Biography

KNEZ

Nenad Knežević Knez was born in a family of musicians in Cetinje, capitol of Montenegro.  His first public performance was a victory on the children festival "Our Joy" in Podgorica, in the age of six, with a song "Once, There Was a Lion", and thus he became soloist in the children's choir "Suncokrili". In a high school he formed a first band "High Frequency" and later "The Moon Band” that toured all over the coastline of Montenegro. A few years later, along with his father Mili, legendary Montenegrin singer, he gathered the best musicians in Montenegro and created "Montenegro Band." Miles and miles of road and hours of live performances throughout ex-Yugoslavia…

His solo career began in 1992 with a performance at the prestigious Yugoslavian music festival MESAM with the song "Have You Ever Loved Me", which became a big hit overnight. Year later, his debut album "As Magic" sold in hundreds of thousands of copies. Second album "Day by Day" (1994) brought a handful of hits: “Stay”, “Tina Bambina”, “My Little”, “Quick Train”, “Golden Coast”, “All the Others” and “Sea, Bring Her Back”. Third album "Automatic" (1996) broke all sales records. Knez went touring through large halls all over the territory of former Yugoslavia. In 1999, he released “Best Of” compilation with 18 greatest hits and two new songs: “No Woman in the World” and “You Know Who I Am”.

The fact that Knez owns the most original voice that appeared in Yugoslav show business in 1990s was proved by a number of national awards: Album of the Year, Oscar of Popularity, Golden Hit, Golden Record, Golden Palm, Melko etc.

He begun the new century with a victory on the International Mediterranean Music Festival "Budva 2000" with the song "Believe", which was a prelude to a series of hits he made for his forth, according to critics the most creative, album "Far, High." Four singles of this CD were instant radio hits and ruled the charts for a whole year.  Album "You know me" (2003) brings a mix of styles and a huge hit "You Won". The sixth album "Vanilla," which was released in 2005 brought a style reversal to house and R'N'B, and was recorded with the best instrumentalists in Belgrade (Serbia), Skopje (Macedonia) and Zagreb (Croatia).

In 2012 , after three years of creative work with the selected team of musicians, arrangers and producers in studios in Paris and Belgrade, Knez is back with a world music album "The Magic of Balkan". Traditional songs, sung in moments of greatest joy or pain by everyone on the territories of former Yugoslavia, colored with energetic and refined voice of Knez and inspiring virtuoso music of the BalCan-Can Orkestar, are vibrant with a new strength and silkiness of the urban ethnic sound.

BALCAN-CAN ORKESTAR

Drums: Srdjan Dunkić - Johnny, one of the most active concert drummers, played ethno jazz with "Vasil Hadzimanov Band" and "Leb i sol", and toured internationally with numerous pop singers.

Guitar: Bojan Ivanovski, a representative of the new generation of Serbian guitarist, finished the Music Conservatory, Department of Guitar, in Venice, Italy. He is an active member of the band "Gitarsi". He's been touring internationally in a band of pop singer Vlado Georgijev.

Bass: Dragiša Uskoković - Ćima, a legend of Belgrade jazz scene, for a long time a member of the best rock band in this region "Ekatarina Velika", and is playing now with a young jazz singer Lena Kovačević.

Keyboards: Aleksandar Saša Filipović, graduated at the Belgrade Academy of Music, composer, arranger, producer and one of best conductors in Serbia, he collaborated with pop singers Željko Joksimović, Zdravko Čolić and many others.

Accordion: Bane Vasić, composer, arranger and producer, skilled instrumentalist, won many first prizes in competitions for the best accordion player on the Balkans and in Europe.

Trumpet: Draganče Ristevski, a member of the Review and Jazz Orchestra of Radio-television of Serbia, for many years played and toured the world with Goran Bregović in the Orchestra for Weddings and Funerals.

Clarinet, sax: Ivica Mit, a member of a Large Folk Orchestra of Radio-television of Serbia, for many years played and toured the world with Goran Bregović as a member of the Orchestra for Weddings and Funerals, and is considered as one of the best musicians on the Balkan peninsula.