The Balkanto & Simpl Lajf Choir
Belkanto is the name of the choir at the Dornava Institute for Training, Work and Care; its members are service users of the institute. The choir’s name derives from the Italian singing style known as ‘bel canto’, which aims to sing beautifully, express one’s thoughts and feelings, and present these to others.
Initially, the choir performed only at events organised by the Dornava Institute and at events for people with special needs in Slovenia and Croatia. In 2003, the idea of performing original music was conceived and realised for the first time; in recent years, this has become a priority in their creative work. Since then, the singers have been taking part in regular weekly rehearsals; the complexity of their musical work has increased, and as a result, they have incorporated polyphonic singing into their repertoire and strengthened their focus on original compositions. It is important to note that the lyrics are based on the thoughts and feelings of all the choir members, which is why they are so special. They have focused on performing authentic Slovenian music, particularly somewhat forgotten evergreen pop songs.
In recent years, Romana Lauder has joined the choir to provide professional support.
Whilst learning songs, the singers place emphasis on helping one another, their relationships with each other, the quality of communication and mutual encouragement. They explore the limits of their own vocal abilities, develop a sense of harmonious balance and learn self-criticism.
Most importantly, however, the Belkano Choir performs in the same way and sings to the same audiences as any other choir.
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Simpl lajf is a band that brings a breath of fresh air, light-heartedness and colourful musical stories. With thought-provoking, at times humorous lyrics and catchy melodies, they describe their sound as ‘acoustic groovy pop’.
The band’s beginnings date back to 2024, when they recorded their first single with a music video – ‘Rada bi šla’. This was followed by ‘XXL Lajf’ in 2025 and ‘Veter iz Gore’ in 2026. To date, they have performed at numerous concerts across Slovenia. They have appeared at many festivals, including KavčFest, the Musica Medicina Festival, the Music Festival and the Lent Festival, as well as at various club and culinary events such as KGB Maribor, Blunout, Hiša Lisjak and Hiša na Travniku, and at concerts at Tuštanj and Vurberk Castles, where they performed as the support act for Zmelkoow.
Simpl lajf are:
Urška Videnšek – vocals
Primož Pavlin – bass
David Vezjak – guitar
Sandi Franko – cajon
