The founder and front man of the musical group Autodafé is the poet Matjaž Pikalo, who is also its lyricist and accordionist. Since 1994 the group has become very popular for its non-conventional and innovative music, including both evergreens and its own songs. The group plays acoustic instruments and includes elements of drama in its performances. The group has toured to Belgrade and Italy. In 1997 it released the album Le Voyage Imaginaire, which was followed in 2001 by the second album Cinéma Voltaire. The group has also created some film soundtracks (for a short documentary Portraits with a Background by Amir Muratovič, and for the film Iz prahu soncnih žarkov, 'From the Sunray Dust', by Petra Seliškar). It has taken part in many public events, especially ones connected with poetry (for example the presentation of New Slovene poetry in Genoa, Italy in 2004). In 2003 the group expanded to nine members in order to perform at the Days of Chanson at the Knights' Hall of Križanke in Ljubljana, organised by Café teater. In 2005 Autodafé recorded its new album Grand hotel Evropa in the Blue Box studio. Since that time it has toured Dolenjska and the coastal region.
Autodafé are: Matjaž Pikalo – poetry, vocals, accordion; Jaka Hawlina – trumpet, baritone, vocals; Andrej Hawlina – violin, rattle, vocals; Luka Ropret – guitar, vocals; Davor Herceg – piano; and Petra Pikalo – bongos, vocals.
