Janez Bončina, nicknamed Benč is a Slovenian composer, guitarist and singer. He is one of the leading authors and performers of Slovenian and Yugoslavian rock music. In the middle of the 1960s, Bončina with his friend Tomaž Domicelj from the group Helioni, showed his talent for music. Later with the group Mladi levi he founded the projects, which started the Slovenian pop rock scene.
Biography
In 1970–1972, he collaborated with the international groupThe Generals, and in 1972 he founded the rock group Srce. With selected Yugoslavian musicians, he founded the group September in 1975. Their music consisted of jazz rock, and was recognised domestically and internationally. September used to be the ambassador of Yugoslavian rock abroad; in the years 1976–1979 they were guests in the Soviet Union, Belgium, Italy, Cuba, Germany, France and finally United States, where they recorded their second album. In 1983 Benč returned to music scene with the solo albumOb Šanku, which was created with the arranger Gregor Forjanič. With the group Karamela he was a guest in Italy, Germany and the Soviet Union, recordings from the tour were, later published on a live album. At this time, Pepsi Cola chose him as a Yugoslavian representative of international propaganda action, where he played along with Tina Turner in a propaganda video. In 1988, he created a group called Yunk – Junaki nočne kronike, which with direct and critical lyrics and acclaimed performances got recognised by larger audience. After 2 successful albums he left the group. The year 1992 was the beginning of his acoustical period and musical collaboration with Tomo Jurak and Janez Zmazek – Žan. In a short period, they had numerous concerts and received several prizes. In 1994 Benč collaborated in the group of a magnificent 7, together with Janez Zmazek, Vlado Kreslin, Zoran Predin, Peter Lovšin, Aleksander Mežek, Tomaž Domicelj and Jani Kovačič. The acoustic period ended with golden note for best Slovenian rock singer in the year 1995. In 1996 and 1997, Benč returned to his musical roots and collaborated with great instrumentalists, such as Marijan Maliković, Primož Grašič, Jadran Ogrin, Jani Hace, Blaž Jurjevčič, Ratko Divjak, Tulio Furlanič and others, with whom they had concerts in Yugoslavia and abroad. In 1998 and 1999, he collaborated with Big BandRTV Slovenia as author and performer with their projects. After the release of the albumBendologijain 1999, which was awarded the Golden rooster prize, Benč and friends went on a concert tour, where they performed at Lent, Lignano Sabbiadoro, Pula at a bikers' festival, as well as in Ljubljana, as well as in Sarajevo at the event Live for Life, and at the new year 2000 celebration at the Zagreb club Tvornica, where they played along with Josipa Lisac, Dado Topić, Dino Dvornik and Nina Badrič. In 2003, a new album The Best of September was released. For this purpose, Benč reunited the group again, along with Doblekar, Asanović, Ogrin, Maliković, Divjak and Tulio Furlanič. Concerts in Pula, Portorose and Lent reached their top in Ljubljana's Hala Tivoli together with the legendary group Deep Purple. In 2005, Benč and arranger Braco J. Doblekar reunited together in author project Janezz together with young musicians, students of musical universities from home and abroad reunited for this occasion in the Big band maintained by Braco J. Doblekar.
Others talents
Benč is not only famous as a musician, but also as a painter and sportsman, and occasional actor. In the season of 1976–1977 he performed in J. Arden's show "Živite kot svinje", directed by Zvone Šedlbauer at the theatre in Ljubljana. He later starred in a movie Eva, directed by Franci Slak. He also wrote the music for some other movies and television projects.
