Matko Jelavić

Matko Jelavić is a Croatian pop singer, songwriter, composer and drummer, born on 29 March 1958 in Split. He started out in 1978 as the drummer of the Split rock band Metak, who made two albums, U tetrapaku (1979) and Ratatatatija (1980), and had their hit with "Da mi je biti morski pas" (1980). He played with them until the band broke up in 1981.

He then spent several years writing and composing songs for other singers. Matko Jelavić made his debut as a singer at the Split festival in 1988 with "Majko stara", which took first place and became his biggest hit. Vinko Brešan later used it in his film Kako je počeo rat na mom otoku (1996). His first album, Dobra večer prijatelji, came out the same year.

Albums followed steadily: Ljube, ljubavi (1989), Sretno ti bilo anđele (1991), Moja ljubavi (1993), Pianino (1995), Od jubavi bolujen and Dueti (both 1997), Čovjek tvoj (1999), Pismo moja uzorita (2000), Tajna (2001), Duša čista, obična... (2004), O lipi Splite moj (2005) and Prvoj ruži Hrvatske (2009), along with several collections, the latest The Best of Collection (2020). Fans know him for songs such as "Majko stara", "Rodija se sin", "Ti, samo ti", "Vitar šumi", "Ti si samo za mene rođena", "Ljuta" and "Pianino".

"Majko stara" travelled far. 2Cellos played it more than twenty times, and in January 2023 Matko Jelavić complained publicly after their Sydney concert that they had played it badly and without his permission. He lives in Split with his wife and two children.