Júlia Kozáková’s musical career is closely intertwined with the World Music Festival Bratislava. She first performed at the festival in 2022, the same year her debut album Manuša was released. The album later won a Radio_Head Award in the World Music category. The following years brought further success—from performances at dozens of festivals in Slovakia and abroad, including a memorable showcase at WOMEX in the Galician city of A Coruña, to becoming the first Slovak recording ever to reach the World Music Charts Europe album chart, and earning another Radio_Head Award for Manuša II in 2026.

Thanks to Júlia’s dedication, hard work, and infectious smile, a renewed interest in Roma music from Slovakia seems to have emerged, despite the fact that she herself is not of Roma origin. In the meantime, she successfully completed her studies in Brno and Valencia, and recently released a new EP featuring a live concert recording. Unlike her previous projects, it presents repertoire beyond Roma music, including her own original compositions.

If we were to borrow a term from sports, we could say that Júlia is currently at the peak of her form. Her standalone concert with the Manuša Band will serve as a luxurious warm-up to the 11th edition of the festival, with the vocal sextet Neha! appearing as a special guest. Come and join them in celebrating the joy of music and singing.