Ivana Vrdoljak, known professionally as Vanna, was born on September 1, 1970, in Koprivnica, Croatia. Early on, she displayed exceptional musical talent, winning awards at children’s and youth festivals. Her career began in earnest in 1990 with a performance at Zagrebfest, leading her move to Zagreb for studies and musical pursuits. She sang backing vocals in the band BOA before launching her professional path in 1992 as a member of the eurodance group Electro Team, co-writing hits like the iconic "Tek je 12 sati."
In 1997, Vanna embarked on a solo career with I to sam ja, an album of interpretations of country, blues, and jazz standards. Her subsequent album Ispod istog neba (1998) embraced electronic R&B and featured an award-winning duet with Gibonni. She also won three consecutive titles at the Zadarfest music festival. Her next album, 24 sata (2000), achieved gold status and featured several major hits.
In 2001, she won the Croatian national selection Dora with “Strune ljubavi,” representing Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest and finishing 10th. She followed this with a live album, Vanna u Lisinskom, and released Hrabra kao prije (2003) and Ledeno doba (2007), showcasing her versatility across pop-rock, power-pop, and acoustic styles. In 2010, she released the album Sjaj. After a hiatus, she returned in 2019 with Izmiješane boje, blending pop, dance, and R&B, and winning a Porin award for Album of the Year.
Vanna also serves as a mentor on The Voice Croatia, where her team won the fourth season in 2024. Her dynamic performances, emotional depth, and extensive discography have cemented her status as one of the most influential female vocalists in the regional music scene.
