Kornelije Kovač facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kornelije "Bata" Kovač
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Kovač promoting Festival Omladina in 2011
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
Корнелије "Бата" Ковач
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| Birth name | Kornelije Kovač |
| Born | 1 January 1942 Niš, German-occupied Serbia |
| Died | 13 September 2022 (aged 80) Belgrade, Serbia |
| Genres | Progressive rock, symphonic rock, jazz-rock, classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, composer, producer |
| Instruments | Keyboards, organ, piano |
| Years active | 1961–2022 |
| Labels | PGP-RTB, Casa Ricordi, Philips Records, Jugoton, Komuna Belgrade, PGP RTS, ITMM |
| Associated acts | Indexi, Korni Grupa, Zdravko Čolić, Bisera Veletanlić, Riblja Čorba, Bajaga i Instruktori |
Kornelije Kovač (born January 1, 1942 – died September 13, 2022) was a famous Serbian composer, musician, and producer. He was also known as "Bata." He created music for many different things, like rock bands, movies, and TV shows. His work was very important in the music scene of former Yugoslavia and beyond.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Kornelije Kovač was born in Niš, a city in Serbia, during World War II. His family was very artistic. His grandfather was a conductor, which means he led orchestras. His father was a music professor and played the violin. His mother sang in an opera choir. So, music was always a big part of his life!
He started his music education at a college in Subotica. Later, he went to the Sarajevo Music Academy. There, he studied music theory and piano.
A Career in Music
Kovač started his professional music journey in 1961. He formed his first band called BKB. This group became a well-known jazz trio. They even performed at a jazz festival in Slovenia in 1963.
Joining Popular Bands
After working with different orchestras, Kovač joined Indexi. This was a very popular pop band from Sarajevo. With them, he went on a two-month tour in Russia.
In 1968, he moved to Belgrade, the capital city. There, he started his own band, Korni Grupa. This band became very famous. As a composer and musician, Kovač won many music awards in former Yugoslavia.
Korni Grupa's European Success
Korni Grupa also performed at several big music festivals in Europe:
- 1969 – Singing Europe in the Netherlands, where they were praised for being very original.
- 1970 – Rock Festival Katowitze in Poland.
- 1972 – Montreux in Switzerland.
- 1974 – The Eurovision Song Contest 1974 in Brighton, United Kingdom. This was a huge event for them!
Working in England
In 1979, Kovač moved to England. He worked on many exciting projects there. For example, he played keyboards for the Jenny Darren Band at the 1978 Reading Rock Festival. He also collaborated with famous British musicians, including:
- Bernie Marsden, the guitar player from the band "White Snake."
- Hans Zimmer, a well-known composer who writes music for movies.
- Paul Jones, a singer who used to be in the band Manfred Mann.
- Andy Pask, the bass player from the band Landscape.
Later Work and Achievements
Kovač was a very busy and creative artist. He wrote music for many different things. This included plays for the theatre, movies, and television shows. His songs were released on records in many countries. These included Yugoslavia, Spain, France, the United States, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, and Norway. Many of his records sold so well that they became "Golden" or "Platinum" records!
From 1979 onwards, he also worked on projects in Spain. He helped create music as a producer, composer, or arranger.
Family Life
Kornelije Kovač was married to Spomenka Stojanović until she passed away in 2005. They had three daughters together: Aleksandra Kovač, Kristina Kovač, and Anja. Aleksandra and Kristina followed in their father's footsteps and also became involved in music.
In 2011, Kornelije and his two musical daughters, Aleksandra and Kristina, were part of a special event. They each composed a song and presented a singer to try and represent Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.
Kornelije Kovač passed away in Belgrade on September 13, 2022, at the age of 80. He left behind a huge legacy of music that continues to be enjoyed by many.
