Jelena Rozga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jelena Rozga
Rozga performing in Sarajevo during the Minut Srca Mog Tour in 2024
Born	(1977-08-23) 23 August 1977 (age 47) Split, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Occupation	Singer actress
Years active	1996–present
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Musical career
Genres	Pop folk electropop
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Tonika Hit Records Croatia Records

Jelena Rozga (born 23 August 1977) is a famous Croatian pop, folk, and electropop singer. She was born and grew up in Split, Croatia. As a child, Jelena was a talented ballet dancer.

She became well-known in 1996 when she joined Magazin, a popular pop band in Croatia, as their lead singer. She sang with the band for ten years, until 2006. During this time, Magazin released five studio albums and many hit songs like "Ginem" and "Minut' srca tvog".

In 2006, Jelena started her solo career. Her first album, Oprosti Mala (meaning Forgive Little One), was a big success. It topped the charts in Croatia and made her a star on her own. Her second album, Bižuterija (2011), was also very popular. The song "Bižuterija" became a number-one hit. Jelena then went on her first big tour, The Bižuterija Tour (2010–2012). She made history by being the first Croatian female artist to sell out a concert at the Spaladium Arena.

Her third album, Moderna žena (meaning Modern Woman), came out in 2016. It included some of her most famous songs like "Nirvana" and "Tsunami". This album also reached number one in Croatia and was the best-selling album of 2017. In 2022, Jelena released her first acoustic album, Minut Srca Mog, and started a new tour to promote it. Besides singing, Jelena has also done some acting and voiceovers. She is one of the most famous singers in Croatia and is also very popular in other countries nearby.

Early Life and Ballet

The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, where Jelena started ballet classes.

Jelena Rozga was born on 23 August 1977, in Split, a city in Dalmatia, Croatia. She has an older sister named Julija. Jelena was a very active child who loved to dance and perform at home.

When she was seven years old, in first grade, she started taking ballet classes. She joined a group called KUD Mozaik and learned from a famous Croatian choreographer, Lepa Smoje. As a ballet dancer, she took part in many competitions. At 13, she was invited to join the famous opera house La Scala in Milan. However, her parents could not afford to move abroad, so she couldn't go.

Later, Jelena auditioned for the ballet group at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb. She was accepted because of her amazing dancing skills. With the group, she performed in famous ballets like Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. Jelena later said that ballet taught her "order, dedication, and discipline in life."

Even as a ballet dancer, Jelena loved to sing. She dreamed of joining the Croatian pop band Magazin. The band's lead singer at the time, Ljiljana Nikolovska, was a big inspiration for her. Jelena knew all of Magazin's songs by heart. In 1992, she won an award at a singing competition for performing Magazin's song "Uvenut će ružmarin". In 1994, she won another award for her performance of Magazin's "Ti si želja mog života".

Music Career

Joining Magazin (1996–2006)

When Jelena was 18, her mother learned that Magazin's lead singer, Danijela Martinović, was leaving the group. Jelena's mother contacted the band leader, Tonči Huljić, to tell him about Jelena's interest. She even sent him a picture and recordings of Jelena singing at home.

Tonči Huljić was impressed by Jelena's last name and decided to meet her. He traveled to Split, where Jelena auditioned for just five minutes. She sang parts of "Opusti se" and "Zlato ljubavi". Soon after, Tonči Huljić and his wife, Vjekoslava Huljić, wrote "Aha," which was the first song Jelena ever recorded.

Jelena then stopped her ballet career and started her music journey with Magazin. In 1996, she performed "Aha" at Dora, Croatia's contest for Eurovision. She finished second, dressed as a ballerina and performing a dance.

That same year, she officially became the lead singer of Magazin. Her first song with the band was "Suze Biserne". This song quickly became popular and was recognized as the most played song of the year in 1996. Magazin released their first album with Jelena, Nebo boje moje ljubavi, which was a big success and earned a gold award. It included hits like "Suze Biserne" and "Minut' srca tvog".

In 1998, their second album with Jelena, Da si ti ja, was released. It was very successful in the region and received a platinum award in Croatia and Slovenia. This album featured popular songs such as "Gutljaj vina" and "Ginem". The band continued to release successful albums like Minus i plus (2000) and S druge strane mjeseca (2002). Their last album with Jelena was Paa..? (2004), which had hit singles like "Ne tiče me se". In 2006, after ten years as the lead singer, Jelena left Magazin to start her solo career. She continued to work with Tonči Huljić.

Starting Solo (2006–2009)

In 2006, Jelena released her first solo album, Oprosti Mala. It was a big hit and reached the top of the Croatian Albums Chart. She performed the album's title song at the 2006 Dora festival, marking her first solo performance. The album had six popular songs, including "Oprosti mala" and "Gospe moja".

Jelena later shared that moving from Magazin to a solo career was hard. She felt a lot of stress and faced health issues. She realized how much responsibility came with being a solo artist. At first, some of her concerts had small audiences, which was disappointing. Tonči Huljić also said it took almost four years to find the right sound for her as a solo artist.

However, Jelena's career quickly improved. In 2008, she won a Grand Prix award at the Split Music Festival for "Gospe moja," which was the most played song from the previous year's festival. She then released "Daj šta daš," which topped charts in Croatia and nearby countries. This song also won the Grand Prix in 2009. In 2009, she performed "Rodit ću ti 'ćer i sina" at the Split Festival. In 2010, she won the Grand Prix again for this song.

Bižuterija and Big Success (2009–2011)

In May 2010, Jelena worked with Željko Samardžić on the song "Ima nade." Later that year, after its first performance at the Split Festival, "Bižuterija" became the most played song of the summer. It was a number-one hit in Croatia and across the Balkans. This song was a major turning point in her career, making her incredibly popular.

In early 2011, Jelena released her second album, Bižuterija. It sold over 15,000 copies in just one month, earning a gold award. The album had several hit songs, including the title track, "Karantena," and "Rodit ću ti 'ćer i sina." To promote the album, Jelena started The Bižuterija Tour. On 11 February 2011, she became the first female artist to sell out the Spaladium Arena in her hometown of Split. She also had another sold-out concert in Zagreb.

That same year, Jelena won a Porin award (Croatia's version of the Grammys) for "Bižuterija" as the Hit of the Year. In the summer of 2011, she performed "Razmažena" at the Split Festival and won another Grand Prix award. By the end of 2011, she released a double-CD Best of album. The first disc had her solo hits, and the second had her hits with Magazin. In November, Jelena had her first solo concert at the Sava Center in Belgrade.

Moderna žena Era (2012–2017)

On 3 March 2012, Jelena released "Zanemari" with a music video. At the 2012 Split Festival, she performed "Solo igračica" and won second place. She also released her summer song "Dobitna kombinacija." She filmed music videos for both songs in Sarajevo, combining them into a short movie. This was a new idea for singers in the region.

On 26 March 2013, Jelena released the hit song "Nirvana" with a music video featuring her dancing with two male dancers. This song became very popular in all former Yugoslav countries. It is one of her most-watched videos on YouTube. That summer, she released "Obožavam," and in November 2013, the powerful song "Cirkus."

In 2014, Jelena released the song "Prsti zapleteni" with Klapa Rišpet. On 14 March 2014, she released "Okus mentola," which became another hit. She also released "Život je čudo" and "Odo' ja" for a TV show soundtrack. On 9 December 2014, Jelena released "Tsunami," which quickly became one of her biggest hits. It was viewed over 400,000 times on YouTube in just 24 hours.

In 2015, she released "Kraljica" and "Otrov." After a short break, Jelena released the song "Udajem se" in February 2016. In July 2016, "Nasljednik" came out as a summer song. This was followed by "Pismo-Glava" and "Moderna žena" in December 2016.

Six years after her last album, Jelena released her third studio album, Moderna žena, on 16 December 2016. The album had two discs: one with new songs and recent singles, and the other with older hits. Moderna žena quickly reached number one on the Croatian Albums Chart and stayed there for 11 weeks. After only three months, it received a gold award. It became the best-selling album of 2017 in Croatia.

New Songs and Performances (2018–Present)

On 27 March 2018, Jelena released "Najbolji dan" after a tour in Australia. In May 2018, she performed an acoustic mix of her songs like "Oprosti mala" on Narodni radio, which became very popular online. In July, she released "Uzmem koliko mi daš."

In September, Jelena released "Ostani," a song written by Serbian singer-songwriter Emina Jahović. This song and its music video received a lot of attention because of a new look and sound for Jelena. On 29 January 2019, she released the song "Moje Proljeće" and performed it at the 2019 Music Awards Ceremony (MAC) show in Belgrade. The music video for "Moje Proljeće" was praised by fans.

On 28 January 2020, Jelena released "Sveto Pismo" and performed it at the 2020 MAC Awards Show. The next month, she won the award for Most Popular Regional Singer at the Macedonian Golden Ladybug of Popularity awards. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Jelena streamed seven weekly mini-concerts from her living room on Instagram Live and YouTube.

In late 2019, Jelena announced she was working on an acoustic album. The idea came from the popularity of her acoustic performances. On 12 November 2020, she released a cover of "Kad nema ljubavi." On 7 December 2020, she performed an acoustic cover of Petar Grašo's "Fritula" on Narodni radio.

On 16 April 2021, to celebrate 25 years in music, Jelena worked with Tonči Huljić & Madre Badessa band [hr] on a new version of "Suze Biserne." In June 2021, she performed a mix of songs at the 2021 MAC Awards show. Jelena toured in Croatia, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Slovenia in the summer of 2021. On 15 December 2021, "Ti i Ja," a song with Saša Matić, was released.

On 19 May 2022, Jelena announced a concert at the Zagreb Arena on 17 December 2022. This concert would be the first part of her regional tour, called the Minut Srca Mog Tour. The tour included concerts in major cities like Split, Belgrade, and Sarajevo. For the tour's dances, Jelena used some of the ballet moves she learned as a child.

On 15 September 2022, Jelena confirmed her acoustic album would be titled Minut Srca Mog. The first acoustic song, "Zar je ljubav spala na to" with Matija Cvek, was released the same day. On 21 October 2022, "Grizem" was released as the second song from the album. On 3 November, Jelena presented her new song "Samo se ljubit' isplati". The song reminded listeners of her style when she was with Magazin. On 14 November, Minut Srca Mog was released on YouTube and other platforms.

In December 2024, Jelena held five sold-out concerts in Sava Centar in Belgrade. She was the first person to do this. Two other concerts were moved to January 2025 due to a school incident in Zagreb.

Personal Life

Jelena Rozga prefers to keep her private life secret and focus on her music in interviews. Her most public relationship was with Stjepan Hauser, a cellist from the band 2Cellos. They met in 2015 and got engaged in 2016, but their relationship ended in 2017. In August 2024, Jelena shared that she was in a new relationship.

Jelena manages her health with daily therapy. She enjoys slow mornings for her creative process. Her favorite foods include soups and the Balkan dish ajvar. In her free time, she likes to relax, watch movies, and listen to 1980s music. She says her parents' support has been very important for her success. Jelena has a pet dog named Ringo.

Activism and Collaborations

Jelena Rozga supports gender equality and the LGBTQ community. In 2013, she took part in Goran Bregović's concert in Sarajevo to raise money for music education for the Roma minority. In April 2017, she joined a discussion in Zagreb about helping the Roma minority in education and protecting their human rights. On 21 March 2016, she participated in a concert in Zagreb for World Down Syndrome Day.

Throughout her career, Jelena has worked with many fashion and cosmetic brands. Since 2015, she has been an ambassador for the French cosmetic brand Garnier in nine countries in Eastern Europe. She has also worked with the Italian fashion brand Liu Jo, the Croatian brand ELFS, and the car brand SEAT Hrvatska. In 2020, Jelena also collaborated with Max Factor in Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In April 2024, she promoted face and body treatments at the Milojević Polyclinic.

Jelena often shares her feminist views, saying that women should support each other. In March 2024, she supported a feminist march in Croatia. In April 2024, she spoke out against bullying after seeing a video of a teenage girl being bullied. In October 2024, Jelena became an ambassador for breast cancer awareness at the Pinkypromiss conference.

Music Style

Jelena Rozga's music is mostly pop. Her early songs had influences from Mediterranean and traditional music. From the 2010s onwards, her music started to include more traditional regional styles like folk and turbo-folk, sometimes called "Croatian neofolk."

Her first two albums, Oprosti Mala and Bižuterija, had a consistent style. However, her third album, Moderna žena, explored different music types. These included mainstream pop, electronic dance music (EDM), traditional Dalmatian music, pop songs, and rap.

Jelena has said that Magazin singer Ljiljana Nikolovska was her biggest musical inspiration. She credits Nikolovska as the main reason she wanted to be a singer. Jelena is also recognized for bringing Magazin back to a high level of popularity, similar to when Nikolovska was the lead singer. Since starting her solo career, Jelena performs live with an all-male band.

Legacy and Influence

The lyrics of Jelena Rozga's songs often talk about women's experiences. These include themes of love, betrayal, independence, heartbreak, and female empowerment. For example, the lyrics of her famous song "Bižuterija" describe a woman who feels like she was treated like cheap jewelry by her partner.

The phrase "žena, majka, kraljica" ("a woman, a mother, a queen") from the song "Bižuterija" became a very popular saying in the Balkans. It is used to describe a strong woman who can handle life's challenges easily. This phrase also became a symbol of support and empowerment among women.

Besides her music, Jelena is known for her fashion style. She often wears mini-skirts and high platform heels, which are sometimes called "Rozgice." However, she says her everyday style is much simpler, usually jeans and comfortable shoes. Critics often praise her fashion choices, saying they suit her slim figure. She is also seen as a symbol of elegance and positive energy. Jelena's music and performances have inspired other singers, like Lorena Bućan, who has called Jelena her favorite Croatian singer.

Awards and Achievements

Jelena Rozga has won many awards for her songs and albums during her solo career. In 2011, she received a Porin award for "Bižuterija" as the Hit of the Year. She has won the Grand Prix award at the Split Festival five times. Also, all three of Jelena's solo albums have received a gold award from the Croatian Phonographic Association [hr].

Discography

Filmography

Tours

Headlining

• The Bižuterija Tour (2010–12)
• Minut Srca Mog Tour (2022–24)

Co-headlining

• Karlovačko live 2011. (with Bajaga i Instruktori)

Images for kids

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  Jelena Rozga performing "Moje proljece" during the Minut Srca Mog Tour in Sarajevo.