Rajka Vali

Valerija Raukar (September 5, 1924, Ruma, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes – March 6, 2011, Zagreb, Croatia), most commonly known by her stage name Rajka Vali, was a Croatian pop music singer who enjoyed success through the 1940s and 1950s.

Raukar was born to an ethnic Croat family in the east Syrmian town of Ruma (today located in Vojvodina, Serbia). She began singing in the school choir in high school in Zagreb. Her professional singer career began accidentally in 1943. One of members of Trio Delinski was ill and there was an urgent need for replacement. Valerija Raukar was literally dragged by her friends into the studio of Krugovalna postaja Zagreb. She sang with Trio Delinski until the end of World War II. Afterwards she continued as a vocal soloist, sometimes making records with dance orchestras.

She studied architecture in Zagreb and graduated in 1955. She was married twice. Her first marriage was with known pre-World War II Croatian jazz musician Bojan Hohnjec, who influenced her early singing style. Her second husband was known Croatian jazz musician, drummer Marjan Moša Marjanović. In 1960 Rajka Vali moved with her husband to Germany, where she continued her singer career. She also had concerts in France, Spain and Germany. She ended her singing career due to her career as architect. In Germany she specialized medical technique and projecting, so she designed several clinics and hospitals.

In the 1980s she returned to Zagreb, Croatia, where she died in 2011.

Discography Rajka Vali recorded 26 singles for Jugoton in the period of 1951 to 1957. Only 19 of those records are saved.

Incomplete list of singles

Ti si radost mi sva (You belong to my heart) Ti si biće mog sna Mambo, mambo, 1954 Dal' znaš?, 1954 Često se pitam Svatko za nečim čezne (To each his own) Srček dela tika taka – Rajka Vali i Ivo Robić Plavi dim, 1955 Ti i ja Kad bi me volio Je li ljubav to (So this is love) San je želja (Dream is a wish) U iščekivanju (I'm thrilled) Tampico Baš je divan sunčan dan – Rajka Vali i Ivo Robic Tvoj (Yours) – Rajka Vali i Ivo Robić Sastanak (Danas opet) Kapljice kiše

In 2001 Croatia Records (ex-Jugoton) made a tribute to forgotten Croatian stars. Prozor u pedesete: Zaboravljene zvijezde, Forgotten Stars — trostruki luksuzni album: Zvonimir Krkljuš, Rajka Vali, Bruno Petrali pjevaju vam svoje uspjehe, Croatia Records, Perfekt Music, 2001