Zana Nimani

Zana Nimani (Serbian Cyrillic: Зана Нимани; born 1961) is a former Yugoslav singer, best known as the first frontress of the pop rock band Zana.

Zana Nimani was born in 1961 in Belgrade, to Kosovo Albanian parents from the town of Đakovica. Nimani started her career in 1976, when she started to sing with the band Suton, in which her (at the time) boyfriend Radovan Jovićević played guitar. Since 1979, the band started to perform under the name Zana. The band's debut album, Loše vesti uz rege za pivsku flašu ("Bad News Accompanied by Reggae for a Beer Bottle"), released in 1981, brought them nationwide popularity. The following two albums, Dodirni mi kolena ("Touch My Knees"), released in 1982, and Natrag na voz ("Back to the Train"), released in 1983, were also well received. However, when Zana went on a hiatus in 1984, Nimani decided to leave the band (which would continue to work under the name Zana).

In 1986, she released her only solo album, Noćas pevam samo tebi ("Tonight I Sing Only for You"). The album was recorded in Sweden and featured Swedish studio musicians. It was produced by Tini Varga, who also authored part of the songs. Other authors on the album were Nimani herself and former Zana members Marina Tucaković, Aleksandar Radulović "Futa" and Bogdan Dragović. The album brought such minor hits as Što ne znam gde si sad ("Why Don't I Know Where You Are Now") and Miško zna ("Miško Knows").

During the same year, she appeared on MESAM festival with the song Ruža na dlanu ("Rose on the Palm"), which was released on a split 7" single, with Bebi Dol song Inšalah. Soon after, she retired from the scene. With the breakup of Yugoslavia she moved to British Columbia, Canada.

With Zana

Studio albums

• Loše vesti uz rege za pivsku flašu (1981)
• Dodirni mi kolena (1982)
• Natrag na voz (1983)

Singles

• "Nastavnice" / "Sveta" (1980)
• "Moj deda" / "Pepito pantalone" (1981)
• "Leto" / "Snovi od slame" (1981)
• "On" / "Ti si neko staro lice" (1981)
• "Jabuke i vino" / "Jabuke i vino - Instrumental" (1983)

Solo

Studio albums

• Noćas pevam samo tebi (1986)

Singles

• "Inšalah" / "Ruža na dlanu" (split single with Bebi Dol; 1986)