Arsen Dedić

Biography

Arsenije Dedić was born in Šibenik, in the Littoral Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (present-day Croatia) as the second child to Jovan Dedić and Veronika (née Mišković). His father Jovan was ethnic Serb, an Orthodox Christian, while his mother Veronika (nicknamed Jelka) was ethnic Croat who converted from Catholicism to Orthodoxy after marrying Jovan. His father was a bricklayer, volunteer firefighter and musician, and his mother was an illiterate housewife, whom Arsen later taught. Arsen was baptized in the Orthodox Church under the name Arsenije, after Archbishop Arsenije III Čarnojević. He finished music school. He and his older brother Milutin Dedić (named after Stefan Milutin) left Šibenik for Zagreb and Belgrade, respectively, in 1957. Milutin is since a painter and columnist still living in Belgrade. Arsen studied law at Zagreb but dropped out in 1959, enrolling in the Music Academy of Zagreb, receiving a diploma in 1964.

Arsen became a household name in the 1960s, thanks to pop music festivals and his brand of music, which was at first influenced by Dalmatian folklore, but is mostly comparable to the French chanson genre. Throughout the decades Dedić became one of the most respected musicians in former SFR Yugoslavia and maintained this reputation to this day. Dedić died 17 August 2015 in Zagreb, Croatia. He was 77 years old.

Personal life

Arsen Dedić was married to German-born Croatian pop singer Gabi Novak. Their son Matija Dedić is one of the most respected jazz musicians in Croatia, and has together with Marina a daughter "Lu". They also had a daughter, Sandra.

Albums released on vinyl

Albums released on CD

Poetry