Oko

Oko is the name of several different acts, including a hard progressive rock band from Ljubljana, a Croatian rock band, a polyphonic pop trio, and a techno producer from Saint Petersburg. The most detailed entries concern two rock groups and a vocal trio.

Ljubljana progressive rock band

The Ljubljana Oko forms in 1972 in what is then part of the Yugoslav federation. It is led by singer and guitarist Pavel Kavec and begins with Miro Tomassini on bass and Jani Tutta on drums. In 1973 Tutta is replaced by Dragan Gajič. The band plays blues-based hard rock at first, with Kavec developing a guitar style strongly influenced by Jimi Hendrix. It later adds jazz-rock elements.

In early 1975 the rhythm section leaves for another Ljubljana prog rock group, Jutro, and Kavec forms a new line-up with drummer Tone Dimnik and bassist Franjo Martinec. This line-up records the 7-inch single Vse sem dal ti. During sessions for the debut LP Raskorak in 1976, Dimnik leaves for Buldožer and Martinec leaves music to study. Oko then reforms in late 1976 with drummer Zlatko Klun, formerly of Boomerang, and bassist Igor Bošnjak, who play on the tour for Raskorak.

The band disbands in 1978 without gaining wide recognition in Yugoslavia. It later reunites in the early 1990s with Gajič, Kavec’s son Mitja on bass, and several friends, and releases a solo CD titled Hočeš z menoj in 1994. In 1996 it plays with Tomassini, Klun, and Kavec. A live album is recorded in December 2000 by Kavec, Marko Bertoncelj on drums, and Ernie Mendillo on bass, and includes several Jimi Hendrix covers. The band is regarded as part of the Yugoslav progressive rock scene, with links to the heavy progressive styles associated with Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, and Yugoslav groups such as Pop Mašina, Dah, Fire, and Drugi Način.

Croatian rock band

A separate Oko forms in Zagreb in 1997, led by Ismet Kurtović. Kurtović has previously been a singer, guitarist, flautist, and principal songwriter with Drugi Način, and after that group ends in 1991 he works in acting and writes music for theatre and children. In this Oko, Kurtović works with guitarist Davor Senčar, also formerly of Drugi Način. The band uses the eye logo associated with the earlier Drugi Način line-up.

This line-up includes Tomislav Gregurić on keyboards and vocals, Marko Kasović on bass, and Davor Trošelj on drums. It releases one album, Sakrij se u mene, in 1997, records a video for Kad si blizu, and tours briefly in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina before disbanding.

Polyphonic pop trio

Another act using the name Oko is a trio made up of Petra Nachtmanova, Moss Beynon-Juckes, and Emma Greenfield. It combines vocal harmonies with material inspired by folk songs from Bulgaria, Serbia, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Laz, Georgia, and Turkey. Its songs connect old stories with the members’ own experiences and present them from a female perspective. The group frames this work as a way of bridging cultures and crossing boundaries between old and new, and between city and village.