Janko Nilovic

Janko Nilović, born on May 20, 1941, in Istanbul to a Montenegrin father and Greek mother, studied piano, oboe, and percussion in his youth. In the late 1950s, he formed a rock band before relocating to Paris in 1960. There, he performed in nightclubs and joined the Greek trio Les Doussis, recording with Barclay Records. By 1967, he co-founded Ju Ju Records, producing singles and drawing attention as an arranger.

Signed by André Farry of Éditions Montparnasse 2000, Nilović released a series of library music albums, including Psyc Impressions, blending funk, jazz, and orchestral elements. Concurrently, he worked on Paris’ Hair production and collaborated with artists like Michel Jonasz and Gérard Lenorman.

In the 1970s, Nilović expanded into Belgium and created the acclaimed Funky Tramway. Later, his compositions gained prominence through hip-hop samples, including Dr. Dre and Jay-Z, earning him a Grammy nomination in 2010.