Claudia Beni

Claudia Beni is a Croatian pop singer who rose to fame as a teenager. She was born on May 30, 1986, in the coastal town of Opatija, Croatia. In the late 1990s she joined a children’s pop band called Mići rokeri (“Little Rockers”), which later became known as Teens. With Teens, the young Claudia toured extensively and gained valuable stage experience. In fact, by the age of 12 she had already performed all over Croatia and neighboring countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Montenegro with the band. The group Teens, which included Claudia, her brother Sandro and her cousin Daniel Beni, became a teenage pop sensation in Croatia. They released catchy pop songs and even sold around 30,000 albums during their run. 

Solo Career

Claudia’s transition to a solo career began when the Teens band members decided to go their separate ways in the early 2000s. After the group split, Claudia launched her solo career at just 15 years old. She quickly made a name for herself in the Croatian pop scene. In 2002, Claudia received a Porin Award (a major Croatian music prize) and shortly thereafter she broke away from the band to focus on solo projects. She released her debut solo album, simply titled Claudia, in 2002. The album featured 12 songs, including several singles that raised her profile. Tracks like “Tako hrabar da me ostaviš” (“Brave Enough to Leave Me”), “Ili ona ili ja” (“Either Her or Me”), and “Led” (“Ice”) were introduced at prestigious Croatian music festivals and helped establish Claudia as a rising pop artist. Her confident voice and upbeat pop style resonated with young audiences.

Eurovision and Dora

The big breakthrough in Claudia Beni’s career came in 2003. At just 16, she entered Dora 2003, Croatia’s national song competition for the Eurovision Song Contest. Claudia won Dora with the song “Više nisam tvoja” (“I’m Not Yours Anymore”). This victory earned her the honor of representing Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2003. At Eurovision in Riga, Latvia, the young Croatian singer performed “Više nisam tvoja” in a mix of Croatian and English. She delivered a lively performance and finished in 15th place in the international final. Beyond Eurovision, Claudia continued to release music. In 2004 she came out with her second album, Čista kao suza (“Pure as a Tear”), which included her Eurovision song and other pop tracks. She also collaborated with fellow Croatian pop star Ivana Banfić on a song called “Hrvatice vas vole” (“Croatian Women Love You”) in 2002, dedicated to the national football team.

Claudia remained active in the Croatian music scene for a few years after Eurovision. She gave concerts, appeared on TV, and maintained her pop stardom on home soil. In 2006, the ambitious singer even tried to return to the Eurovision stage. She competed again in Dora 2006 with a song titled “Samo ti mi ostani” (“Only You Stay With Me”). However, that attempt did not lead to another Eurovision trip. By this time, Claudia was transitioning into adulthood and evaluating her future. She had essentially grown up in the spotlight, and the hectic life of a pop star was taking its toll. In 2007, Claudia was slated to participate in Dora yet again, but she withdrew from the competition before it took place. This hinted that she was ready for a change.

Stepping Away from the Spotlight

After a whirlwind teenage music career, Claudia Beni made a surprising decision: she stepped away from the music industry while still in her early twenties. By 2008, she retired from professional music and stopped performing regularly. She later reflected that the life under the spotlight didn’t entirely suit her. Claudia had spent her adolescence in show business, and now she longed for a more normal life. She moved back to her hometown and pursued ordinary day-to-day activities outside of showbiz. During this period, Claudia worked a variety of regular jobs. She tried her hand at working in retail shops and even trained and worked as a hairdresser in Opatija. At one point, she did design-related work and helped out at a pub owned by her cousin. This phase of her life was a stark contrast to the glitzy pop star days, but Claudia embraced it. She enjoyed the relative peace and privacy after years in the public eye.

Return to the spotlight

However, Claudia’s love for music never completely disappeared. After a few years of living a low-profile life, she found herself missing the stage. In 2010, she returned to music briefly in a new way. Claudia joined a local band called Koktelsi (often stylized as “Koktels”), which was formed by some of her former school friends in the town of Matulji. Claudia became their lead vocalist. The return to performing was on a smaller scale than her earlier fame, but it allowed her to sing live and entertain audiences again in local venues. She performed with the Koktelsi band for a few years, from around 2010 up to 2015. Even though it was a short comeback, it was significant for Claudia. During her stint with the band, she also reached a personal milestone – she met the man who would later become her husband. By 2015, Claudia decided to bow out of the music scene once again and concentrate on her private life.

Personal Life and Family

Outside of music, Claudia Beni’s personal life has flourished. She married her longtime partner (whom she met through her bandmates), and together they started a family. In the mid-2010s, Claudia became a mother. In fact, she welcomed twin daughters. Her twin girls, reportedly named Chiara and Noemi, were born around 2016. She devoted herself to raising her children and stepped fully out of the public spotlight to enjoy family life. 

Claudia’s personal life also took a turn toward entrepreneurship. After leaving the entertainment industry, she joined forces with her family to start a business. Along with her brother Sandro, Claudia runs a family business in Matulji (their local area) that distributes Italian coffee machines and equipment across the region. The company is often referred to as Beni Caffe, and it has become a successful venture. Claudia found a new calling in this business world, far from the pop concerts and TV cameras. In recent interviews, Claudia revealed that she is expanding the coffee business. She is planning to open an Italian-style caffeteria in her town, with hopes of eventually developing a chain of café locations across Croatia. 

Even though Claudia has been out of the music spotlight for many years, she is still fondly remembered by Croatian pop fans and Eurovision enthusiasts. She occasionally makes appearances for special events. In 2024, the pop group Teens (the band that started it all for her) marked a reunion 25 years after their last performance. Claudia joined her old bandmates on stage for anniversary concerts, reviving their biggest teen hits.