One of the biggest acting icons from our part of the world – a man who is also a director, poet, musician and all-round artist – returns to the stage of the summer Ljubljana Festival with his group Zapadni Kolodvor, following last year’s triumphant performance. Rade Šerbedžija’s concerts are memorable for his unique sense of humour, interludes of prose and poetry, and anecdotes from the life of an artist who found himself marginalised by the political upheavals of the early 1990s, despite enjoying a successful career. His musical career began in the 1970s, when he released his first record. He has published four collections of poetry, covering all kinds of themes: “romantic and social, reflective or driven by protest, joyful and sorrowful,” as he himself puts it. His musical compositions, which are frequently settings of his own texts, could be characterised as a unique form of chanson. Many of them have become evergreen favourites. They are seasoned by a variety of influences ranging from rock to world music, courtesy of numerous musical friends such as Husein “Hus” Hasanefendić, Damir Urban, Miroslav Tadić, Gabi Novak, Matija Dedić, Saša Lošić, Vlado Kreslin and Jure Ivanušić, who frequently join him in making music.