Janez Bončina Benč — Man, Myth, Legend, and 60 Years of Music at the Summer Beat of Postojna’s Bar Scene!
Janez Bončina Benč
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Postojna / Titov trg / Slovenia
Benč’s musical legacy is essential — let’s just say it straight: must-have inventory in every Slovenian household. We’re talking about musical art here, of course, not a washing machine or a car. Time remains merciless — the years pass in silence — but this very year the man celebrated 60 years of making music. So he’s hit the stages again. With a top-tier band backing him up. Quite literally the cream of Slovenian jazz-rock fusion right now! If you start just with the two guitar masters Jani Moder and Primož Grašič, the combination of those two musicians alone already gives you a kind of yin-yang. They’re that different in character as guitarists. Yet in this Benč lineup they complement each other brilliantly. Then there’s the one-and-only Jani Hace, a versatile bassist who’s been earning his keep with Siddharta for years and who every band would want on their roster — plus the incredible drummer and bandmate of both Janis in Ecliptic, Žiga Kožar (among others, Don Mentony Band, Moonlight Sky…), and the excellent jazz keyboardist Nejc Škofic. Bottom line: when you encounter this sextet live, there is absolutely no room for jokes.
Back in June, Benč opened Poletna noč in Ljubljana with a spectacular concert marking his 60 years in music. His Postojna visit, though, was nowhere near as glitzy and grand — that kind of thing has to be reserved primarily for the Slovenian capital — which is why his appearance here with the band felt even closer to the audience, more accessible, and the concert as a whole came across as even more heartfelt.
Titov trg was packed. Every seat filled to the last, and behind them dense clusters of standing audience members. At least 1,500 people. With no admission charge, the whole of Ljubljana and its surroundings turned up, along with folks from the Ajdovščina end of the region. Benč remains a big kid at heart. His voice hasn’t changed one bit. The stature, the charm, the charisma, the interpretation, the infectious magnetism — and above all the sharpness and spark that keeps him in full bloom! All of this gives you the feeling you’re watching an eternal teenager who, among all his generational peers, is today one of the rare Slovenian musicians of such a venerable career length to have held onto every ounce of stage agility and performing power. Frankly, every last shred of credibility in his stage performances! What drives him forward is that untamed flame of big-heartedness that has been with him since the pioneering days of the mid-sixties, when Slovenian pop was putting itself on the world map. The fires won’t be burning out anytime soon!
Throughout the show, Benč demonstrated not just great spirits but — given his years — brilliantly sharp form as well. Truly, nothing touches him. Sure, a few times he came in just a touch low on the melodies, but that’s hardly the point. The voice is one of a kind. You could say that distinctive voice of his is one of the defining features of the Slovenian pop scene — and of the broader territory of the former shared state. And it serves the man just as well in his mature years. It keeps all the charge of passion, emotion, and — as I said — the magnetism that reels you in! The band has developed a chemistry all its own, tailor-made for the persona and voice of this Slovenian musical giant, and nobody could have taken that away from the sextet in Postojna that evening. Classic after classic, evergreen after evergreen. That musical journey didn’t just trace the footsteps of Benč’s legacy — it laid bare, to a considerable degree, the very lexicon of Slovenian popular music’s development. And the band was incredible. Exactly what you come for. Always on the prowl. Precise, intense, razor-sharp. Commander-in-chief frontman included.
It’s hard to single out the highlights. Personally, I’d pick the central section of the concert as my high point, opening with a nod to Srce — the phenomenal Zlata obala — followed by the magnificent masterpiece Gvendolina, kdo je bil? That was followed, with brilliant energy conjuring a charged performance atmosphere, by September’s unforgettable Florida; after that, perfectly placed in terms of vibe, the timeless classic Majko zemljo, which in turn led to another leap back to the September era with Domovino moja! This section of Benč’s set is the one that easily wins over even the most jaded musical connoisseurs!
Benč filled the gaps between songs generously with stories. This was, in large part, an evening of nostalgia. With a bunch of lifelong friends in the crowd, all of whom Benč greeted by name. Since this particular evening had us with Benč in Postojna — where he spent part of his childhood — one name among those mentioned left a special mark: Čarli Novak. The old fox never runs short of slick, well-oiled wisecracks, and with just the right choice of sweet and juicy words he can flip in an instant into the perfect gentleman, charming his way effortlessly toward the ladies. On stage, Benč still gives off that special sense of deep respect and genuine appreciation for the musicians who make up his team. He keeps a close eye on their work throughout, especially when individuals step into the spotlight through their solo moments, while all the while genuinely enjoying and having a blast with the on-stage chemistry. And along with all that, he projects an extraordinary openness toward every single person at his concert — not a hint of arrogance or superiority, which, let’s be honest, a musical icon of his calibre could very easily afford.
The band’s work was peppered throughout with those prime moments you come for — moments where space opens up for improvisational inserts, which Benč’s musical comrades took full care of. Each one got room to stretch out memorably in their solo spots. Hace, Škofic, and Grašič also lent Benč additional backing vocals from time to time.
When the band shifted to the eagerly awaited run of immortal hits — kicking off with Maja z biseri, the extended centrepiece jam Kadar ognji dogorijo, and of course Ob šanku — the time with the legend wrapped up far too quickly. The band still had two more rounds up their sleeve. The wound-up latino-jazz-pop classic Ta noč je moja had all of Postojna come alive, and then in the second encore — a bolt from the blue! Grašič is switching guitars! It’s about to explode! Just like with Navali narod na gostilne back in the opening of the concert. Because here come Junaki nočne kronike and the revved-up rock frenzy of Na noge. That moment, unfortunately, couldn’t boast great sound — nobody had turned Hace down in the mix and the bass was punching hard through the final song. But nobody was losing any sleep over it by then. The crowd had pushed right up to the stage and was visibly loving every second of it. And you couldn’t help wishing for one more evergreen from the arsenal of this wonderful musical icon, but time had simply run out.
Given the legend’s form, the phenomenal band around him, and the fact that the man has clearly found a new surge of stage momentum, I say this from the heart to anyone who’s made it to the end of this article: go catch Benč and the crew at the nearest concert as soon as possible. Where? The compass points to Kamnik, August 11, 2025! You’ll be richly rewarded. A legend remains a legend. And judging by the energy on display and all those positive vibes crackling that evening on Titov trg in Postojna, Benč has absolutely no plans to step aside. After all — why on earth would he?
Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Janez Bončina Benč – setlist:
1. Mr. Soul
2. Poet
3. Navali narod na gostilne
4. Abraham
5. Zlata obala
6. Gvendolina, kdo je bil?
7. Florida
8. Majko zemljo
9. Domovino moja
10. Edina luč
11. Maja z biseri
12. Kadar ognji dogorijo
13. Ob šanku
—encore I.—
14. Ta noč je moja
—encore II.—
15. Na noge!
