Adi Karaselimović. She was introduced to composerĐorđe Novković, manager Vladimir Mihaljek and most importantlyGoran Bregović.[12]
In 1980s, she worked as a journalist and as songwriter, especially forJosipa Lisac,[12] for whom she penned "Gdje Dunav ljubi nebo" (WhereDanube Kisses the Sky), "Danas sam luda" (Today I'm Crazy), "Kraljica divljine" (Queen of the Wild), "Moja magija" (My Magic) and the albumHoću samo tebe (I Want Only You) which was released in 1983.[13] Throughout the decade she continued to contribute lyrics. In 1990, she contributed to theYugoslav entry for theEurovision Song Contest, "Hajde da ludujemo" (Let's Get Crazy), performed byTajči.[14]
In the 1990s, she began performing and releasing her own records. In 1993, she releasedLaži me (1994), which included "O.K." (featuringSandi Cenov) that was entered as a contender for thefirst ever CroatianEurovision Song Contest entry.[15][16] She released another three albums that decade with limited success, while criticising the restrictions imposed on Croatian performers to appear in other parts of theformer Yugoslavia. In 1999, Vuica made an appearance at theNew Year celebrations inBelgrade.[17]
She released a further two albums in 2001 and 2004, before making a return to presenting with the talkshowJedan na jedan onNova TV,[17] continuing with performing.[18] In May 2020, she released the single "Depresija" (Depression).[19]
In 2004, Vuica hostedNova TV's talk show seriesJedan na jedan.[20] In 2014, she competed onCelebrity MasterChef.[21] From 2015 to 2016, she was the main judge onRTL's children talent show competition television seriesZvijezdice.[22] She hosted the talk show seriesVidimo se u Sarajevu, which premiered in April 2019 onPink BH.[23] Since March 2024, she is a permanent panelist on Nova TV's singing game show seriesTko to tamo pjeva?, which is based on the internationalI Can See Your Voice television franchise.[24]
Vuica entered the2009–10 Croatian presidential election. On 26 October 2009, theGreen List announced they were supporting her bid forpresident.[25] Because of non-sufficient votes, she fell out of race and also noted that 835 votes were stolen from her inTrogir.[26] In 2015, she was called as witness in the Core Media affair involving the newspresenterDijana Čuljak.[27]
In 1988, Vuica met an artistVuk Veličković, with whom she had a son called Arian, who went on to become a music producer.[12][28] Her cousin Matija Vuica is a fashion designer.[29][30]
Viuca is notable for publicly expressing her support towards theLGBTQ community. In June 2024, she performed at theZagreb Pride, where she was also the godmother to alesbian couple at their public wedding.[31] She spoke in favor ofbisexuality and revealed that she had dated women in the past.[32][33][34]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Jedan na jedan | Herself | Host |
| 2007 | Naša mala klinika | Nada Čokolada | Season 3, episode 23 |
| 2013 | Volim Hrvatsku | Herself | Contestant, 1 episode |
| 2014 | Celebrity MasterChef | Herself | Contestant |
| 2015–2016 | Zvjezdice | Herself | Judge |
| 2019 | Vidimo se u Sarajevu | Herself | Host |
| 2020 | Volim Hrvatsku | Herself | Contestant, 1 episode |
| 2024–present | Tko to tamo pjeva? | Herself | Panelist |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Is It Clear, My Friend? | Pevaljka |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
