Who Is Aca Lukas

Aca Lukas, whose real name is Aleksandar Vuksanović, is a Serbian singer and musician, born on 3 November 1968 in Belgrade. He is one of the most recognizable performers of the folk and pop-folk scene in the Balkans. He is especially known for emotional tavern ballads, energetic performances and concerts that have been filling the biggest halls in the region for decades.

He began his career in the early 1990s in Belgrade clubs. He took his stage name from the popular riverboat and club “Lukas” in New Belgrade, where he often performed as a young man. He released his first album in the mid-1990s. Real fame came with albums created in collaboration with the songwriters Marina Tucaković and Aleksandar Radulović Futa, above all with the song “Lična karta”, which became his signature.

Besides music, Lukas is known as a longtime judge on the competition “Zvezde Granda” and a participant in Pesma za Evroviziju 2022. He is also the author of the autobiographical book “Ovo sam ja”, and his life inspired the film trilogy and series “Kafana na Balkanu”. Below, we follow his path from Karaburma to the biggest halls in the region.

Early Life and Childhood

Aleksandar Vuksanović was born in Belgrade and grew up in the neighborhood of Karaburma. Music was with him from an early age, but it was not the only passion of the young Belgrader. According to media reports, he was also a good footballer in his youth, and his idol was Diego Maradona.

Details about his parents and family environment in childhood have not been confirmed in reliable sources. Lukas has occasionally spoken about his parents in interviews. Still, those details are not verifiable enough to be included in an encyclopedic biography.

Education

Aca Lukas graduated from a secondary music school. The name of the school has not been publicly confirmed. His musical education gave him a solid foundation for working with instruments. It is publicly known that he plays keyboards and piano, and he often uses them in his performances.

Beginning of His Career

Lukas started singing in the early 1990s. He performed in Belgrade clubs and on riverboats, playing a range of genres, from jazz to old-town and Romani songs. He gained great popularity at the club “Hogar” on Ada Ciganlija, where he arrived as a replacement for the previous singer, Mile Lojpur. At that club he met the musicians Milan Šćepović and Saša Lunginović, with whom he reworked songs in his own recognizable style.

According to available sources, he also performed for a time with the rock singer Viktorija and her band, touring the country with them. That experience taught him how to work with a band and how to lead a concert audience.

His first studio album, “Ponos i laž”, was released in 1994 by ITV Melomarket. Some sources give 1995, so the data differ. The album drew the audience’s attention to the young singer from Belgrade, but real momentum came only with his next releases.

Rise to Popularity

His second album, “Pesme od bola”, came out in 1996. It was followed by “Lična karta” (1998), a turning point in his career. On that album Lukas worked more closely for the first time with the songwriting duo Marina Tucaković and Aleksandar Radulović Futa. The title song is a cover of “Trauma” by the Greek singer Anna Vissi. It became his most recognizable hit.

At that time he also released the cover albums “Jedno veče u kafani” (1998) and “Drugo veče u kafani” (1999), which cemented his status as a singer of tavern repertoire. He held his first solo hall concert in November 1999 at the Pionir hall in Belgrade. According to data from his official website, he drew around 10,000 people.

At the start of the new century Lukas signed with Grand Production, under which he released the album “Rođendan” (2000). That same year he also performed at the Belgrade Fair, where, according to reports, there were around 20,000 visitors. The albums “Nešto protiv bolova” (2002), released by Music Star production, and “Istina je da te lažem” (2003), released by BK Sound, followed. By then he was one of the most in-demand names on the entertainment scene.

Operation Sablja in 2003

After the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić in 2003, the state launched the police operation “Sablja” (Saber). During it, Aca Lukas was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm. According to available sources, he was sentenced to four months in prison. During the same operation, the singer Svetlana Ražnatović Ceca was also detained, and he later collaborated with her several times.

Lukas mentioned this period several times in the media and in his book. Newspaper archives from that time also document the event.

A Break, Treatment and a Comeback

In the early 2000s Lukas struggled with addiction. According to available sources, he went for treatment in Switzerland in 2002, although some sources mention 2001. After that he took a two-year break from performing to focus on his recovery. He has spoken about his struggles with addiction and gambling in public appearances and interviews.

He returned to the scene in 2006 with the album “Jagnje moje”, released by Grand Production. The comeback was successful, and the audience welcomed him back. The album “Lešće” (2008) followed, featuring the song “Upali svetlo”. With that song Lukas won the Grand Festival in 2008 and received the award for performance of the year.

The 2009 Shooting

In February 2009, Lukas was shot with a firearm in front of a building in New Belgrade. According to media reports, an unknown person in a hood fired two shots as he was getting into his car. One hit his right thigh. Doctors assessed that he was out of danger, because the bullet passed through muscle tissue.

Lukas later shared lesser-known details of the event on television shows. The circumstances of the attack have not been officially clarified in the sources, so the motives cannot be stated as confirmed fact.

Zvezde Granda and Collaborations with Colleagues

From 2013 to 2018, Lukas was a judge on the popular competition “Zvezde Granda”, sitting alongside colleagues such as Snežana Đurišić and Marija Šerifović. In September 2018, just before the start of the 13th season, it was announced that he was leaving the jury.

During this period he also had a series of successful collaborations. With Ivana Selakov he recorded the songs “Daleko si” (2012), “Omaklo mi se” (2014) and “Ljubav u doba kokaina” (2015). In June 2014 he released the duet “Ne zanosim se ja” with Svetlana Ražnatović Ceca. With Mile Kitić and Saša Matić he recorded the song “Da me je ona volela” in 2017. His collaboration with Jelena Karleuša on the song “Bankina” earned him the collaboration of the year award at a regional music awards ceremony in 2019.

In 2021 he released the album “Uspavanka za ozbiljne bebe” with duets featuring Milica Pavlović (“Kidaš me”) and Maya Berović (“Problem”). On later releases he also collaborated with Mira Škorić.

Biggest Concerts and Achievements

Lukas’s concerts are what set him apart most. In November 2010 he performed at the Belgrade Arena for the first time. In June 2013 he held his biggest solo concert up to then at the Marakana stadium, and according to reports, it drew around 50,000 people. His concert at the Belgrade Arena on 29 April 2017 was named concert of the year.

In April 2022 he performed at the Štark Arena. In November 2024 he sang at the Sava Centar for the first time, on the evening the film “Stravično” had its premiere. According to his own words, he had by then given three concerts at the Fair, some nineteen or twenty Arenas and one stadium show.

The summer of 2026 brought 45 performances in two months. The Arena in Zagreb was sold out in October. Concerts at the Belgrade Arena were scheduled for 3 and 4 November 2026, and due to the interest of the audience a third was added on 2 November. The last two concerts were sold out. The tradition of performing at the Arena around his birthday, 3 November, has become one of his recognizable trademarks. Lukas performs across the region with his band “Folk Haus”.

Aca Lukas at Pesma za Evroviziju 2022

In March 2022 Lukas took part in the first edition of the competition Pesma za Evroviziju, in which Serbia chose its representative for Eurovision 2022. He performed the song “Oskar” by Saša Nikolić and Mira Mijatović. In the final on 5 March 2022 he finished fifth, and Konstrakta won with the song “In corpore sano”. The song received 0 points from the jury and 7 points from the public.

After the final, Lukas publicly voiced doubts about the regularity of the voting. RTS rejected the claims and explained that the SMS votes were processed automatically. According to media reports, RTS later filed a report over false reporting.

The Book “Ovo sam ja” and the “Kafana na Balkanu” Trilogy

In June 2021 he published the autobiographical book “Ovo sam ja” through Laguna. He wrote it in collaboration with the journalist Vanja Bulić. The promotion was held at the theater on Terazije. The book received mixed reactions, and some critics objected to certain statements.

Based on the book and his life, the trilogy “Kafana na Balkanu” was made, produced by Hype. The first part, “Pokidan”, premiered at the Belgrade Arena in 2023. The second part, “Stravično”, was shown on 19 November 2024 at the Sava Centar, and a few days later at the Arena Stožice in Ljubljana. The lead role is played by Mladen Sovilj, and the film character has a different name, since the story takes artistic liberties. The series “Kafana na Balkanu” began airing on the channel Superstar TV in January 2025.

Lukas also appeared in a cameo in the comedy “The Samurai in Autumn” (2016).

Controversies and Legal Proceedings

Lukas’s career has been accompanied by numerous controversies. In September 2017 he was reported for violence against his then wife Sonja. According to media reports, he admitted guilt and received a nine-month suspended sentence and an 18-month restraining order.

In November 2020 he insulted the journalist Žaklina Tatalović on a television show. In September 2022 it was reported that he had been criminally convicted and had to pay her 250,000 dinars, plus court costs. In 2020 the association “Da se zna” filed a complaint over a statement from a January 2018 television appearance that, according to them, constituted hate speech toward the LGBT community. Only confirmed proceedings are listed here, without conclusions.

Due to health problems, some of his performances were cancelled in July 2024. A concert in Banja Luka at the end of 2025 was also cancelled, and Lukas addressed the public about it.

Personal Life

Aca Lukas has four children from three marriages. From his first marriage, to Svetlana, he has a son, Lazar, and a daughter, Miljana. With his second wife, Nataša, he has a son, Andrej. In April 2010 he married Sonja (née Višnjić, also mentioned in the media as Sonja Šašić). Their daughter Viktorija was born in 2011. The marriage to Sonja was officially ended in September 2019.

He has spoken openly about his addictions and mistakes, including in conversations with his children, which the media have reported. Details about where he lives and other private matters have not been publicly confirmed, so we do not list them.

Interesting Facts

• He took the name “Lukas” from the Belgrade riverboat and club in New Belgrade where he performed.
• In his youth he played football, and his idol was Diego Maradona.
• The song “Lična karta” is a cover of “Trauma” by the singer Anna Vissi.
• In recent years, his birthday, 3 November, has also been the date of his traditional Arena concert.
• The media have often called him the “king of a good time”.
• The film “Stravično” was shown on the same day as his first concert at the Sava Centar.
• In the summer of 2026 he gave 45 performances in two months.

Awards and Recognition

• 2008: performance of the year award at the Grand Festival for the song “Upali svetlo”.
• 2011: nomination for the Popularity Oscar in the best folk singer category.
• 2017: concert of the year – Belgrade Arena, 29 April 2017.
• 2019: collaboration of the year for the song “Bankina” (with Jelena Karleuša).

Legacy and Influence

Aca Lukas is considered one of the most influential singers of the Serbian folk scene of the 1990s and 2000s. His songs “Lična karta”, “Upali svetlo” and “Volis li me” have been sung in unison in taverns and at big concerts for decades. In the region he is known for an audience that spans several generations.

His life has inspired a film and a series, which is rare among folk performers. Despite turbulent periods and criticism, over the decades Lukas has kept a loyal audience and the status of a singer who fills arenas.