Janko Ropret

Janko Ropret is a Slovenian pop singer and radio announcer, born on 21 March 1951 in Tržič. Slovenian Wikipedia calls him a legend of the Slovenian popevka and one of the most recognisable voices in the country, and his best-known song, "Ljubljančanke", has turned up on one compilation of Slovenian popular song after another.

He sang "Ljubljančanke", written by Jure Robežnik with lyrics by Dušan Velkaverh, on the first evening of Slovenska popevka 1972. In 1974 he returned to the festival with "Mali oglas" by Mojmir Sepe and Branko Šömen, and at Slovenska popevka 1978 "Moje orglice", music by Mojmir Sepe and lyrics by Frane Milčinski, won the first audience prize; he sang it in alternation with the Croatian group Novi fosili. His early singles included "Lepa kot sen" with "Ne priznam" on Notex in 1972 and "Ti si moja" on Helidon in 1973, and his first album, Dolina zelenega zlata, came out on ZKP RTV Slovenija in 1976.

The festival of Melodije morja in sonca in Piran was another regular stage: he sang "Kam greš" in 1978, "Ana Anika" in 1979, "Pri morju hišica" in 1980 and "Najino poletje" in 1981, and both "Kam greš" and "Najino poletje" won the expert jury's award for the best arrangement.

For about three years he was the first male singer of Alpski kvintet, one of the best-known Slovenian folk-pop ensembles, until Oto Pestner took his place in 1985. Later albums followed: Vrni se (1992), Jesen (1995) with the Don Mentony Band, Med nama, set to the poetry of Mitja Šegin (2000), and Ciganska poezija (2001). Zimzelen (2004) gathered his biggest hits.

Many listeners know his voice above all from the radio. For years Janko Ropret was an announcer and newsreader on Radio Slovenija's Prvi program, Val 202 and ARS, and he hosted the popular show "V nedeljo zvečer", which he took over from Marjan Kralj. He received the Viktor award for radio popularity in 1997 and the Kristalni mikrofon for outstanding announcing in 2001, and retired in 2008.