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Slavko Avsenik (November 26, 1929 – July 2, 2015) was a Slovenia composer and musician. Beginning in 1953 with the formation of the Avsenik Brothers Ensemble, Avsenik produced more than 1,000 songs and garnered success both in Slovenia and in other parts of Europe and America, and is viewed as a Slovenian cultural icon.Simon Frith, ed., World Music, Politics and Social Change: Papers from the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (Manchester University Press, 1991), , pp. 76–78. Excerpts available at Google Books.Leopoldina Plut-Pregelj, Carole Rogel, The A to Z of Slovenia (Rowman & Littlefield, 2010), , p. 314. Excerpts available at Google Books.Dieter Schulze, Slowenien (Baedeker, 2011), , p. 65. Excerpts available at Google Books.
His ensemble, known as 'Ansambel bratov Avsenik' in Slovene language and 'Slavko Avsenik und seine Original Oberkrainer' in German language, was already quite popular in Slovenia by 1954, but it was their 1954 hit "Na Golici" which brought them international fame and renown. When the original recording was played during 'Slovene Hour' on Klagenfurt Radio in the Austrian state of Carinthia (which has a sizeable Slovenian minority), Bavarian radio producer Fred Rauch immediately recognized the potential and signed the band to his label. They recorded a new version in 1955 in German, which became a huge hit first in the German-speaking world and then after, all around Europe. Growing in popularity, they soon began appearing in broadcasts, movies, and concerts, first in West Germany and then all over Europe.
In 1960, the band landed a recording contract with Teldec. It appeared regularly on network television, toured continuously, logging over 400,000 miles in 1967 alone. Milestones include a 1961 performance before over 80,000 in Berlin Stadium, tours of the United States and Canada in 1970 and 1985, and a one-hour German television network special in 1980.
The group has won numerous awards including eight television competitions, twelve from German network television, eighteen as Germany's most popular band, the recording industry's "European Oscar" in 1975, the Golden Rose Award for the most requested group on Austrian radio in 1979, and the Hermann Löns award from the German Minister of Culture.
Avsenik's influence over Cleveland-style polka music began in 1958 when Johnny Pecon's English lyrics transformed Slavko's "Tam kjer murke cveto" into a Cleveland-style Hit, "Little Fella". Since then, Cleveland-style orchestras have recorded well over 200 Avsenik songs, including nearly sixty by the Hank Haller Ensemble, and as many more by Fred Ziwich, Fred Kuhar, the Fairport Ensemble, Al Markic, Roger Bright, Al Tercek, and Cilka Dolgan. Avsenik tribute bands in North America include Duke Marsic and his Happy Slovenians, the Alpine Sextet, Ansambel Veseli Godci and Veseli Farani, Marjan Kramer, and Planinski Kvintet. Many Slovenian polka/oberkrainer-style bands in Europe have also been influenced by Avsenik's music, including Slovenia's Hišni ansambel Avsenik and Gašperji/Die Jungen Oberkrainer.
The most popular song of Avsenik's band is a polka titled "Na Golici" in Slovene, "Trompetenecho" in German, and "Trumpet Echoes" in English, which is considered by some to be the most played instrumental song in the world.
Over forty years, the Avsenik Ensemble's original "Gorenjska" sound became an example of ethnic musical expression for Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, northern Italy and the Benelux countries, spawning hundreds of Alps orchestras in the process.
A monument was built by architect Klemen Rodman in 2013 to mark Avsenik's 84th birthday, near his home town in the municipality of Radovljica. It features three accordions surrounding a traditional Upper Carniolan umbrella.
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