Jelena Rozga (born August 23, 1977 in Split) is one of the most famous Croatian singers of pop and pop music. She spent her childhood as a ballerina in Split, where she danced ballet and performed in the folklore ensemble KUD “Mozaik” under the leadership of Lepa Smoja. Already as a teenager, she showed her musical talent – in 1992 she won an award at a singing competition with the song of the group Magazin, and in 1994 she was awarded the Golden Lady for the performance “You are the desire of my life”. She started her career in the mid-1990s as the main singer of the Split band Magazin, and during her ten-year engagement, she achieved a number of hits and recognitions with that band.
Career with Magazine (1996 – 2006)
Jelena came to the magazine in 1996 – before that, she Dori 1996 Performed as an independent performer with the song “Aha” winning second place. In the same year, she made her debut in Magazin with the song “Suze biserne”, to release an album with the group The sky colors my love (1996), who quickly achieved a gold edition. Albums followed that you are me (1998) and minus and plus (2000) with hit songs such as “Guldjaj vina”, “Ginem” and “Ako podimem”. During her membership in the magazine, Rozga won prestigious awards (at the Split Festival five times Grand Prix) and had numerous gold and platinum albums. She concluded the membership with a performance at Dora in 2006 with the song “Sorry Mala”, after which she started independently.
Solo Career (since 2006)
Jelena Rozga started her independent career in 2006 with her debut album Sorry little one. The album was a great success – it immediately took the first place on the Croatian record list and brought the hit singles “Gospe moja”, “Oprosti mala” and “Don’t call me Marija”. After that, in 2011 he released his second album Bijouterie, after which she got the name of one of her most famous songs. The title “Bižuterija” became a mega-hit and won Porin for the hit of the year (2011). As part of that album, Rozga performed a great Bižuterija tour (2010–2012) and on February 11, 2011, she became the first Croatian singer to sell off Split’s Spaladium Arena.
third studio album modern woman (2016) further strengthened her reputation – it contains the hits “Nirvana”, “Kraljica” and “Tsunami”, and it became the best-selling album in Croatia and received a gold plot. In November 2022, she released an acoustic album A minute of my heart and started a regional tour of the same name (2022–2023). In the last three years, new singles that dominated radio airwaves, such as “Samo se ljubit’, “Idi ti”, “Od sam ja” and “Lavica”, have been lined up.
The most important studio albums:
- Sorry little one (2006)
- Bijouterie (2011)
- modern woman (2016)
The most famous hits: “My Lady”, “Bižutary”, “Spoiled”, “Nirvana”, “Tsunami”, “Queen”, “Taste of Menthola” and many others.
Awards and recognitions: During her solo career, she won Porin for “Bižuterija” (hit of the year 2011) and even five times the Grand Prix of the Split Festival. She has been awarded the HDDU gold record three times Bijouterie, Best of Jelena Rozga (compilation) and modern woman.
Music tours: Jewelry tour (2010–2012) and A Minute of My Tour’s Heart (2022–2024) accompanied the most important albums.
Private life and engagement
Rozga grew up in Split as the daughter of mother Marija (tailor) and father Ante (worker) and has an older sister Julia. In her private life, she was engaged from 2016 to 2017 with cellist Stjepan Hauser (2Cellos). In 2024, she revealed that she was no longer alone, and in April 2025, she confirmed her relationship with musician Ivan Huljić (son of Tonči and Vjekoslava Huljić). In several interviews, she pointed out that her first priority is health and happiness – for 2025, she only states a good health status on her wish list.
During her career, she also spoke publicly about social issues. In 2017, she stated that abortion should be left to the choice of women and loudly supported the rights of the LGBT community. She also engaged in humanitarian projects (concerts for donations of Roma minority, marking the Day of People with Down Syndrome, etc.). In addition to singing, she also participated in synchronizations – for example, in 2012, she lent her voice to the character of Audrey in the Croatian version of the animated film Lorax: protector of the forest.
influence and inheritance
Jelena Rozga is considered one of the most influential musical performers in the region. For more than two decades of her career, she has built a recognizable musical style that combines pop and entertainment music with admixtures of Dalmatian melos. Her concerts are always energetic and attended – in addition to the sold-out Spaladium Arena, she also held many concerts in the other largest halls of Dalmatia and the region. Many of her hits and quotes from songs, such as the phrase “woman, mother, queen” from “bižuterija”, have become part of popular culture in the Balkans.
In the end, Jelena Rozga remains a wide-spectrum musician – from a ballet beginning to a pop-folk career filled with hits. Her biography confirms the status of a permanently popular singer who is brought to a loyal audience by infectious energy and a sincere performance. If you love her music, listen to the latest hits and follow official channels (website, social networks) to keep up with the upcoming concerts and releases.
