Baby Lasagna (real name Marko Purišić) is a Croatian singer, songwriter and producer born on July 5, 1995 in Rijeka and raised in Umag. He played for many years as a guitarist in the rock group Manntra (2011–2016 and 2018–2022). As a member of Manntra, he also performed at Dora in 2019 (they are together with the song in the shadows won 4th place). After leaving the band in 2022, he started a solo career under the pseudonym Baby Lasagna. He gained global popularity when he won Dora in 2024 with the song ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’ and represented Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, where he won second place – the most successful placement of Croatia in the history of the competition.
Early life and education
Marko Purišić comes from a family where the mother and extended family members are teachers. He worked briefly as an assistant in elementary school, and then devoted himself to study. His educational journey includes:
- study Public Relations (Public Relations) at VERN University in Zagreb.
- study tourism in Buje.
- study sound engineering (audio engineering) in Ljubljana.
- study multimedia at University North in Varaždin.
Despite his musical career, he still points out that if he hadn’t chosen music, he would almost certainly have become a teacher.
Manntra career
From 2011 to 2016 and again from 2018 to 2022, Purišić was the guitarist of the Croatian rock band Mantra. Manntra is a folk/metal band from Umag, known for its energetic performances and successes on the foreign scene (especially in Germany). He participated in Dora in 2019 with Manntrina with the song ‘In the Shadows’ and they won 4th place. At the end of 2022, he left the band and started building a career independently under the name Baby Lasagna.
Solo project Baby Lasagna
Pseudonym Baby Lasagna He chose quite by chance -, as he says, he wanted a name that sounds ‘funny, random and fun’. does not hide that its name has no special meaning – ‘Baby Lasagna’ It simply caught his eye as he walked along the waterfront in Novigrad. On October 21, 2023, he released his debut single with that name ‘Ig Boy’ (Molly Studios). In December 2023, the second single followed ‘Don’t Hate Yourself, But Don’t Love Yourself Too Much’.
In just a few months, Baby Lasagna became a prominent name in Croatia. At the end of February 2024, by winning the Dora competition with the song ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’, he secured a place at the Eurovision Song Contest. The song immediately took 24th place on the HR Top 40 chart, and after the victory at Dora, it climbed to first place and reached the high second place on the Billboard chart Croatia Songs.
In February 2024, Marko Purišić (Baby Lasagna) won the Croatian national election show Dora with the song ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’, which ensured the right to perform for Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. The song, along with fun motivational lyrics and an infectious dance chorus, won over the Croatian audience and critics. At the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, in the Malmö Arena in Sweden, the song ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’ won first place in the audience, and in the end it placed second (547 points). With this, after 30 years, Croatia achieved its best ranking in this competition.
After the Eurovision Song Contest, Baby Lasagna started a new phase of his career: in May 2024, he sold out three concerts in Zagreb’s ŠRC Šalata hall in a few minutes, and at the end of the same year he performed at the Sea Star Festival in his native Umag. debut album ‘DMNS & Mosquitoes’ It was released on February 7, 2025 and immediately climbed to the first place in the Croatian album. At the same time, he continued to release singles and collaborate with other musicians – for example, at the end of 2024, he released a duet single ‘Bam Bam chooses’ with rapper Kuku$, who reached 18th place in Croatian charts, and in 2025 he performed jointly at the Eurovision Song Contest organized by the Finnish star Käärijä (song ‘#Eurodab’, CRO #7).
Style, influences and songs
Baby Lasagna’s musical expression mixes different genres. Sam states that he is inspired by bands like Rammstein, Twenty One Pilots, Electric callboy and Tončija & Madre Badessa. His music regularly combines elements pop-punk, techna, metal and house. His texts are often autobiographical and talk about personal struggles, anxiety and social topics. For example, the song ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’ is a touching narrative about a young man who is leaving Croatia in search of a better future. Critics point out that, despite the bright dance floor, his songs carry a deeper message about the obstacles and hopes of modern young people.
personal life
Although music took him to world stages, Baby Lasagna often highlights his roots and values. speaks openly about his Catholic faith; He cites Saint Padre Pius and the apostle Paul as spiritual role models. In his private life in 2024, he married his longtime partner, director Elizabeta Ružić. Elizabeta is active in art herself (she directed several of his music videos) and encouraged him to start an independent career.
Discography and the greatest successes
- Album ‘DMNS & Mosquitoes’ (2025) – debut album, immediately #1 on the Croatian chart.
- ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’ (2024) – Dora winning song 2024; Croatian representative at the Eurovision Song Contest; It reached #1 on the HR chart.
- ‘Ig Boy’ (2023) – Baby Lasagna’s debut single.
- ‘Bam Bam chooses’ (2024) – cooperation with rapper kuku$; The single achieved commercial success (CRO #18).
- ‘#Eurodab’ (2025) – duet with the Finnish star Käärijä; He reached #7 on Croatian lists.
In addition, Baby Lasagna was also the leader of the ceremony (e.g. at the Porin Awards in 2024) and winner of professional nominations. He is currently among the most famous names in the Croatian pop and rock scene, and his performances regularly fill concert halls and festivals.
Conclusion
Baby Lasagna, that is, Marko Purišić, has become one of the most interesting new musical talents in Croatia. From humble beginnings in the band Manntra to colorful costumes and winning choreographies on the Eurovision stage, he showed a unique combination of poetic honesty and fun energetic performance. His biography shows how persistence, creativity and authenticity can lead to international success. For the latest news and music from Baby Lasagne, we recommend that you follow its official channels and streaming services – there are certainly many more interesting releases and concerts to come.
Cover photo: Pedro J Pacheco, CC BY-SA 4.0, Via Wikimedia Commons
