Slavko Avsenik

Slavko Avsenik (November 26, 1929 – July 2, 2015) was a Slovene composer and musician. Beginning in 1953 with the formation of the Avsenik Brothers Ensemble, Avsenik produced more than 1,000 songs and garnered success both in Slovenia and in other parts of Europe and America, and is viewed as a Slovenian cultural icon.

Biography and career

Slavko Avsenik was born on November 26, 1929 in the village of Begunje na Gorenjskem, municipality of Radovljica, in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. Avsenik was a self-taught musician, who entered the music business "by coincidence" in 1952. In 1953 he established the Avsenik Brothers Ensemble with his brother Vilko Avensik (also spelt Ovsenik), who was a university-trained clarinet player.

His ensemble, known as 'Ansambel bratov Avsenik' in Slovenian and 'Slavko Avsenik und seine Original Oberkrainer' in German, was already quite popular in Slovenia by 1954, but it was their 1954 hit "Na Golici" which brought them international fame and renown. When the original recording was played during 'Slovene Hour' on Klagenfurt Radio in the Austrian state of Carinthia (which has a sizeable Slovenian minority), Bavarian radio producer Fred Rauch immediately recognized the potential and signed the band to his label. They recorded a new version in 1955 in German, which became a huge hit first in the German-speaking world and then after, all around Europe. Growing in popularity, they soon began appearing in broadcasts, movies, and concerts, first in West Germany and then all over Europe.

In 1960, the band landed a recording contract with Telefunken-Decca. It appeared regularly on network television, toured continuously, logging over 400,000 miles in 1967 alone. Milestones include a 1961 performance before over 80,000 in Berlin Stadium, tours of the United States and Canada in 1970 and 1985, and a one-hour German television network special in 1980.