MUSICIANS

IN MEMORIAM: MARINKO COLNAGO

vibecovery_editors March 30, 2025

It is with sadness that we inform you that Marinko Colnago, the founder of the legendary group Novi Fosili, has passed away. The last farewell will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at 1:20 p.m. at the Zagreb Crematorium.

Marinko Colnago was a Croatian musician, best known as the bassist and vocalist of New Fossils. Born in 1942 in Peter’s Hospital in Zagreb, he grew up in an artistic family. His mother, Zora, a Russian from Petrograd, was a ballerina and choreographer, while his father, Ferrante Colnago, an Italian from Split, was a soccer player for Hajduk and a member of the Yugoslavian national team.

After his parents’ divorce, Marinko moved with his mother to Varaždin, where he began his musical education. Already at the age of 15, he founded his first band, and among his first collaborators was Ruža Pospiš Baldani, later a world-famous opera diva. In 1969, together with drummer Slobodan Momčilović Moko, he founded Novi Fosili. The name of the band was suggested by Arsen Dedić during a conversation at the Junferica pastry shop in Zagreb.

The band’s first line-up consisted of six male members, and their songs such as Plovi mala barka and Leptiri se rajadaju became popular in the early 1970s. The turning point in the career of New Fossils took place in 1976 with the arrival of Đurđica Barlović, Rajko Dujmić and Vladimir Kočiš Zec. With this line-up, the band achieved the greatest success and became one of the most famous pop bands of the former Yugoslavia.

After the breakup of New Fossils in 1991, Colnago retired from the music industry and pursued various careers. He returned to music in 2005, when the band line-up reunited with Sanja Doležal and Vladimir Kočiš Zeca. The last concert of New Fossils was held in November 2024 in Arena Zagreb.

Marinko Colnago was married for many years to Nada, an actress and whisperer at the Zagreb Youth Theater. He cared for her during her battle with Alzheimer’s until her death in 2018. Despite his age and health challenges, Marinko has retained the energy and charm that have captivated audiences for decades.

His contribution to the Croatian music scene is indelible. Rest in peace, dear Marinko.