Frank Bucar
Frank has been the director of the Singing Slovenes for over 30 years. Frank was born of Slovenian parents in 1947 in a refugee camp in Spittal, Austria. Frank and his family came to America in 1950. Frank made his first trip to Slovenia in 1969 at the age of 22. With the Slovenian Alps in the background, Frank and his brother, Vid, arrived at the airport in Brnik and were greeted by their relatives and an ensamble of button box players and singers in full Slovenian costume leaving a life-long impression on Frank.
Frank started accordion lessons at the age of 25 and started his own band in 1979. Besides his 4 piece band, Frank also became involved with the KSKJ Slovenian Singers, which eventually became the “Singing Slovenes”. In 2002, Frank’s employment took him to the Twin Cities and he gave up the 4 piece band in order to focus his time and efforts on the Slovenian ethnic group, the “Singing Slovenes”. In 2004, Frank was inducted into the Ironworld Polka Hall of Fame in Chisholm, MN. Many of the Singing Slovenes have family members in the group to include Frank’s wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. Frank’s love of his family and Slovenian heritage have truly been a blessing.