Born into a poor, but proudly Slovenian family in 1899, Kernjak developed his love of music after his father bought him a pump organ when he entered elementary school. Even though his family didn’t have enough money to send him to study music, the young Kernjak continued to play Slovenian songs from his home province, which became permanently separated from Slovenia after a 1920 referendum. Completely self-taught, he nevertheless became a confident musician.

As a young man, Kernjak adapted several well-known folk songs, but he eventually began to compose new songs in the style of traditional folk melodies. He authored more than a hundred songs. Two in particular have become classics: Mojcej and Katrca, both characterized by a mix of joy, melancholy, and irony so typical of Slovenian songs from Carinthia. Frequently featured by the Slovenian Octet, Mojcej has been performed around the world, always to great acclaim.

At a time when the Slovenian community struggled for survival in the face of intense Germanization, and even the singing of Slovenian-language songs was often condemned by members of the German majority, Kernjak’s works served as a cultural bond that brought the community together. His creative work was recognized by the Slovenian government, and he received the prestigious Gallus Prize given out for exceptional achievement in music.

Kernjak died in 1979, but his songs have become a part of Slovenia’s folk tradition – and a central part of the Carinthian Slovenian cultural identity.