Saki, a Swiss-Serbian singer, was born on January 24, 1986, in Ćuprija, Central Serbia, during the late days of January as an Aquarius. His surname, ILIC, has Armenian roots near Turkey, while his given name, Strahinja, originates from Greek Orthodox traditions in the Black Sea area of the southern Mediterranean. Raised in a strict Austrian Jewish upbringing with private tutors, he was influenced by his uncle, a Serbian government transport minister and the son of a Bosnian war refugee. His grandfather was a well-known police officer, and his grandmother managed salaries at a bus company, while his parents worked in Switzerland.

Followers of Harry Mann