The Obala

The Obala is a Croatian band from Split, formed in 2000 by drummer Zoran Ukić and bassist Boris Hrepić after the break-up of Daleka obala, the Split rock band in which both of them had played.

Hrepić had founded Daleka obala with Marijan Ban in 1985, and Ukić joined in 1988. When that band split up, Ban went on with Jadran Vušković and Bogo Šoić-Mirilović, while Ukić and Hrepić started The Obala.

Their first album, Istinite priče, came out in 2002, with guests Gibonni, Neno Belan, Dean Dvornik and Anđa Marić; "Otoci" with Neno Belan and "Za ljubav" with Anđa Marić came from those sessions. In 2004 they released U ime zakona on Dancing Bear, an album they wrote, played and sang themselves, with "Možeš mislit" as its single.

In 2007 Dean Dvornik, the bassist and singer who is the brother of Dino Dvornik, joined as a permanent member. The band then recorded its hit "Marjanska pisma" and set off on a successful tour at home and abroad. Dancing Bear later collected their songs on the compilation Kombinacija (2009) and on the LP The Best Of – Plovidba uz daleku obalu (2021).

Ukić and Hrepić are also back in Daleka obala, which reunited in 2019 with a new singer, Jakša Jordes. Hrepić is known as a visual artist as well and designed several of Daleka obala's album covers. The playlist here is the album U ime zakona, with "Možeš mislit", "U ime zakona" and "Ukrcaj se".