Autodafé are :

Matjaž Pikalo – poetry, vocals, accordion

Jaka Hawlina – trumpet, baritone, vocals

Andrej Hawlina – violin, rattle, vocals

Luka Ropret – guitar, vocal

Davor Herceg – piano

Petra Pikalo – bongos, vocals

The founder and frontman of the musical group Autodafé is the poet Matjaž Pikalo, who is also the author of lyrics and the accordionist. In ten years of existence the group becomes very popular for its non-conventional and innovative music including both evergreens and own songs, especially the poetry by Matjaž Pikalo. The group plays acoustic instruments and music, includes the elements of drama in its performances.

CURRICULUM VITAE / Critics

1994
Three centuries after the birth of Voltaire, whose novel Candide presents an inspiration for grounding and naming the vocal- instrumental group, a first public appearance takes place in the premises of the regional library in the town of Ravne na Koroškem.

1995
While touring in Belgrade the group is unexpectedly awarded a prize in ecology.

1996
Autodafé performs at Saxo tour, but the co-operation with is stopped by the group due to the unproffessional behaviour of its organisers.

1997
To celebrate its third anniversary, the group publishes the album LE VOYAGE
IMAGINAIRE (An imagined journey)

1998
According to Slovenian weekly Mladina, Le voyage imaginaire is proclaimed one of the top five Slovenian albums of the year.

The group appears together with Matjaž Pikalo in a prime time programme of national TV called »Res je!«.

1999
Music soundtrack for a short documentary titled Portraits with a Background by Amir Muratovic. The film is awarded at the Festival of Animated Film in Izola, Slovenia.

Performance at the award ceremony of “Zlati gojzar”, awards in the field of music, organised by Radio Marš, Maribor. When returning to Ljubljana, due to heavy snowfalls, the group spends an entire day waiting in a train.

Performing at a multi-media event Hic et nunc, Valvasone, Italy. The painter Aleksander Jarc and cameraman John A. Hoffman join the group for this special occasion.

Before the rehearsals begin, the group’s violin player, Andrej Hawlina, badly injures his wrist, due to which the group is forced to a six months’ standstill.

At the end of the year the group starts recording its second album with the working title of Cinéma Voltaire.

2000
Performing at a literary event, s.c. literary composition from Murska Sobota to Koper, called Poezija Ekspres - Poetry Express.

Because of serving his regular obligation at the national army, Jaka Hawlina leaves the group for seven months.

Only two members of the group perform in Robidišce, but the event is unforgettable. Aspirins are thrown to the stage as a sign of solidarity by the audience.

In an extended number (quartet) the group performs at the opening of a new Italian restaurant in Trubar street, Ljubljana. The Godfather film tunes make the audience enthusiastic.

Performing at the first national poetry championship of primary schools at the congress centre Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana.

Appearance at the national radio live programme “Izštekani” together with the poet Dane Zajc and actor Janez Škof.

2001
Music soundtrack for the film Iz prahu soncnih žarkov (From the sunray dust, directed by Petra Seliškar), named after the initial verse of the poem Grebeni – Reefs – by Matjaž Pikalo

Campaigning for the freedom of creativity, the group protests against the court’s sentencing Matjaž Pikalo to a high fee because of the contents of his novel Modri e (The blue e).

The guitar player Luka Ropret joins the group.

Boštjan Plesnicar, painter and director of the pre-modernist movement for the eastern world hemisphere from Japan to the Ural mountains, presents the group with an art prize as a sign of thanks for co-operation at the exhibition of paintings Premoderno (Pre-modern) at the Alkatraz gallery at Metelkova, Ljubljana.

Performing at the grand opening of the exhibition of paintings by Irena Romih at the Podsreda castle, titled Ne tipaj! (Do not touch!) Directly after the appearance the group travels to Vienna in order to begin record its new album.

Once the recordings are over, the group travels to Italy to performs at the “Brazilian house” at the village of Maschera. Recordings of the appearance are published at the world wide web.

Joint performance with the group Compe at Union Hotel in Ljubljana at the occasion of launching Matjaž Pikalo’s new novel Drevored ljubezni in vojne (Promenade of love and war).

The group’s second album CINÉMA VOLTAIRE is finally published, subtitled Les chansones populaires.

2002
Performing at an international wedding in Kazlje at the Karst. The newly-weds set out for Beijing for their honey-moon after the ceremony.

Premiere of the film Iz prahu soncnih žarkov (From the sunray dust) at the island of Silba in Croatia.

Launch of the campaign Kinodvorjenje. It is a whole-day event, where permanent seats at the art cinema Kinodvor in Ljubljana are auctioned. Among others, the group tries to convince into a seat purchase celebrities s.a. the Minister of Culture and the Mayor of Ljubljana.

Performing at the Christmas concert for the homeless and the lonely at the Union Hotel in Ljubljana.

The group’s album Cinéma Voltaire is rated four stars out of five possible by the Slovenian weekly Mladina.

2003
Prevalje, the birthplace of Matjaž Pikalo, gives the home author a big celebration at the house of culture Družbeni dom, which is one of the biggest venues where the group ever performed.

The group extends to nine members in order to perform at the Days of Chanson at the Knight Hall of Križanke in Ljubljana, organised by Café teater. Other performers include: Elda Viler, Meri Avsenak, Alenka Vidrih, Vitalij Osmacko, Ezlek, Compe ...

Performing at the presentation of New Slovenian poetry in Genoa, Italy.

The group is honoured to open the multi-cultural festival at the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Topolovo Station (Italy).

Opening the festive December season in Ljubljana together with the group Ljubljanski lumpi while celebrating the birthdays of France Prešeren and Fran Milcinski-Ježek. When the candles are lit at the main Prešeren square, the central square of Ljubljana is covered in smoke by the “lumpi”, although the candles are said to be harmless for the environment.

The acordeon player Davor Herceg and bongos player Petra Pikalo join the group.

2004
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Edvard Kocbek: his poem Lipicanci (Lipizaner Horses) is set to music. Together with other interpretations of his poetry it is published by Litera publishing house. This marks the beginning of recordings for the group’s new album, titled Grand Hotel Evropa.

The group is honoured to performance the cultural festival Dotik at the occasion of presentation the slovenean culture and poetry by the enter of Slovenia in Europe Union in Udine (Italy).

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the group, they performed in
the Rudnik Mežica mine and KUD France Prešeren, Ljubljana, which they also documented in a photograph exhibition by Jaka Gasar, titled Le
Voyage Imaginaire. After the performance in the mine, the group hardly escaped an earthquake, leaving the Peca underground by train in good time, for which they were rewarded by a home-made loaf of bread at KUD by a coincidental visitor.

2005
The group decides to record a new album titled Grand Hotel Evropa in a
new studio Blue Box, but first they had to wait for the new studio equipment. When they finally started recording, the studio was flooded in a severe storm. The
copies miraculously stayed undamaged, there was only some collateral damage.

At the end of the year, the group goes on a short tour, which includes
Dolenjska region and the Coast. As usually they are always late, but it all ends well:
they get invitations for new performances, and even a request to play on a funeral.
On the pre-election meeting at the Coast, eventually marked by a mass fight, they helped - in a common effort with some musician legends (D. Kocijancic, S. Ivancic ...) - a candidate for the president to win the student elections.

2006
They recorded Pankrti’s song Ljubica /My Darling for a compilation of
their remakes titled Pankrti 2006, which is to be published on The Victory Day - the
9th of May.

CURRICULUM VITAE / Critics

CURRICULUM VITAE / Critics