Croatian Artists at MENT 2026

MENT Festival in Ljubljana is an award-winning event packed with musical discoveries. Along with the conference, MENT offers musical acts from across Europe the chance to perform before international music professionals. This year, Croatia will be sending three young, creative acts to the festival, happening from February 18-21. 

DUNJALUK

“Dunja Bahtijarević echoes the epic nuance of female sevdah singers – like a dignified dam that resists the flood of melancholy. She sings unwaveringly, with an attitude that doesn’t allow for gratification or resorting to melodrama. Luka Čapeta provides a balancing contrast. His guitar clamours and howls, like a beast that can’t speak, a source of pure and propulsive energy that shakes the cage in which it is imprisoned.” – Zoran Stajčić, Ravno do dna

Zagreb-based duo Dunjaluk are exploring sevdah’s new terrains. Behind the project are vocalist Dunja Bahtijarević and guitarist Luka Čapeta, who have been digging into Bosnian tradition, only to rebuild it from fragments of the present. Their music blurs the lines between intimacy and experimentation, merging sevdah with textures of noise, punk, jazz and classical form. On their latest EP Vrbas, released in May, they join forces with Viennese trio wh/m and Lenhart Tapes, expanding sevdah’s language into something more raw, poetic and contemporary.

Performance: FRI 19, 19:25 – 20:05 @ Ljubljana Castle – Chapel

KALEIDO

“In addition to jazz influences, their predominantly indie rock sound is further enriched by the members’ vocal harmonies, which add an ethereal dimension that blends seamlessly with the raw instrumentation and highlights the atmospheric character of kaleido’s music.” – Milena Pantović, Radio Študent

These young faces from Zagreb’s indie/emo scene have been carving out a fiercely DIY sound defined by dramatic shifts in dynamics, from gentle, jazzy passages to raw, climactic walls of noise. Over the past year, the band repeatedly locked themselves away in log cabins, basements, and other dark, damp spaces (read: their grandfathers’ ancient estates) to record their debut album. The result, Čiji je ovo pas? (Whose Dog Is This?), released in April, is a breath of fresh air: ethereal vocal harmonies woven through indie instrumentation and melancholic trumpet lines, forming a distinctive blend of post-rock and Midwest emo.

Performance: THU 18, 21:45 – 22:25 @ Menza pri koritu

KI KLOP

“Luka’s voice is one of Ki Klop’s strongest assets. Its depth and somewhat raspy nonchalance fit unexpectedly well over the vibrant, neon-infused layers of retro-synth and dance rhythms.” – David Mandić, Glazba.hr

Zagreb-based disco-pop mutant Ki Klop is one of the most vibrant new forces on the regional alternative scene. The trio’s sound gives the impression of a cosmic collision of electro-disco, hazy guitars, and dance rhythms. On their debut album Otopljeni disko, the band redefined what it means to be ‘cool’ on the dancefloor – it’s like a black disco hole that melts funk, pop, and irony into something bold and sharp.

Performance: FRI 19, 20:50 – 21:30 @ Orto Bar – Hala