Jacques Houdek (born Željko Houdek; 14 April 1981) is a Croatian recording artist who represented Croatia in the

Eurovision Song Contest 2017 The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 was the 62nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Kyiv, Ukraine, following the country's victory at the with the song " 1944" by Jamala. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) an ...

with the song " My Friend". Houdek began his professional solo career in 2000 and has since released many recordings and albums out which 13 have been certified silver (five times), gold, platinum and diamond (once). Houdek is one of the mentors in the Croatian version of the TV talent show '' The Voice''. During show's first season, he mentored the winner Nina Kraljić. Aside from Croatian, he has sung and recorded in English, Italian, German, Spanish, French, Slovene, Macedonian, and

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

language.

Early life and education

Jacques Houdek was born as Željko Houdek on 14 April 1981 in

Velika Gorica Velika Gorica () is the largest and most populous city in Zagreb County, Croatia. According to the 2011 census, the city itself has a population of 31,341, and the municipality has a population of 63,517 inhabitants. Velika Gorica is the centre ...

. His last name is of

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

origin. After finishing elementary music school (piano department), Houdek enrolled in two high schools, music (solo singing department) and vocational hairdressing. He also attended singing lessons with professor Viktorija Badrov who wanted him to become an

opera singer Opera is a form of Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a lib ...

. After finishing high schools in 2001, he enrolled in prestigious

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

, honing his singing in seminars in France, Greece and Italy. Houdek continued to build up his knowledge on Berklee seminars in Europe, where he had the opportunity to be mentored by Donna McElroy, a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nominee.

Career

Houdek held his first solo concert on 19 February 2000 in

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

club SAX! where he performed covers of various songs. His first single, the song "Čarolija" (''Magic''), was released in 2002 and performed by Houdek at Dora,

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

's national competition for entry to the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

. There he was noticed by maestro Zdravko Šljivac who offered him a collaboration and publicly praised him by saying that a singer such as Houdek is born once every 300 years. The next month, Houdek signed an exclusive contract with

Croatia Records Croatia Records is a record label in Croatia owned by AUTOR d.o.o., based in Zagreb. Summary Croatia Records d.d. is a joint-stock company currently led by the chief executive officer Želimir Babogredac, a sound engineer. It releases mostly (but ...

, the leading music publisher in the region, with whom he has produced 13 albums. In 2004, he provided the singing voice of

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...

for the Croatian dub of the ''Aladdin'' franchise, with Dušan Bućan voicing the character for the dialogues. During campaign for 2007 parliamentary election, Houdek sang

party anthem A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...

"HDZ zna" (''HDZ Knows'') for the

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

Croatian Democratic Union The Croatian Democratic Union (, , HDZ) is a major conservative, centre-right political party in Croatia. Since 2016, it has been the ruling political party in Croatia under the incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. It is one of the ...

(HDZ) which was at the time ran by

Ivo Sanader Ivo Sanader (; born 8 June 1953) is a Croatian former politician who served as Prime Minister of Croatia from 2003 to 2009. He is currently serving a 18-year prison sentence for corruption in Lipovica penitentiary. Sanader is to date the second ...

. He later also sang for the mayoral campaign of the

populist Populism is a contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the " common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establis ...

Milan Bandić. Houdek said in an interview for ''

Jutarnji list () is a Croatian daily newspaper based in Zagreb. It was published on 6 April 1998 by EPH (Europapress holding, owned by Ninoslav Pavić), which eventually changed its name in Hanza Media after being bought by Marijan Hanžeković. The newspap ...

'' that he is

apolitical Apoliticism is apathy or antipathy towards all political affiliations. A person may be described as apolitical if they are uninterested or uninvolved in politics. Being apolitical can also refer to situations in which people take an unbiased p ...

and that those were just professional engagements as any other. In the 2019 presidential election, he supported independent candidate Miroslav Škoro. In January 2011, Houdek placed fourth in the finals of the

Open Mic UK Open Mic UK is a live music competition for singers, vocalists and solo artists run by Future Music Management in the United Kingdom, UK. Competitors compete at regional auditions to qualify to perform live at live music showcases and reach an ...

singing contest held in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

's O2 Arena. He also participated in the British TV show ''X Factor'', where he was given the nickname "Croatian Sensation" and entered the top 100 candidates. He was unable to continue his participation in the contest because he did not receive a

work permit A work permit or work visa is the permission to take a job within a foreign country. The foreign country where someone seeks to obtain a work permit for is also known as the "country of work", as opposed to the "country of origin" where someone ho ...

in time. In February 2017, Houdek was selected to represent Croatia at the

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

, Ukraine. He qualified for the final, achieving eighth place in the second semi-final and eventually 13th place in the grand final with the song " My Friend". Over the years, he has performed in the Zagreb's Gavella and Komedija theaters,

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his career, the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, and has sold out solo concert in

Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall () is a large concert hall and convention center in Zagreb, Croatia. It is named after Vatroslav Lisinski, a 19th-century Croatian composer. The building has a big hall with 1,841 seats and a small hall with 305 s ...

for five times.

Controversy

In 2005, Houdek said in an interview for the ''Tena'' magazine that "

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

and

lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...

population cannot be equal with other citizens because it means a return to

Sodom and Gomorrah In the Abrahamic religions, Sodom and Gomorrah () were two cities destroyed by God for their wickedness. Sodom and Gomorrah are repeatedly invoked throughout the Hebrew Bible, Deuterocanonical texts, and the New Testament as symbols of sin, di ...

", and has called same-sex unions "sick" for which he was named the " Homophobe of the Year" in 2006 in a selection organised by the main Croatian

LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...

portal Gay.hr. In a report from 2005, the

International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA, Spanish: ''Asociación internacional de lesbianas, gays, bisexuales, trans e intersexuales'') is a LGBTQ+ rights organization. It participates in a multitude of a ...

(ILGA) listed him as "a public figure who gave homophobic statements". In 2011, Houdek was nominated for the title "Homophobe of the Decade" by the LGBT Zagreb Pride organisation which called him "without doubt the biggest homophobe in Croatian showbiz". In response, Houdek published a public statement on

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

titled "Love and Music are My Driving Forces" in which he expressed his regret for being included in the selection, adding that he was

gay-friendly Gay-friendly or LGBTQ-friendly places, policies, people, or institutions are those that are open and welcoming to gay or LGBTQ people. They typically aim to create an environment that is supportive, respectful, and non-judgmental towards the L ...

and had nothing against love of any kind.

Private life

Houdek is married to Brigita Krkač since 2006 with whom he has two children, daughter Sofija (b. 2006) and son David (b. 2013).

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Awards and recognitions

Four-time winner of the Croatian music award Porin. * Best new artist * Best performance by a male singer * Best album of children's music * Best Christmas-themed album Porin nominations: * Hit of the year * Best pop album * Best vocal collaboration * Best album of tambura music

Festival awards

* Bihaćki festival (2nd and 3rd award), 2004 * Melodije Kvarnera (Grand Prix), 2004 * Banjalučki festival (Best vocal performance), 2005 * Radijski festival BiH (Best Croatian performer), 2005 * Bihaćki festival (Best vocal performance), 2006 * Krapinski festival (2nd jury prize), 2007 * Radio M, BiH (Best Croatian performer), 2008 * Mostar (Grand Prix), 2009 * Budva (Best arrangement and 3rd jury prize), 2009 * Ohrid fest (1st jury prize), 2009 * HRF (Musical editors' award), 2009 * CMC festival (Most played song of the year), 2010 * Narodni radio (TOP 10 songs of 2016), 2017

TV, concert and other professional achievements

* 2003 – jury member of the musical reality show ' Story Supernova' ( Nova TV) * 2007 – jury member of the musical reality show 'Showtime' (Nova TV) * 2007 and 2010 – winner of HRT's show ' Zvijezde pjevaju' Just the Two of Us'">Just the Two of Us (TV series)">Just the Two of Us'(

Croatian Radiotelevision ''Hrvatska radiotelevizija'' ( HRT), or Croatian Radiotelevision, is a Croatian public broadcasting company. It operates several radio and television channels, over a domestic transmitter network as well as satellite. HRT is divided into three ...

) * 2015 – winning mentor in the TV-show 'THE VOICE' (CRT) * Thousands of concerts and performances across Croatia and the region * Supported hundreds of charity initiatives and concerts * 2007-today – sold out the

12 times as a solo performer * 14/05/2006 – Concert album promotion at the Gavella theater in Zagreb * 14/02/2007 – Valentine's Day at the Komedija * 19/12/2010 –

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, 10th career anniversary concert * 19/02/2012 – Gala-concert 'Jacques Houdek & divas', Croatian National Theater in Zagreb * 12/08/2016 – Big Summer Stage in

Opatija Opatija (; ; ) is a List of cities and towns in Croatia, town and a municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in northwestern Croatia. The traditional seaside resort on the Kvarner Gulf is known for its Mediterranean climate and its historic bu ...

, gala-concert 'The Greatest Voice Sings for You' * 20/11/2016 – Croatian National Theater in Split, 'Two Voices – Two Instruments', Jacques Houdek & Nina Kraljić * 2007-today – regular entry in the TOP 20 most listened performers in Croatia (according to the report of the Croatian Union for the Protection of Performers' Rights) * 2016 – played the leading role in the children's spectacle 'Kraš's Sweet Fairytale' (sold out 23 times) * Jacques is a full member of the Croatian Composers' Society (HDS) and the author of many of his hit songs.

Professional collaborations

;Musicians Goran Kovačić, Robert Vrbančić, Alan Dović, Kristijan Zebić, Krunoslav Dražić, Antun Stašić, Ante Gelo, Krunoslav Levačić, Dalibor Marinković, Davor Černigoj, Nebojša Buhin, Zlatan Došlić, Igor Geržina et al. ;Producers Predrag Martinjak, Tihomir Ivanetić, Bojan Šalomon,

Nikša Bratoš Nikša Bratoš (born 17 August 1959) is a Croatian musician. He is known for having played in bands Bonton Baya, Valentino and Crvena jabuka. He has worked on songs for a variety of Croatian pop artists. Biography Bratoš was born in 1959, an ...

, David Vurdelja, Tihomir Preradović, Mahir Sarihodžić, Olja Dešić, Boris Đurđević, Dalibor Paurić, Hrvoje Runtić et al. ;Composers Ante Pecotić, Aleksandra Milutinović,

Aleksandra Kovač Aleksandra Kovač ( sr-Cyrl, Александра Ковач, ; born 1972) is a Serbian singer-songwriter, composer, and music producer. She is the eldest daughter of composer Kornelije Kovač and the elder sister of singer Kristina Kovač. Alo ...

, Andrea Čubrić, Bruno Kovačić, Ivana Plechinger, Ines Prajo, Arijana Kunštek, Zorana Šiljeg,

Tonči Huljić Tonči Huljić (; born 29 October 1961) is a Croatian musician, songwriter and music producer. He is best known as the founding member, songwriter and producer of one the most famous Croatian pop music, pop bands, Magazin. During his career span ...

, Ivica Krajač, Ivan Škunca et al. ;Conductors Zdravko Šljivac, Alan Bjelinski, Siniša Leopold, Stipica Kalogjera, Nikica Kalogjera, Joško Banov et al. ;Ensembles Girls' Choir 'Zvjezdice', Children's choir 'Klinci s Ribnjaka', Zagreb Soloists, Croatian Radiotelevision Jazz Orchestra, Ante Gelo Big Band, Nikša Bratoš Band, Krunoslav Dražić's Tambura Orchestra, Croatian Radiotelevision's Tambura Orchestra, Antun Stašić's Maestro Orchestra et al. ;Singers

Tereza Kesovija Tereza Ana Kesovija (; born 3 October 1938) is an internationally acclaimed Croatian recording artist. She was one of the most recognizable figures on the music scene in the former Yugoslavia and is renowned for her wide vocal range and operati ...

Gabi Novak Gabrijela "Gabi" Novak (; born 8 July 1936) is a Croatian pop and jazz singer. A wife of the prominent Croatian singer-songwriter Arsen Dedić, whom she married in 1973, Novak became popular in the 1960s. Biography Born in Berlin into a family ...

, Josipa Lisac, Radojka Šverko, Vera Svoboda, Zdenka Kovačiček, Zdenka Vučković,

Doris Dragović Dorotea Budimir (; born 16 April 1961), better known as Doris Dragović () or simply Doris, is a Croatian singer who has represented Yugoslavia in the Eurovision Song Contest 1986 with the song " Željo moja", finishing 11th with 49 points, and C ...

Nina Badrić Nina Badrić (; born 4 July 1972) is a Croatian pop singer and songwriter. She began performing in the early 1990s, and competed in " Dora" – the Croatian selection for Eurovision Song Contest 4 times. She won 7th place in 1993 with "Ostavljam ...

, Vanna, Ivana Kindl, Ivana Husar, Maja Blagdan,

Kaliopi Kaliopi Bukle (, ; born 28 December 1966 as Kaljopa Bukleska (Macedonian: Каљопа Буклеска)), known professionally as Kaliopi, is a Macedonian singer-songwriter. In her career, Kaliopi has progressed from singing lead vocal with ...

Oliver Dragojević Oliver Dragojević (; 7 December 1947 – 29 July 2018) was a Croatian singer and composer, who was considered one of the most enduring musical stars and cultural icons in Croatia with a discography that spanned nearly five decades. His style b ...

, Krunoslav Slabinac,

Tony Cetinski Anthony Cetinski (born 31 May 1969) is a Croatian pop singer. Biography Born into a family of musicians in Pula (then SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia), Cetinski began singing when he was 15 years old with various local groups. He moved from Rovinj to ...

Massimo Massimo () is a masculine Italian given name. Notable people with the name include: * Massimo Agostinelli (Max Agos) (born 1987), Swiss-based Italian American artist, entrepreneur and activist * Massimo Agostini (born 1964), Italian football man ...

Marko Tolja Marko Tolja (born 3 July 1984) is a Croatian singer. Career 1984–2005: Early life and education Marko Tolja was born on 3 July 1984 in Rijeka to Koraljka and Darko Tolja. Tolja gained his first musical experiences with his uncle Davor, who san ...

, Erato group et al.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Houdek, Jacques 1981 births Living people Croatian pop singers 21st-century Croatian male singers Croatian tenors Croatian people of Czech descent People from Velika Gorica Musicians from Zagreb Croatia Records artists Eurovision Song Contest entrants