Early life and background
Radojka Šverko was born on April 9, 1948 in Pazin, and spent her childhood in nearby Buzet. She attended elementary school there and even then sang in the choir and played in the tambura orchestra. In high school, she enrolled in the School of Economics in Pula, and secretly attended a music school. Back in the 1960s, she performed at amateur singer competitions throughout the former Yugoslavia, and she made her first professional performance in 1967 on the island of Sveta Katarina near Rovinj.
The family and music were inseparable: the older sister Mladenka was a music teacher, brother Mladen also taught music, and the younger sister Jadranka was engaged in singing for a short time. In an interview, the singer pointed out that her first mother-in-law was a great support in her early years, allowing her to accept international calls while she was looking after her daughter.
The beginning of a professional path and international success
Radojka Šverko’s professional career began in 1969 with a performance at the international festival del Atlántico in Tenerife; She won third place with the song “Nuestro mundo” by Alfi Kabilja. In 1970, she performed at the Rio de Janeiro festival with the song “Svijet je moj” and won second place and the award for interpretation “The Most Outstanding Performance”. The award is special because it was established in honor of Janis Joplin that year.
An exclusive agreement with the Spanish record company followed Belter, and on Spanish television she hosted her own show in which she hosted famous artists like Julius Iglesias. Already at the beginning of the 1970s, she performed at festivals in Tokyo, Los Angeles, Madrid, Seoul, Athens, Puerto Rico, Caracas, Curaca, Bratislava, Florence, Barcelona, Scheveningen, Malta and other cities and often won awards for the best voice and interpretation.
In 1970, Šverko won the Split Festival with the song “Kud pviva ova ova Brod” by Esad Arnautalić and Arsen Dedić. She also participated in the Zagreb Festival, the Krapina Festival, Melodies of Istria and Kvarner and other reviews. Due to her impressive voice, she collaborated with a large number of composers and arrangers – among others with Alfi Kabilja, Zvonko Špišić, Andrej Baša, Silvij Glojnarić, Jaroslav Kubiček, Stipica Kalođer, Jakša Fiamenga and many others. She also worked with Slovenian authors such as Petar Ugrin, Dušan Velkaverh, Mojmir Sepe and Juraj Robežnik.
Theater, musicals and film roles
The singer also had a career on the theater scene. in rock-opera “Gubec-beg” She portrayed the character of Jane, in rock-opera “Greek Witch” She played Nere, and played the roles in musicals “Karolina Rijeka”, “Poor people” (role of Fantina) and “Miracle”. She played a film role in the film “Bravo Maestro” directed by Rajko Grlić, who was in the competition of the Cannes Film Festival in 1978.
Discography and various repertoire
Since 1969, Radojka Šverko has released 29 sound carriers. Her albums include different genres – chanson, pop-rock, jazz, film music and musicals, as well as sacred music. Among the most important albums are:
- “Fire and Ice” (1993) – The album with which she approached a more modern sound.
- “Va dihe mora” (1995) – with songs in the Chakavian dialect.
- “Rejoice” (2004) – A selection of the most beautiful Christmas songs.
- “Men are my best friends” (2006.) – edition of the Scandinavian record company, where he sings compositions originally performed in a male interpretation.
- compilations “Golden Collection” (2005) and “The world is mine – Radojka sverko sings Alfi Kabilja” songs” (2011).
- “Still standing” (2012) – Concert album with the HRT revue orchestra.
- “As time goes by – live at jazz.hr“ (2018) – a concert album that reached second place on the list of best-selling domestic albums.
The singer’s repertoire is extremely diverse; In addition to popular genres, he also performs classical, sacred music and gospel. With the sacred music program, she performed in churches throughout Croatia and in Vienna, Heidelberg, Nuremberg, Malmö, Stockholm, Trieste and Rome.
Prizes and awards
Šverko is the winner of numerous domestic and foreign awards. Among other things, she won five music awards Porin. In 1994, she was awarded for the performance of the composition “Women”; In 2013, she received Porin for the best female vocal performance of the song “You Are So Beautiful” and for the best concert album “Still Standing”; In 2014, she received Porin for life’s work and another for the best female vocal performance of the song “Dodirni mi srce”. She is the only musician who won the lifetime achievement award and recognition in regular competition in the same year.
For special merits in culture, she was given Order of Danica Croatia with the image of Marko Marulić 1995. In 2017, the singer celebrated 50 years of her career with a festive concert in the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall with the Zagreb Philharmonic and the academic choir “Ivan Goran Kovačić”. She also participated in the project “Croatia Dive” (2011–2014) together with Gabi Novak and Teresa Kesovia.
Significant performances and special opportunities
The singer has appeared on numerous television and radio shows during her career. She confirmed her popularity in the early 1970s when she hosted a show on Spanish television. In February 2015, she participated in the inauguration of Croatian President Kolinda Grabar‑Kitarović on Markov Square in Zagreb; She sang a song with the Lado ensemble “I love you as pain”.
private life
Family and marriages
Radojka Šverko married twice. She got her first marriage at the age of 20; Husband Franjo was also a musician. They lived in Rijeka and had a daughter Sana in 1968. After ten years of marriage, Radojka divorced and moved to Zagreb. The second husband was Vinko, a passionate fisherman; He died tragically in 2010 while fishing on Lake Vrana. After the accident, the singer rarely talks about the tragedy, pointing out that the event was accompanied by great sadness and stress.
in a conversation for 24 hours The singer admitted that she divorced the second time at the age of 35 and decided to stay alone. He humorously describes his “successes” with numbers: two husbands, two daughters, two heart attacks and two Porins. Šverko carefully protects the privacy of his children and rarely speaks publicly about them.
Health challenges and stents
Despite her successful career, Radojka Šverko faced serious health problems. In 2010, during the performance, she felt weak and soon experienced a heart attack. At the intervention of Professor Vladimir Babin, she was rushed to the hospital, where three stents were implanted; After the second infarct, a fourth stent was implanted. In the interview, she said that she has fun with friends who have one stent – “I lead 4:1” – and pointed out that optimism and humor help in coping with the disease.
Despite her health problems, she continued to sing and perform. Because of stents and two heart attacks, she often mentions that everything in her life is about the number four – four Porins and four Stents.
age, height and other personal facts
Šverko was born on April 9, 1948, then turned 78 in 2026. Most sources do not state its height, and the singer herself rarely shares such information; Therefore, the height is considered undisclosed. Her citizenship is Croatian, and she lives in Zagreb.
Social media presence
Although she built a media career before the Internet era, Radojka Šverko and her team administer the official page on Facebook. According to Facebook, the site has about 11 Thousand followers and states that communication is led by a team of singers; Contacts for booking and management have been published. It is not known that the singer independently runs profiles on other social networks, but concerts and information are often published through fan pages.
Why are people looking for Radojka Šverko?
Searches related to “Radojka sverko Biography” They usually come from several motives:
- Musical successes: Music fans are looking for information about the diva career that marked the Croatian variety show for decades. Questions include when she started her career, which festivals she performed and what her most famous songs are.
- Health news: Due to publicly known heart problems and embedded stents, part of the audience is interested in how he feels and whether he continues to perform.
- Family and private life: The media wrote about two marriages, a tragedy with his wife Vinko and two daughters. Many search these topics, although the singer emphasizes that privacy protects from the public.
- Social networks and concerts: Notices about concerts, humanitarian performances and festivals are often published on the Facebook page, so followers are looking for links and dates.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When and where was Radojka Šverko born?
She was born on April 9, 1948 in Pazin, and spent her childhood in Buzet.
How old is he?
In April 2026, he will turn 78.
When did she start singing?
At the end of the 1960s, she performed at amateur competitions, and she had her first professional performance in 1967 on the island of Sveta Katarina.
What are her biggest hits?
Among the recognizable songs are “Kud plovije ovaj Brod” (Split Festival 1970), “Svijet je moj”, “Kud plovije ovaj brod”, “You are so beautiful” and interpretations of chanson and sacred music.
How many Porin did she win?
She is the winner of five Porin awards, including Porin for Lifetime Achievement (2014) and Vocal Performance Awards.
Did she perform at the inauguration of the president?
yes; On February 15, 2015, at the inauguration of President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, she sang the song “Ljubim te do bola”.
Does he have children?
He has two daughters from two marriages. She gave birth to her first daughter in 1968, and the second later; The singer keeps the details about them private.
What is known about her health?
She experienced two heart attacks and has four stents implanted after medical interventions. Despite her health problems, she continued to perform.
Conclusion
Radojka Šverko is one of the most important Croatian singers. Although she started her career at a time when there was no Internet, her diverse repertoire, international successes and unique voices left a deep mark on the domestic music scene. Despite personal tragedies, two heart attacks and four stents, she remains active and optimistic and continues to delight the audience at concerts. For the latest information about concerts and projects, it is best to follow her official Facebook page.
Cover photo: Keaton Tyler, CC BY-SA 4.0, Via Wikimedia Commons