Harald Wackar Stojka was born in Vienna on July 22, 1957 and is a guitarist, composer, arranger, bandleader and singer. He is considered one of the most important Austrian jazz musicians of the present day. Stojka comes from the Lovara-Rom dynasty of the Bagareschtschi tribe and is one of Austria’s best-known Roma. His world music style, often referred to as “gypsy soul”, combines influences from rock, jazz, punk, swing and blues and is characterized by a unique virtuosity and emotional intensity.

Harri Stojka began his musical career in 1970 with the formation “Jano + Harri Stojka” in the legendary 20er Haus in Vienna. Soon afterwards, he joined Karl Ratzer’s band “Gipsy-Love” as bassist and made a name for himself as guitarist in Peter Wolf’s “Objektiv Truth Orchestra”. In 1973, he founded the “Harri Stojka Express”, the only Austrian group to perform alongside international greats such as Jimmy Cliff, Eric Burdon, Van Morrison and Carlos Santana at the open-air festival (1981) in Vienna’s Prater Stadium.

In the same year, his appearance at the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival at the “Guitar Summit” alongside Larry Coryell and Birelle Lagrene brought him his international breakthrough. The LP “Live at Montreux” documents the beginning of his impressive international career. Another highlight of his career was a session with the Austrian composer and pianist Friedrich Gulda in 1986.

Stojka’s musical work is characterized by an impressive versatility. He masters a wide range of musical styles, from pop to avant-garde jazz, punk, gipsy swing, psycho guitar, Roma music, bebop and hard rock. This versatility and his constant development have influenced many guitarists and earned him recognition on the international music scene. Particularly noteworthy is his ability to be recognizable as Harri Stojka after just a few notes, which can be attributed to his unique guitar style.

Despite his extensive discography, which began in 1980 with recordings for a major label (WEA – Warner Music), live concerts are the focus of Harri Stojka’s artistic activity. He has headlined numerous international jazz festivals, including cities such as Paris, London, New York, Jakarta, Kathmandu, New Delhi, Hanoi, Beijing and many others. He always refers to his origins as an Austrian Roma and thus contributes to Austria gaining a lot of sympathy abroad.

Harri Stojka was born as the son of Porajmos survivor Johann “Mongo” Stojka and is actively involved in projects dedicated to remembering and coming to terms with the history of the Roma. His 2005 CD “Garude Apsa”, which was nominated for the World Music Award in the same year, recalls the musical roots of the Roma and is intended to give today’s generation pride and courage for the future. He also initiated the campaign “I am against the word Zigeuner and for the word Roma!”, which attracted international interest and set an example against discrimination against the Roma.

Harri Stojka has received several awards for his services to music and his cultural contributions. In 2005, his CD “A Tribute to Swing” was nominated for the Echo Award in Germany. In 2011, the film “Gypsy Spirit, Harri Stojka eine Reise”, a musical journey through India in search of his Roma roots, was awarded a Romy as Austria’s best cinema documentary. On October 30, 2013, Harri Stojka received the Decoration of Honor in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria. The daily newspaper “Die Presse” nominated Harri Stojka for “Austrian of the Year 2016” in the cultural heritage category.