Miroslav Evačić

Miroslav Evačić is a Croatian composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer, born in Koprivnica on 30 March 1973, who joins blues and rock with the traditional music of Podravina. As a small child he spent most of his time with his grandfather, who played the accordion and passed on his love of music. In his school years in Koprivnica he was a passionate record collector, and inspired by the great blues and rock 'n' roll players he taught himself the guitar.

He also joined the folk ensemble KUD Koprivnica, where he played the bugarija, a tamburica instrument, and grew interested in Croatian folk music. Out of these influences came his ethno-rock band Ščukin Berek, which played his own songs and his arrangements of folk songs, mixing traditional instruments with a rock line-up. The band played festivals such as Rock Otočec and Etnofest Neum, and its song "Čula jesam" appeared on the compilation KC Rock '98.

From 2001 he worked alone in his home studio. His first album, Čardaš Blues (2003), went unnoticed by Croatian critics, but Ian Anderson, editor of the world music magazine fRoots, interviewed him and put his music on a fRoots compilation, and it was played on BBC radio. Interest at home followed, and Blues reke Drave (2006) won him the Porin for best ethno album in 2007. Fulmination (2007), Portret (2011) and N.E.W.S. Blues (2012) came out on Croatia Records; the last brought a second Porin for best ethno album in 2013, and he also won a special award at MEF in 2008 for "Voli ona".

Later came Memphis – Koprivnica – Puttaparthi (2014) and, with Gordana Evačić, Grafiti iz kazališta (2017) and Podravski blues (2018). Guests on his records have included Brian Ritchie of Violent Femmes, Dalibor Grubačević, Livio Morosin and John Kruth, and he has played on albums by Dunja Knebl, Tamara Obrovac and others. His recordings, from Podravina folk songs to blues, are gathered here in one playlist.