Pro Arte

70s pop band from Sarajevo founded by ?or?e Novkovi?, (Serbian Cyrillic: ????? ????????, born in Sarajevo[1] September 2, 1943 - May 6, 2007) was a songwriter who was known for his work in SFR Yugoslavia and Croatia. He is also known as the father of popular singer Boris Novkovi?. Novkovi? was born to a Croatian/Serbian mixed couple, his father Vuka?in was Serb and a violinist[2], so his musical talent was discovered very early, and he joined the musical school in Sarajevo at the age of 6.

After graduating conducting from Musical Academy in Sarajevo, he founded a band Pro Arte during the fall of 1967.
In 1968, his wife Ozana, a music professor by profession, gave birth to their son Boris, and the family moved to Zagreb, Croatia. Boris would later become a rock singer-songwriter, but he split abruptly with his father at the age of 19.
His first hit came in 1969 with the song "Vi?e se ne?e vratiti" performed by Mi?o Kova? and sold in half a million copies.
In 1973, Pro Arte merged with another Sarajevo pop group Indexi, but the experiment lasted only several months. Pro Arte existed in continuity until 1980, as well as off-and-on throughout the 1980s. In 1989 Novkovi? moved to live in Rovinj, Croatia.
After Pro Arte, ?or?e Novkovi? switched to writing songs, creating material for some of the hits of the former Yugoslavia. He collaborated with performers such as Mi?o Kova?, Neda Ukraden, Zdravko ?oli?, Du?ko Lokin, ?ani Mar?an, Tomislav Iv?i?, Tereza Kesovija, Ivica ?erfezi, Gabi Novak, Srebrna krila and others.
After death of Josip Broz Tito he wrote music for song "Dru?e Tito mi ti se kunemo" which was then performed by Zdravko ?oli? which was then sold in 350000 copies.[3][4]
Novkovi? composed music for the infamous thank-you schlager "Danke Deutschland" produced in January 1992 by Croatian state television as a show - widely perceived in rather dubious taste - of gratitude to Germany for their role in international recognition of their independence. ("...Thank you Germany, my soul is burning! Thank you Germany, for the lovely gift.")
In 1993 he wrote the song "Don't Ever Cry" for Put, the first Croatian representative in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Since 1997, he co-owned and managed the Croatia Records label, together with Miroslav ?koro. In 2000, he moved to Zagreb again.
In 2003 Novkovi? gained a lot of popularity as judge of Story Supernova Music Talents, a reality show for aspiring musicians similar to Popstars aired on Nova TV. The audience was amused by his sarcastic comments directed at contestants and his co-judge Miroslav ?koro, earning him a controversial reputation.
He died suddenly at the age of 64, from an apparent stroke, in Zagreb. In a Roman Catholic funeral ceremony he was buried in Zagreb's Mirogoj Cemetery[5]

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