Lidija Bajuk was born in Cakovec where she graduated from the Teacher-Training College and received her musical education. She has continued to perform and write for the local theatre in Cakovec throughout her career. Lidija worked as a teacher and librarian for ten years, maintaining her involvement both in literature and music before she officially began her career as a writer and musician. Presently, she is based in Zagreb and has performed throughout Croatia as well as in Slovenia, BiH, Macedonia, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Nepal, Tibet, Canada, Colombia and Czech Republic. Lidija’s professional career began in 1998 although her first public performances occurred at the concerts of John Mayall and Joan Baez in 1987 and 1989, respectively. Lidija has performed with a number of Croatian bands such as "Legen" and “Prljavo Kazaliste”, “Cinkusi”, “Cambi” as well as with Vlado Kreslin from Slovenia, Hans Theessink from Austria and Sean Cannoon from Ireland. She has performed at many humanitarian concerts and has worked with ecological associations "Stribor" (Rijeka),"Nobilis" (Cakovec), and "The Green Action". Lidija is also involved in various artistic projects including the Croatian film "Transatlantic" (by Mladen Juran), the theatre play “Cezar” (by Branko Brezovac) and choreographing the dance performance of “Jer bez tebe nema mene” - (“Because You Don’t Exist Without Me” by Barbara Novkovic). Lidija co-operates with the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore, the Ethnographic Museum in Zagreb, Medimurje Museum from Cakovec. She has also worked with the brothers Pogacnik on the worldwide multicultural project “Idriart” and with Croatian Television on screenplays for school programmes. Lidija has recorded her own interpretations of Croatian folk music on more than 15 compilation albums/CDs. As a founding member of the modern Croatian ethno scene she has appeared on compilation CDs "Ethno Ambient/Archaic Songs of Croatia" and "Salona 98". Branko Nadvinski further introduced her work to the world stage through a CNN report. Since 1999 she is giving lectures on “The Croatian Folk Music - now and then “ and “The Mythological Symbols in The Croatian Folk Songs “ ( the University of Toronto and University of Waterloo in 1999, The Croatian Chatolic Mission, Nurnberg, Germany, in 2000, Mrvac Gallery, Mostar in 2000). The Croatian ethno music is represented in the latest edition of the Rough Guide to World Music ( Africa, Europe and the Middle East) (World Music Network, London 1999) . Lidija’s first solo CD “Zora-djevojka” (The Dawn-Maiden) was recorded in 1997 and in 1999 she recorded “Kneja” (Kneya). Video clips were filmed for 8 of the songs from these 2 CDs and the School of Animated Movies for Children in Bjelovar created a short cartoon based on Lidija’s song "Na dan Ivanja” (On A Midsummer’s Evening). Her authorial song, “Krivuljom sjajnom/Sajdirajda” (Shaydirayda) became the festival song of Viroviticko-Podravska county in 1998. Lidija’s poems and stories have appeared in Croatian anthologies and in literature magazines such as "Forum", "Plima", "Quorum", "Hrvatski sjever", "Knjizevna revija" and "Hrvatsko slovo", as well as in children’s magazines "Zvrk" and "Modra Lasta". In 1991 Lidija published “Osmijeh je moja najbolja obrana” (Smile Is My Best Defense), her first set of poems as an individual collection. This was followed by “Besput” (Roadless Yourney) in 1992 and “Razgovor s tisinom” (Talking To The Silence) in 1995. Her most recent collection of poems “Vucica” (Shewolf) was published in 1999. A book of fairy tales “Z mojga srca ruzica” (A Rose From My Heart) was published in 1995. In 1999 Lidija released her most recent fairy tale book “Kneja” (Kneya) along with a mini CD of her interpretation of six Croatian folk songs. The book is based on the ethnological research of numerous proponents of Croatian national traditions. Lidija’s imagination helped weave the material together into a fantastic story. A TV documentary focusing on the book was filmed and directed by the distinguished Croatian theatrical director Nana Sojlev. Lidija became a member of the Society of Croatian Writers in 1994 and of the Croatian Freelance Artists Association in 1999. A new maxi CD, Kneja was released in the autumn of 1999. Of the 13 Croatian songs recorded, 10 are folk songs from Medjimurje, Hrvatsko Zagorje, Podravina, Slavonia and Prigorje and 3 are authorial songs. An ecologically orientated video clip and a promotional concert in Zagreb were planned to help promote the CD. The concert featured artists involved in her work. Lidija has received numerous awards for her music and literature including:
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