Beti Jurković

When at the 1958 Opatija Festival, in her home town, a young Ljubljana University student of English and German took microphone and sang “Vozi me vlak (v daljave)”, composed by just as young Slovene jazz pianist, composer and conductor Joze Privšek, many people from the audience realized this was a hit and that this 22-year-old young woman was going to perform many such unforgettable songs in the future. Her career proved they had been right, while a quarter of a century old song turned out to be of interest to younger generations, with its new success in mid-nineties, when it was interpreted by Anja Rupel (Video Sex). The legend and the pride of Opatija, Betty Jurković, continued her career performing songs of most significant Croatian authors, such as Kuntaric, Dedić and Prohaska, but also re-interpreting jazz evergreens such as Tea for Two, Sound of Music, etc. The voice of Betty Jurkovic transpires the maturity of an excellent interpreter, whose exemplary and penetrating mezzo-soprano is adorned by restraint and a total feel for good humour.