Oko

There were at least 2 artists wit the name Oko: 1. Hard Progressive Rock band from Ljubljana, Slovenia, formed by the lead singer and guitarist Pavel Kavec, active from 1972 to 1978. 2. Rock band from Zagreb, Croatia, formed by Ismet Kurtovi? in 1997. 1. The band Oko (Eng. ?The Eye?) was formed in 1972 in Ljubljana (Slovenia, at that time a republic within former Yugoslav Federation) by the lead singer and guitarist Pavel Kavec . The original line-up included also Miro Tomassini on bass and Jani Tutta on drums. In 1973 the drummer Tutta was replaced by Dragan Gaji?.

1. Hard Progressive Rock band from Ljubljana, Slovenia, formed by the lead singer and guitarist Pavel Kavec, active from 1972 to 1978.
2. Rock band from Zagreb, Croatia, formed by Ismet Kurtovi? in 1997.

1. The band Oko (Eng. ?The Eye?) was formed in 1972 in Ljubljana (Slovenia, at that time a republic within former Yugoslav Federation) by the lead singer and guitarist Pavel Kavec . The original line-up included also Miro Tomassini on bass and Jani Tutta on drums. In 1973 the drummer Tutta was replaced by Dragan Gaji?.

In this period they played mostly blues-based hard rock repertoire with Kavec developing unique although largely Jimi Hendrix-influenced guitar style. Later on they also included innovative elements of jazz?rock into their songs. In early 1975 the rhythm section joined another prog rock band from Ljubljana - Jutro, so Kavec assembled the new group with drummer Tone Dimnik and bassist Franjo Martinec, which recorded the 7? single Vse Sem Dal Ti .

During the recording sessions for their debut LP Raskorak in 1976 Kavec again lost his rhythm section ? Dimnik moved to avant-rock group Buldo?er, while Martinec left music business in order to study at a college. In late 1976 Oko re-grouped, this time with drummer Zlatko Klun (ex Boomerang) and bassist Igor Bo?njak, who played on tour promoting Raskorak. Oko disbanded in 1978 having not gained much fame in SFR Yugoslavia.

Kavec gathered the band in early 1990s with drummer Gaji?, his son Mitja on bass and several friends and released a solo CD Ho?eš z menoj in 1994. In 1996 the band played in the line-up Tomassini, Klun and Kavec. The live album was recorded in December 2000 by Kavec, Marko Bertoncelj on drums and Ernie Mendillo on bass, which presented several cover versions of Jimi Hendrix songs.

Although Oko remained an obscure band outside of Slovenia, they were important for prog scene in Yugoslavia as the followers of heavy progressive rock style under the influence of Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and sharing the sensibility of similar Yugoslav bands like Pop Mašina, Dah, Fire or Drugi na?in.

2. When Drugi na?in disbanded in 1991, their singer, guitarist, flutist and main songwriter Ismet Kurtovi? moved on to acting, singing and writing music for theater and music for children.
In 1997, together with guitarist Davor Sen?ar (ex-Drugi na?in), he formed a rock band Oko ("The Eye") and used the old logo from the early days of Drugi na?in, that featured the picture of the eye with two irides.
Alongside Kurtovi? and Sen?ar, the other members were: Tomislav Greguri? (keyboards, vocals), Marko Kasovi? (bass) and Davor Tro?elj (drums).
This line-up released their only album Sakrij se u mene in 1997, recorded the video for the song Kad si blizu and went on short promotional tour that included a few concerts in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegowina.
Soon after that, Oko disbanded.