born in Los Angeles, have been playing and promoting Tambura since childhood when they both joined the St. Anthony’s Tamburitza and Kolo group of Los Angeles. During their youth, they both began to learn and excel on the Tambura. Steve also learned to play the accordion.
Both of Croatian decent, Danny & Steve are the sons of Marge and the late Ivica Ovanin- who was also a Tamburash as well as a master tambura builder, who instilled their Slavic culture, language, and most notably, music. Once Danny & Steve had reached their teenage years, they began to play and study with the Yeseta Brothers Orchestra of Los Angeles and other popular bands at the TAA extravaganzas.
In 1994, Steve had moved to Chicago, Illinois and began playing with the well known Orkestar Boduli of Chicago. Steve also assisted Joe and Renee Kirin with the direction of the Sloboda Junior Tamburitzans of Chicago.
After many years in Chicago, Danny & Steve quickly became well known for their musical expertise and filled in with other local bands including Slanina, Sinovi, Vatra of Milwaukee, and 8601 of Chicago. Danny and Steve also have many Tambura recordings and arrangements on their resumes. These recordings include Boduli, Vatra, Slanina, 8601, Robi Sestili, and most notably they have recorded with Momcilo Nikolic, formerly a member of RTV Novi Sad & the Janika Balaz Orchestra.
