Valerija Nikolovska

Valerija Nikolovska is a Croatian rock, blues and jazz singer who grew up in Kutjevo and has been singing professionally since 1987. For more than 35 years she has been known for a voice that blends soul, blues, funk and jazz.

She learned her craft in blues, soul, funk, acid jazz, house and gospel groups such as Delta, Blues Power, Telefon Blues Band, Songkillers, Mayales and Eddy & Dus. With the Zagreb acid jazz band Mayales she had the hits "Mogu i sama", in 1996 the band's second single and first video, and "Svima želim raj za sve". She was nominated for the Porin for best female vocal in 1999 and won the Crni mačak award for best rock vocal in 2000 and 2001.

She has worked with Josipa Lisac, Zdenka Kovačiček, Meri Cetinić, Ivana Kindl, Kristijan Beluhan, Matija Dedić, Elvis Stanić, Majke and Dino Dvornik, and in jazz with the HRT Jazz Orchestra and the HGM Jazz Orchestra Zagreb. Her solo albums are The Bright Side of the Blues and Open. With her husband, keyboard player Viktor Lipić, and the HRT Jazz Orchestra she recorded Well Paid Girl, and since 2008 the two of them have played jazz standards in odd rhythms and new soul in the trio LiVaDa with drummer Damir Šomen.

Valerija Nikolovska released the improvised session album She Ka Ra on Intek Music in May 2022, and her EP Green Heart (2025) won the Porin for best alternative music album. She was also a vocal coach in the third season of The Voice Hrvatska.