Vlado Kreslin - An Exclusive Interview with Slovenia's Music Legend

This podcast is not only about Ljubljana, but also about interesting folk who live in Ljubljana. And it doesn’t get any more interesting than Slovenia’s most beloved musician, Vlado Kreslin. Kreslin is a national institution in Slovenia, having achieved the status of folk hero.  Songs from his albums, and based on his published poetry, have inspired films and novels. I could describe him as Slovenia’s answer to Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan (in fact he opened for a Dylan concert), and that would give you a sense of how universally popular he is, from teenagers to grandparents—everyone knows and appreciates his songs. He’s also been a friend for more than a decade, Everyone can agree on the transcendental power of words and music.

In 2007 my wife and I wrote to Vlado Kreslin, simply to say that we were great fans of his music, and to ask if I might interview him for a magazine article.  My wife is Slovenian (and is the producer of this podcast), and I had been introduced to Kreslin's music by Slovenian friends.  To our great surprise, Kreslin wrote back personally.  I had somehow imagined that any major star would be surrounded by an entourage of “handlers” who would respond to emails on his behalf.But Kreslin is down-to-earth, a fan’s dream.  He once performed a private show for a fan from Texas who flew to Slovenia to see him perform, but who had arrived too late to see the real concert.  We quickly became friendly. 

 

Kreslin’s thirty-year career has spanned performances with R.E.M. and Bob Dylan and concerts around the world. While he is most associated with Prekmurje, the flatlands of Slovenia by the Hungarian border where he grew up, he lives in Ljubljana, which is where I met up with him for today’s episode.

Talented in languages and music, Kreslin studied first in the 1970s to be an English teacher, but his love was always music.  He performed in a number of bands through the 1980s, including Martin Krpan (named after a legendary strongman of Slovenian folklore).Kreslin’s innate charisma and nuanced voice made him a natural front man for these bands.  An avid poet, he wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the music, while playing guitar and singing lead vocals.  The poems, many of which are lyrics, take on a new meaning when performed with music, much as a play is fascinating to read but benefits from the interpretation of an actor. My wife translated his poems into English and, in 2009, when I was teaching at Yale, he was invited to the university to receive an honorary fellowship. It was great to have him there and Slovenian expats came from far and wide, delighted at the chance to see someone who is nationally beloved, the sound of home.

 

It was after Martin Krpan, when Kreslin set off on his own, that he truly emerged as an artist.  He began to perform with some of the musicians who had played at his grandfather’s restaurant in his youth, in the Prekmurje village of Beltinci.  They formed what became known as Beltinška Banda (the Band of Beltinci), and some still play with Kreslin, even into their 80s.   Kreslin also encourages young musicians, and his new band was dubbed Mali Bogovi (Minor Gods).  Seeing Kreslin perform on stage is a union of eras.Beltinska Banda plays alongside Mali Bogovi, octogenarians beside twenty-somethings.  Their musicianship is without question but the tie that binds them is Kreslin the vocalist and writer, the bridge between generations. 

I caught up with him at his home in Ljubljana, where he first asked me if I listen to records.

A chat with Kreslin is really the best way to get to know his personality. That and listening to his music. He has many albums, but the one I recommend is a three-CD set (remember when people listened to music on CDs?) called Koncert. It’s a live concert recording and the one that I had forever in my car, until cars stopped coming with CD players. But since you’re most likely to listen to music on a streaming service