Riva (band)
| Company type | Pop group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1986 in Zadar, Croatia |
| Founder | Dalibor Musap |
| Headquarters | Zadar , Croatia |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Riva was a Croatian pop group established in Zadar in 1986.
History
The band came together in 1986 and participated in Zagrebfest 1988 with the track "Zadnja Suza" ("Last Tear").
Their entry "Rock Me" secured victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 1989 held in Switzerland, earning 137 points and marking the only win for Yugoslavia. The event took place in Zagreb under the organization of Yugoslav Radio Television.
Capitalizing on their triumph, Riva released two albums: Rock Me (1989) and Srce Laneta ("Deer Fawn's Heart," 1990).
Subsequently, they partnered with a Swiss agency to work on a third album titled Lude Glave, Lude Godine ("Crazy Heads, Crazy Years"), which included collaboration with Per Gessle from the pop rock duo Roxette. The band was scheduled to serve as the opening act for Roxette's global tour.
Nevertheless, disagreements emerged when the agency insisted on marketing the band as Yugoslavian despite Croatia's recent independence and the ongoing humanitarian crisis stemming from the Yugoslav Wars. Lead singer Emilija Kokić later expressed criticism, viewing this approach as a denial of their nation's circumstances.
Consequently, Riva ended their relationship with the agency, resulting in the cancellation of the album release; only three tracks were performed during Croatia's Eurovision selection event Dora in 1993.
In 1991, the group entered a break initially expected to be short but eventually became indefinite as members pursued individual careers, with sporadic reunions occurring between 1993 and 2016.
Personnel
- Emilija Kokić – lead vocals
- Dalibor Musap – vocals, keyboards, founder and leader of Riva
- Nenad Nakić – vocals, bass guitar
- Zvonimir Zrilić – guitar, vocals
- Boško Colić – drums