Vanna (singer)

Vanna
Vanna in concert in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Ivana Ranilović
Born	(1970-09-01) 1 September 1970 (age 46) Koprivnica, Croatia
Origin	Zagreb, Croatia
Genres	Pop-Rock
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Croatia Records
Associated acts	Electro Team, Ilan Kabiljo

Ivana Ranilović-Vrdoljak (born 1 September 1970 in Koprivnica, Croatia), better known by her stage name Vanna, is a pop singer from Croatia.

As a child, Vanna won prizes in various national children and youth festivals. Her debut was at the 1990 Zagrebfest, a music festival held in Zagreb. In that year she left her hometown to live and study in Zagreb and whilst studying, she performed in a band called BOA.

In 1992 her professional career as a singer was launched. She joined a eurodance band called Electro Team and became an instant star. Not only was she a singer but also a co-author and songwriter of all the songs performed by Electro Team. The band's albums all officially became platinum although is no accurate system in Croatia to monitor number of record sales. The song "Tek je 12 sati" became a huge hit in 1993, and was popular elsewhere across the former Yugoslavia republics.

In 1998, Vanna left Electro Team to start a solo career and record her first album, I to sam ja. Vanna has since recorded three more solo albums and has won several other awards.

She came first at Zadarfest (held in Zadar) three years in succession (1999, 2000 and 2001). Her album 24 sata reached gold.

In 2000 she came second in Dora, the Croatian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest with a song written by Bruno Kovačić and Ivana Plechinger. Being runner-up, she decided to participate again in 2001 and now won with Tonči Huljić's song Strune ljubavi. Shortly after Dora, she gave birth to daughter Jana. Vanna represented Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 in Copenhagen on 12 May 2001 and finished 10th. She sang the song in Croatian and in English, now entitled "Strings of My Heart".