Jacques Houdek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jacques Houdek
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Željko Houdek |
| Also known as | Gospodin Glas ili Mrvica (Mr. Voice) |
| Born | 14 April 1981 Velika Gorica, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia |
| Genres |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
| Associated acts | Nina Kraljić |
Jacques Houdek (born Željko Houdek; 14 April 1981) is a famous Croatian singer. He is well-known for his powerful voice and for representing Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. He sang the song "My Friend" at the contest.
Jacques started his music career in 2000. Since then, he has released many albums. Several of his albums have been certified as silver, gold, platinum, and even diamond, showing how popular his music is! He is also a mentor on the Croatian TV show The Voice. He even helped Nina Kraljić win the first season of the show. Jacques can sing in many languages, including English, Italian, German, and French, besides his native Croatian.
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Early Life and Education
Jacques Houdek was born as Željko Houdek on April 14, 1981, in Velika Gorica. His family name, Houdek, comes from the Czech Republic.
He started learning music at a young age, focusing on the piano. Later, he went to two high schools at the same time: one for music, where he studied singing, and another for hairdressing. He also took special singing lessons. His teacher even thought he could become an opera singer!
After high school in 2001, Jacques continued to study music. He attended seminars at the famous Berklee College of Music in Europe. There, he learned from amazing musicians, including Donna McElroy, who was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Career Highlights
Jacques Houdek held his very first concert in Zagreb in February 2000. He performed cover songs by other artists. His first official song, "Čarolija" (which means Magic), came out in 2002. He performed it at Dora, which is Croatia's national competition to choose a song for the Eurovision Song Contest.
At Dora, a famous music director named Zdravko Šljivac noticed Jacques. He was so impressed that he said a singer like Jacques is born only once every 300 years! Soon after, Jacques signed a contract with Croatia Records, a big music company. He has released 13 albums with them.
In 2004, Jacques lent his singing voice to the character Aladdin for the Croatian version of the Disney movie Aladdin.
International Performances
Jacques has also tried his luck on international stages. In 2011, he competed in the Open Mic UK singing contest in London. He reached fourth place in the finals! He also took part in the British TV show X Factor. People there called him the "Croatian Sensation." He made it to the top 100 contestants but couldn't continue because he didn't get a work permit in time.
Eurovision Song Contest
In February 2017, Jacques Houdek was chosen to represent Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. The contest was held in Kyiv, Ukraine. He sang his song "My Friend" and made it to the grand final. He finished in 13th place, which was a great achievement for Croatia!
Concerts and Achievements
Jacques has performed in many famous theaters and concert halls. He has sold out the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb five times! He also performed at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City to celebrate his 10th year in music. He has supported many charity events and concerts throughout his career.
Private Life
Jacques Houdek is married to Brigita Krkač. They got married in 2006 and have two children: a daughter named Sofija (born in 2006) and a son named David (born in 2013).
Awards and Recognitions
Jacques Houdek has won several important music awards in Croatia, called the Porin awards. He has won four Porin awards for:
- Best new artist
- Best performance by a male singer
- Best album of children's music
- Best Christmas-themed album
He has also won many awards at various music festivals, including:
- Bihaćki festival (2nd and 3rd award), 2004
- Melodije Kvarnera (Grand Prix), 2004
- Banjalučki festival (Best vocal performance), 2005
- Ohrid fest (1st jury prize), 2009
- CMC festival (Most played song of the year), 2010
Discography
Jacques Houdek has released many albums throughout his career. Here are some of his studio albums:
- Čarolija (2004)
- Kad si sretan (2005)
- Živim za to (2006)
- Idemo u zoološki vrt (2008) - This is a children's music album!
- Crno i bijelo (2008)
- Najveći Božićni Hitovi (2009) - A Christmas album.
- Meni za ljubav (2012)
- Tko je, srce, u te dirn'o? (2016)
He has also released live albums and compilation albums, which are collections of his best songs.
Professional Collaborations
Jacques has worked with many talented people in the music industry.
- Singers: He has sung with famous artists like Tereza Kesovija, Josipa Lisac, Nina Badrić, Oliver Dragojević, and Tony Cetinski.
- Composers: He has collaborated with songwriters such as Tonči Huljić and Aleksandra Milutinović.
- Ensembles: He has performed with groups like the Girls' Choir 'Zvjezdice' and the Croatian Radiotelevision Jazz Orchestra.
See also
In Spanish: Jacques Houdek para niños
