Erik Cebokli is a professional Slovenian bass player, studio or live musician, composer, band member and a qualified music educator.

Born on 22.8.1992 in Postojna,Slovenia, he quickly grasped the idea of playing an instrument, starting small with a small drum set at the age of three. Shortly after he signed in a public elementary music school in Ilirska Bistrica where he attended a classical piano program under supervision of prof. Milena Blazina. The course has been productive, resulting in Erik attending several musical competitions and music school exchanges, including being one of the performers in the music school of Kodály Zoltán Ének-zenei Általános Iskola in Kecskemét, Hungary. He also scored a silver medal in a classical piano competition in Zagreb, Croatia at the age of eight.

Later on he switched the course to a classical guitar program under prof. Ante Radnic and prof. Luka Toman where he stayed for three years while completing the elementary program of musical theory which was led by prof. Marija Lenarcic which lasted six years.

Shortly after finishing the elementary music school, in the last years of OS Antona Znidersica, Ilirska Bistrica, Slovenia, where he completed the elementary school program, he and his long-term friends, Jani Poklar, Aleks Fatur and Rok Sila founded their first boy band that later became known as Sekire which still functions today with a slightly changed member list. This is his first time he picked up the role of a bass player. The band composed a plethora of songs which for some reason mostly ended up being non recorded. This band was responsible for a certain influence on Erik Cebokli which led to certain musical-based decisions later in his life.

Cooperation with band Sekire led him to spend his childhood in an atmosphere of rock and punk rock music, such as Dire Straits, Steppenwolf, The Who, Green Day among others. This was Erik’s first go at the modern genres of music, switching from a classical perspective.

A few years passed by and at age sixteen he was recruited as a main bass player for an ensemble named Tornado which was at the time led by its singer Sandi Cekada. This was an important milestone for Erik Cebokli as he got in touch with popular genres such as funk, pop, reggae and others. He quickly grasped the idea of the genre which throughout his life to-date quickly became his main point of attention. The band enjoyed a huge regional success, being wildly supported by local fans and public, while also being very active in local regions, including town Sezana, Slovenia and Italian regions with Slovenian ethnicity. The peak of Tornado was the moment when the band performed together with a very popular croatian group Jinx in Sezana, Slovenia in 2012.

Erik graduated in Gymnasium high school in Ilirska Bistrica in 2011 and was accepted to computer science studies in FRI, part of Ljubljana university group but dropped out of the program a year after due to a lack of interest.

Ensemble Tornado surely left a huge influence on Erik Cebokli and its members were mainly responsible for encouraging Erik to enlist himself to the talent tests in the Kärntner Landeskonservatorium in Klagenfurt, Austria. He was accepted to the Jazz Bass/Upright Bass program (piano being a secondary instrument) which he finished by graduating twice, from music arts and music pedagogy, both with honors in june 2017 under leadership of a renowned Austrian bass player and educator, Ulrich Gerhart Langthaler.

During his time in the conservatory of Klagenfurt he quickly came in touch with other schoolmates which are mostly highly active in a Slovenian music sphere. From that point on Erik’s collaboration spanned from classical music events to folk music competitions, jazz events, fusion, r’n’b, reggae, funk, rock, alternative rock, grunge, hip hop, rap, pop and many others, making Erik a competent bass player in many different genres.

 

Today Erik is a professional musician, having at one point collaborated (gigging or recording) with many different artists on an international scale, such as:

Educational institutions:
Glasbena sola B.A.S.E., Glasbena Sola Ilirska Bistrica

Slovenian artists:
Big Band RTV, Luka Basi,  Rok’n’Band, Oto Pestner, Anika Horvat, Tadej Tomšič, Nuška Drašček, Janez Bončina Benč, Alenka Godec, Leon First, Ana Soklic, Marko Crncec, Blaz Trcek, Matjaz Mikuletic, Funkognito, Dalaj Eegol – Ali En/RecycleMan, Marko Hatlak BAND, Blaz Jurjevcic, Teo Collori, Rok Trkaj, Nipke, Doša,  Nusa Derenda, Alenka Godec, Tinkara Kovac, Maja Keuc, Eva Cerne, Vid Jamnik, David Morgan, Karin Zemljic, Mate Brodar, David Matici Cheecha, Miha Koretic, Nejc Skofic, Anze Vrabec, Anja Hrastovsek, Simona Plut, Rozle Hrovatic, Gregor Volk, Nina Volk, Ziga Kozar, Luka Zavisic, Aljosa Bolje, Boris Majcen, Matej Leskovar, Joze Zadravec, Vito Vicar, Blaz Svagan, Ziga Smrdel, Blaz Kocina, Luka Krizman, Rok Mikuletic, Toxine, Clade, Sekire, Tornado, Triglav bend, MeduzaleM, Soul Jazz in Jaz, BRO, Reverend Haze, 4Eva, Jani Poklar Quartett, Marko Maki Cepak, Tomaz Kaiser, Dat Phunk, G4Funk, Primoz Podobnik, Grega Kozar, Baker Street Quartet, Ursula Luthar, Sara Cesnik, Tjasa Fajdiga, Folklorno drustvo Postojna and many others.

International artists:
Vlatko Stefanovski, Frank McComb, Klemens Marktl, Karen Asatrian, Michael Erian, Erik Asatrian, Robert Bargad, Natalie Krainer, Hannes Wallner, Philipp Bindreiter, Florian Bogensberger, Fancy Funk Foundation, Nikola Santek, Nikola Smiljanic, Caroline De Rooij and many others.

Erik is at the moment an official bass player for Marko Hatlak Band, Rok’n’Band, Tadej Tomšič Institution. 

He is also very active in other band projects, ranging from Jazz to reggae rhythms and alternative music.

 

Collaborating with artists from the list above, Erik and his band members performed alongside bands such as Tabu, Jinx, Elvis Jackson, Nena, Divlje Jagode, Pop Design, Manouche, Uncle Frank and others.

Erik Cebokli is also a member of his local youth club MKNZ, Ilirska Bistrica, Slovenia and has participated in many charity events, such as Iz Srca Za Srce, McDonalds charity event Vienna, Austria and other benefit concerts.

He is fluent in three languages, Slovenian, English and Croatian and is also proficient in playing drums, guitar and piano.