Canadian-Croatian singer releases first single after moving to Rijeka

Canadian-Croatian Dani Kristina releases single after moving to Rijeka

Canadian-Croatian The Voice Croatia contestant Dani Kristina, moved to Rijeka a year and a half ago, arrives at the Zagreb Festival with the song “Sama”

Dani Kristina – contestant of this year’s show The Voice Hrvatska, in which she competed in Damir Urban’s team, releases her first single “Sama”, with which she will perform at the Zagreb Festival on April 19.

Dani Kristina, who delighted viewers of the popular show The Voice Croatia week after week, wants to bring a different perspective to the local music scene: 

“I was shaped by Croatian music when I was growing up in Canada. The sounds of Croatian folklore and classical Croatian music were combined in me with the urban, diverse sounds of the Toronto and North American music scene.

“I hope to be able to use this complex background to contribute to the scene that shaped me, and to be able to experiment with different genres and styles while offering a unique and raw demonstration of music as an expression,” said Dani Kristina.

She describes her sound as a combination of various musical influences: “I feel that I draw a lot of inspiration especially from the seventies, I always felt very connected to that period. I’m also really into traditional folk songs, jazz and country music which I think comes through quite a bit in my voice.”

“I grew up listening to artists like Magazin, Bijelo Dugme, Gibonni, Dino Merlin, Luky and Oliver Dragojević from the local scene, and artists like Taylor Swift, Boston, Radiohead and Queen whose song structures and melodies really shape the way I perceive the process of making music. Although my playlist is always changing, when it comes to certain artists, lately I definitely feel a lot of inspiration from my former mentor on the Voice, Damir Urban, and I’m also really inspired by newer Croatian artists like z++ and Grše.”

Dani Kristina arrives at the Zagreb Festival with the song “Sama”: “‘Sama’ was created when I received a message from my current friend Marko Mihaljević, who wrote and recorded this song for which he could not find a singer. He had a very specific vision for the song and thought I would be a good choice. When I heard it, I felt so honored because I felt strong emotions in the harmonic structure of the song, and the lyrics really touched me.

Because of my story of leaving home and everything I know – while trying all these new experiences and finding my way in a completely new cultural environment in Croatia – I thought this song was the perfect choice. So, I came and added the final touch of my voice to an already complete song, and I felt really understood and grateful to have met such a talented young person who I now call a friend,” she said about the song.

Dani Kristina can’t wait to perform at the Zagreb Festival on April 19 and revealed how the preparations are going:

“Preparations for the Zagreb Festival are going very well! I am very excited to work on this performance, and I look forward to facing this new challenge, sharing the stage with so many artists that I actually listened to before I moved to Croatia. It’s crazy, and honestly, I’m just happy to be here.

After being on The Voice, I definitely needed a moment to absorb everything that had just happened. From spending hours with such talented people and learning so much from my mentor, Damir Urban, and from other mentors to preparing for performances that really pushed me out of my comfort zone, I needed to pull myself together and gather my thoughts.”

We will see Dani Kristina on April 19 at the Zagreb Festival, the song “Sama” is available on all streaming services, and the video will be coming soon.