{{Short description|Croatian composer and musician (1935–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Alfi Kabiljo | birth_name = Alfons Kabiljo | honorific-suffix = | image = Alfi Kabiljo 2014.jpg | caption = Kabiljo in 2014 | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1935|12|22}} | birth_place = Zagreb, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Croatia) | death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|04|1|1935|12|22|df=y}} | death_place = Zagreb, Croatia | occupation = Composer, musician | website = https://alfi-kabiljo.com/ | footnotes = }}
'''Alfons''' "'''Alfi'''" '''Kabiljo''' ({{IPA|hr|âlfi kabǐːʎo}}; 22 December 1935 – 1 April 2025) was a Croatian composer and musician. He was composing for over 60 years.<ref name=nacional /> During that time he created an opus of more than 40 film and more than 100 episode soundtracks, eleven musicals, two musical films and two ballets. His musicals have been performed over 2000 times.<ref name=nacional /><ref name=croatian_pop_music />
== Life and career == Kabiljo was taught music by the Croatian composer Rudolf Matz and later enrolled the Vatroslav Lisinski music school. Roger Samyn helped him brush up his composing skills.<ref name=croatian_pop_music /> Although he received a degree on the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Zagreb, Kabiljo never made use of it.<ref name=nacional /> He has spent most of his life in the Zagreb neighborhood of Šalata, although he stayed in Paris for a short while.<ref name="šalata">{{cite web |url = http://www.h-alter.org/tekst/kbc-salata-sustavno-truje-zagrepcane/5388 |title = KBC Šalata sustavno truje Zagrepčane |date = 14 May 2007 |last = Iličković |first = Mladen |access-date = 7 August 2008 |work = H-Alter |language = Croatian |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120722184950/http://www.h-alter.org/vijesti/ekologija/kbc-salata-sustavno-truje-zagrepcane |archive-date = 22 July 2012 |url-status = dead }}</ref> Kabiljo was a president of the Croatian Composers' Society ({{langx|hr|Hrvatsko društvo skladatelja}}) and a member of the FIDOF organization.<ref name=croatian_pop_music />
Alfi wrote his first song when he was eight years old.<ref name=nacional>{{cite magazine |url=http://arhiva.nacional.hr/articles/view/13748/5/ |title='Jalta, Jalta' će ponovo puniti kazališta |trans-title='Jalta, Jalta' will pack theatres again |date=2 March 2004 |last=Skender |first=Melisa |access-date=16 September 2019 |magazine=Nacional |issue=433 |language=Croatian |archive-date=28 July 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728160612/http://www.nacional.hr/clanak/13748/jalta-jalta-ponovno-ce-puniti-kazalista }}</ref>
Later, he wrote soundtracks for various films, including the 1991 film ''Scissors'', starring Sharon Stone and Ronny Cox, and the 1986 film ''The Girl''. He also wrote soundtracks for over 100 television episodes, including the Croatian TV mini-series ''Ljubav ili smrt'', based on a novel by Ivan Kušan, the TV series ''Ne daj se Floki'', and series about the famous inventor Nikola Tesla.
His songs have been sung by award-winning singers such as Ivo Robić and Tereza Kesovija.<ref name=croatian_pop_music /> Kabiljo is the author of one of the greatest Croatian patriotic songs, ''Tvoja zemlja'', which was performed by Vice Vukov.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.nacional.hr/clanak/49294/alfi-kabiljo-kralj-hrvatskog-mjuzikla |title=Alfi Kabiljo - kralj hrvatskog mjuzikla |magazine=Nacional |date=13 October 2008 |first=Nina |last=Ožegović |language=Croatian |access-date=22 July 2012 |trans-title=Alfi Kabiljo - King of Croatian musicals |archive-date=30 May 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110530181527/http://www.nacional.hr/clanak/49294/alfi-kabiljo-kralj-hrvatskog-mjuzikla }}</ref>
Kabiljo's best-selling and best known work is the musical ''Jalta, Jalta'', for which he received the 2004 Porin award for the magnum opus.<ref name=croatian_pop_music>{{cite web |url = http://www.croatianpopmusic.com/Alfi%20Kabiljo%20Biografija.htm |title = Alfi Kabiljo |access-date = 28 September 2008 |work = Croatian Pop Music |language = Croatian |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121228022129/http://www.croatianpopmusic.com/Alfi%20Kabiljo%20Biografija.htm |archive-date = 28 December 2012 |url-status = usurped }}</ref> To date, the musical has been released in audio format three times and it had its first premiere in 1971. All three releases were sold out decades ago.<ref name=nacional />
Kabiljo died on 1 April 2025, at the age of 89.<ref>[https://www.hds.hr/alfi-kabiljo-zagreb-22-prosinca-1935-zagreb-1-travnja-2025/ ALFI KABILJO (Zagreb, 22. prosinca 1935. – Zagreb, 1. travnja 2025.)] {{in lang|hr}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite book|last=Snješka Knežević|first=Aleksander Laslo|title=Židovski Zagreb|year=2011|publisher=AGM, Židovska općina Zagreb|location=Zagreb|isbn=978-953-174-393-8}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0434064|Alfi Kabiljo}} * [http://www.fandango.com/alfikabiljo/filmography/p96533 Alfi Kabiljo's filmography] at Fandango.com * [http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Alfi_Kabiljo/3237314 Alfi Kabiljo at Hollywood.com] * {{discogs artist|Alfi Kabiljo}}
{{Navboxes |title = Awards for Alfi Kabiljo |list = {{Vladimir Nazor Award for Life Achievement (music)}} {{Porin Lifetime Achievement Award}} {{Golden Arena for Best Film Music}} }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kabilzjo, Alfi}} Category:1935 births Category:2025 deaths Category:Musicians from Zagreb Category:Croatian male film score composers Category:Croatian film score composers Category:Croatian musical theatre composers Category:Male musical theatre composers Category:Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb alumni Category:Golden Arena winners Category:Croatian Sephardi Jews Category:Yugoslav composers Category:Yugoslav film score composers