Ansambel Henček

Ansambel Henček, also known as Henček in njegovi fantje, was a Slovenian narodnozabavna band founded in 1965 by the accordionist Henrik Burkat, called Henček. In its day it was one of the most successful and best-loved folk-pop bands in Slovenia.

Henrik Burkat was born on 18 December 1938 in Gorenje Kamence. He got his first accordion from a travelling musician who stopped at the family's home for a while, and for the second one his family had to sell the last cow in the barn. The nickname stuck from his youth, and it was Vilko Ovsenik who encouraged him to give the band that name. Burkat was an accordionist, folk singer and the author of many songs.

The band released its first record, the four-song EP Pod oknom, in 1967, followed the same year by Sončna Dolenjska and by a long row of records such as Janez na tvoje zdravje (1968), Stari meh (1971) and Šmentana harmonika (1976). What set them apart was the way they brought the sounds of popular dance music, rock and roll and boogie into the classic narodnozabavna style, pairing the accordion, trumpet and clarinet with banjo and saxophone.

That idea is heard best in "Polka, valček, rock & roll", a 1985 polka by Berti Rodošek with lyrics by Tatjana Rodošek, released on the album of the same name with an official music video and sung by Metka Kastrevc. From the same year comes "Daj vina gor", with music by Burkat and lyrics by Ivan Sivec. Other hits include "Didl Boogie Woogie", "Henčkov Abraham", "Metliška črnina", "Lepa mora bit'", "Sončna Dolenjska" and "Slovenske lisičke"; over the years the band recorded more than 300 songs.

In 2007 Henrik Burkat was the first to receive the crown of the King of Polkas and Waltzes. He died on 5 May 2011, aged 72, and was buried in Gorenje Kamence. The album Henčku v spomin came out the same year.