Nusa Derenda

Nusa Derenda is considered to be one of the best Slovenian pop singers.

Anuska Znidersic was born on 30th March 1969 in Brezice, a small town in the south-east part of Slovenia. At school she sang in choirs where she performed as a soloist. She learned to play the accordion in music school.

When she was in high school, she met her husband Frenk, who had his own band, and was looking for a singer. Nusa began singing in the band. She also attended a short course in singing, led by a teacher Nada Zgur. In 1990, the band split up. In 1995 she got married to Frenk. They have two sons, Matevz and Gasper.

In 1998 she won the Orion Award with the song Take Me, the Wind (Vzemi me veter), written by her friend Majda Arh. In 1999 she received the Best Singer Award and Audience Award. In 2000 she won the Orion Award with the song In Twenty Years' Time (Cez dvajset let). That year she also came first in the Hit Festival with the song Do not Call Me (Ne klici me). In 2001 she came first in the EMA festival, and her song Energy came seventh at the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen. That year Nusa received the Viktor Award for her popularity in music. She won the Golden Rooster Award for the song I Have no Regrets (Ni mi zal). In 2002 she won the Slovenian Song Contest with the song Dust in My Eyes (Pesek v oci). After a few-year break, in April 2009, she released a CD Prestige, and recorded a video for the song I'm Coming Back Today (Danes vracam se) with the support of an author and producer Ray Menart. In 2009, Nusa celebrated her being on the Slovenian music scene for 11 years.

I find Nusa a beautiful and powerful person. Her power derives from her family. She is not like an average singer – she was a small-town girl who turned into an elegant lady with well-known and successful songs. She says: «Everything is possible if you really want it and believe it.« She is my hero because I just love her songs and her willingness to sing. Listening to her songs can simply make me feel better.