Who Is Vesna Zmijanac

Vesna Zmijanac (born in Nikšić on 4 January 1957) is a Serbian folk singer and actress, one of the most recognizable names in folk music in the former Yugoslavia. Her emotional delivery and melancholic love ballads earned her the nickname “Queen of Sadness.” According to encyclopedic sources, she has sold around 6.7 million records, and she has also remained popular in neighboring Bulgaria.

She released her first single, “Hvala ti za sve,” in 1979, and her real breakthrough came in the mid-1980s with the song “Nevera moja.” Albums and hits that defined an era followed: “Ne kunite crne oči,” “Kunem ti se životom,” “Svatovi,” “Idem preko zemlje Srbije,” and “Malo po malo.” She is best known, however, for the duet “Kad zamirišu jorgovani” with Dino Merlin.

Besides music, she has appeared in films and television series, published an autobiographical book, and taken part in reality shows. Her daughter is the singer Nikolija. In May 2026, she gave three concerts at the Belgrade Arena to mark five decades of her career.

Origins and Early Life

Vesna Zmijanac was born on 4 January 1957 in Nikšić, then part of the People’s Republic of Montenegro within Yugoslavia. Most sources give Nikšić as her birthplace, while some biographies mention Titograd. Her family was staying in Nikšić because of her father’s job.

Her father, Dušan, came from Sisak, and her mother, Kovina, from the area around Kraljevo. Her parents divorced when Vesna was only a year old. As a result, she grew up with her maternal grandmother in the village of Kovači, a few kilometers from Kraljevo, while her parents worked abroad.

Her childhood was not easy, and she has said many times that this period made her strong. She showed an interest in music early on. She names Šaban Šaulić, Esma Redžepova, and Safet Isović as her vocal role models, and their influence can be heard in her emotional vocal style.

By her own account, she began performing in primary school, and that was when she realized music would be her path in life. Her early years were marked by moving, working, and searching for her place, which later strongly influenced her choice of songs and the way she sings them.

Education

Vesna Zmijanac finished primary school in Ribnica, followed by a typing course. For a time she lived in Vienna with her mother, where she attended high school but did not complete it. She received no formal musical education, so she learned to sing through practice, performing in taverns and alongside more experienced colleagues.

In Vienna she also worked for a while in a Siemens factory. In her words, that life did not suit her, so she soon returned to Yugoslavia to keep singing.

Beginning of Her Career

She got her first engagement at only fifteen, in a tavern near Kruševac. After her stay in Vienna, she returned home and kept singing in taverns along the Ibar Highway. Many young performers of that era went through a similar path, and she later described those experiences as a hard but valuable school.

While she was living in Vienna, she was discovered by Šaban Šaulić, one of the greatest folk singers. He invited her to join him on a European tour, and later helped her sign a contract with the record label PGP-RTB. Vesna has often called him her teacher and stressed how much she owes him.

The official start of her career is linked to the late 1970s. She released her first single, “Hvala ti za sve,” in 1979, followed by several more singles. Her first album, “Ljubi me, ljubi, lepoto moja,” came out in 1982 (some sources give an earlier year). According to some sources, she began appearing in front of the film camera the same year.

Her first three albums brought moderate success. Even then, however, she stood out from other female singers with her distinctive voice, a different style of dress, and a stage presence reminiscent of world music stars.

Acting Roles

Vesna Zmijanac has appeared in several film and television productions. She first acted in the film “Sok od šljiva” (1981), directed by Branko Baletić, in the role of Kadivka. She then appeared as herself in the television series “Kamiondžije opet voze” (1984), and her participation in the sequel “Kamiondžije 2” is also mentioned.

In 1994, she appeared in the television film “Novogodišnja priča.” Although music remains her main calling, these roles further strengthened her popularity with a wider audience at a time when films and series were an important part of entertainment in Yugoslavia.

Rise to Popularity

The decisive moment came in 1985 with the release of “Nevera moja,” written by Miroljub Aranđelović Kemiš, her husband at the time and a longtime collaborator. The song became her first big hit. The following year came the album “Dođi što pre,” which, according to available data, sold around 400,000 copies.

That same year, she won the main prize at the International Music Fair (MESAM) in Belgrade with the song “Kraj nogu ti mrem.” The album was followed by her first major tour of the country, making Vesna Zmijanac one of the most popular singers in Yugoslavia.

It was also at this time that her much-mentioned rivalry with Lepa Brena began. The media presented them as the two biggest stars of folk music, and the audience, according to the press, was split into “Brena’s fans” and “Vesna’s fans.” Vesna, however, was building a completely different identity. While Lepa Brena cultivated a cheerful and commercial image, Vesna was seen as the femme fatale of folk music, a singer of strong emotions and wistful love songs.

The album “Jedan si ti” (called “Jedini si ti” in some sources) sold around half a million copies. The hits “Kunem ti se životom” and “Kazni me, kazni” further cemented her status. Concerts at Belgrade’s Hall Pionir and Sarajevo’s Zetra hall drew tens of thousands of people over the course of her tours.

Greatest Achievements

Her popularity peaked in the late 1980s with the album “Istina,” which, according to different sources, sold between 750,000 and 850,000 copies, while the singer herself claims it passed a million. The year of release also varies between sources, with both 1987 and 1988 given. The album is considered one of the best-selling in the former Yugoslavia.

It also included the song that became a symbol of an era: the duet with Dino Merlin, “Kad zamirišu jorgovani.” Merlin was just starting his career at the time, while Vesna was already a big star. That ballad is still counted among the most beautiful love songs from this region. She later named her book about her own life after it.

Next came the album “Svatovi” (1990), released by the label Komuna. It was promoted with a tour and ten consecutive concerts at Belgrade’s Sava Centar. The title song became a staple at celebrations and weddings across the region.

With the breakup of Yugoslavia and the wars, the atmosphere on the music scene changed, and many major performers lost part of their audience. Vesna Zmijanac nevertheless managed to endure.

The Nineties and New Songs

At the beginning of the 1990s she released the album “Ako me umiriš sad” (1992), followed by “Idem preko zemlje Srbije” (1994) and “Malo po malo” (1995). During this period she changed her image, dyed her hair black, and turned to a more modern sound.

On her nineties albums she collaborated with Momčilo Bajagić Bajaga and Rambo Amadeus. With Slavko Banjac she recorded the song “Ja imam nekog, a ti si sam” (1994). The hits “Sebi sam bila i rat i brat” and “Malo po malo” remain among her best known. The album “Posle svega, dobro sam” was released in 1997 and includes the song “Da budemo noćas zajedno,” recorded with Bajaga.

In 2000, she published the book “Kad zamirišu jorgovani,” which she herself described as an “attempt at an autobiography.” The album “Šta ostane kad padnu haljine” came out in 2003, and her latest studio album to date, “Sokole,” was released in 2011 by PGP-RTS. Her discography includes a total of fourteen studio albums and several compilations.

Reality Shows

Younger generations also remember Vesna Zmijanac for her participation in reality shows. In October 2010, she took part in the third season of “Survivor Srbija VIP: Philippines” together with her daughter Nikolija. She was the second contestant to leave the game, and media coverage of her participation drew great public attention.

In 2016, she competed in the seventh season of “Farma.” She left the show voluntarily after 95 days, when she learned that her daughter was pregnant and that she would become a grandmother.

The Golden Tour and Concerts at the Belgrade Arena

To mark fifty years of her career, Vesna Zmijanac gave three consecutive concerts at the Belgrade Arena on 14, 15, and 16 May 2026. Guests at the first concert included Dino Merlin, with whom she once again sang “Kad zamirišu jorgovani,” as well as Lukas and Miroslav Ilić. She opened the concert with the hit “Nevera moja,” and the audience sang along to the biggest hits from every decade.

The performances were attended by numerous well-known performers, and her daughter Nikolija and son-in-law Relja Popović were in the audience. According to media reports, she had brief health troubles before the first concert, but she later said herself that she felt excellent.

The “Golden Tour – 50 Years of Career” continues with a concert at the “Boris Trajkovski” arena in Skopje, announced for 28 November. It was conceived as her first major performance after the Belgrade anniversary.

Private Life

Vesna Zmijanac has been married twice. She entered her first marriage in the 1980s with songwriter and instrumentalist Miroljub Aranđelović Kemiš, who wrote her first big hit. The marriage lasted about three years. Kemiš later married the singer Zorica Brunclik. Vesna has said in interviews that they wanted children, but it did not happen.

She entered her second marriage with the economist and former PGP-RTS marketing chief Dr. Vladimir Vlada Jovanović. Their daughter Nikolija was born on 19 October 1989. The marriage later ended, but they remained connected through their daughter. Nikolija Jovanović is now a popular singer and is married to Relja Popović.

In recent years, Vesna Zmijanac has spent most of her time in a house on Bukulja, far from the city bustle. She is known for her openness in public appearances, and performing on stage with a cigarette has occasionally provoked mixed reactions from the audience.

Public Engagement

According to media reports, Vesna Zmijanac publicly endorsed President Aleksandar Vučić in 2022. During a rally of the Serbian Progressive Party in March 2026, she performed at the event and said that she had always been with the government. The statement provoked varied reactions in the public. Her daughter Nikolija and son-in-law Relja Popović, on the other hand, publicly supported the student protests in 2025.

Interesting Facts

• She earned the nickname “Queen of Sadness” because of her emotional and melancholic ballads.
• She had her first tavern engagement at the age of fifteen.
• At MESAM in Belgrade she won with the song “Kraj nogu ti mrem.”
• In the same year her daughter was born, she released one of the biggest hits of the 1980s.
• The book “Kad zamirišu jorgovani” carries the title of her best-known duet.
• She took part in the reality show “Survivor” with Nikolija in 2010.
• Šaban Šaulić discovered her while she was living in Vienna.

Awards and Recognitions

Vesna Zmijanac has received several honors over her career. At MESAM in 1986 she won the main prize. In December 2019, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Music Artists of Serbia. In October 2020, she was proclaimed a National Music Artist of Serbia at the Folk Music Assembly of Serbia.

Numerous albums reached high sales figures, and in 2014 RTS dedicated a “Zlatna ploča” (Golden Record) broadcast to her.

Legacy and Influence

Vesna Zmijanac is considered one of the first singers in the Balkans to bring the standards of world stars into folk music, through her visual identity, music videos, and concert production. Her songs are still sung at celebrations today, and new generations of performers cite her as a role model.

She left her deepest mark through her emotional interpretation and songs that defined generations, from “Nevera moja” to “Jorgovani.” Through her daughter Nikolija, who is also a popular singer, her musical legacy continues into a new generation.