Orthodox Celts

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Orthodox Celts
Orthodox Celts in 2021
Orthodox Celts in 2021
Background information
OriginBelgrade, Serbia
Genres
Years active1992–present
LabelsTake It Or Leave It Records, ITMM, Metropolis Records, Automatik, O'Celts Records
MembersAleksandar Petrović
Dejan Lalić
Nikola Stanojević
Vladan Jovković
Dejan Grujić
Dušan Živanović
Dragan Gnjatović
Past membersAna Đokić
Dejan Jevtović
Dejan Popin
Bojan Petrović
Websitewww.orthodoxcelts.com

Orthodox Celts is a

Serbian rock scene and has influenced several younger Serbian bands, most notably Irish Stew of Sindidun and Tir na n'Og
.

The band started their career performing traditional Irish songs and, gradually, introduced more and more of their own material (lyrics mostly written by the band's frontman Aleksandar "Aca Celtic" Petrović, music mostly written by band's

St. Patrick's Day with a large concert in Belgrade. The band also traditionally performs on the Belgrade Beer Fest, and is the only act that has appeared on every Belgrade Beer Fest so far (except Belgrade Beer Fest 2004, when a part of the program was cancelled due to technical problems).[1]

Band history

1990s

During the mid-1980s, Dušan Živanović, drummer of the pub rock band Roze Poze (Pink Poses), wanted to form a band which would perform cover versions of Irish folk songs. Even though he had partially managed to fulfill this idea through some of the songs recorded by Roze Poze, in 1992 he took up playing the accordion and, with Ana Đokić (violin) and Dejan Lalić (mandolin, banjo, tin whistles), formed a band which performed occasionally at clubs.[2] The band had their first official public appearance on Saint Patrick's day in 1992, at the British Council.[2] At the end of the following year, vocalist Aleksandar Petrović, also known as Aca Celtic, joined the band and they started performing more often. The band had their first performance with Petrović on 9 November 1993 in Belgrade Youth Center.[3] Soon the band was joined by Vladan Jovković on guitar and Dejan Jevtović on bass.[2]

The band released their debut

Latin American music. The recording of the concert was released on the split live album Muzičke paralele (Musical Parallels) in 1996.[2]

For the next album,

Green Roses, released in 1999, featured sixteen songs, half of which were covers of traditional songs, and the other half their original songs. The album was produced by Aleksandar Radosavljević, and as guests appeared Dragoljub Marković (keyboards), Aleksandar Eraković (keyboards) and Goran Stojković (backing vocals).[2] Promotional videos were recorded for the tracks "Rocky Road to Dublin / Down The River", "Merry Sisters", "Far Away", and the title track.[3]

2000s

In 2001,

Exit festival alongside Shane MacGowan, and Petrović appeared on the stage with MacGowan performing "The Irish Rover" with him.[4]

In 2007, the band released their fifth studio album, One, Two... Five, through Automatik records. The album, produced by Nikola Vranjković, brought eleven songs, two of which are covers of traditional songs,[5] and one of them being a cover of the Thin Lizzy song "Sarah".[6] Unlike the band's previous releases, for which most of the band's songs were composed by Ana Đokić, songs for One, Two... Five were composed mostly by Dejan Lalić. In 2009, Đokić left Orthodox Celts, and was replaced by Nikola Stanojević.

2010s

In the early 2010s, Bojan Petrović, leader of the Celtic rock band Irish Stew of Sindidun, joined Orthodox Celts, playing whistles and singing backing vocals, continuing to front his own band.[6] In March 2012, the band held their traditional Saint Patrick's Day's day tour, including two 20th anniversary celebration concerts at the Students' Cultural Centre in Belgarade, one being an unplugged set for a limited number of visitors, and the other a standard tour set.[7] On July 12, 2013, the band performed on the Music in the Park Stage on the 47th Montreux Jazz Festival.[8] In May 2016, Bojan Petrović left Orthodox Celts and in June 2016 Dragan Gnjatović came to his place.

Orthodox Celts in 2017

On January 13, 2017, the band released their latest studio album, Many Mouths Shut!, previously announced by singles "Save Me", released in March 2014,[9] and "One / Milk & Honey", released in March 2015.[10] The album featured seven songs authored by the band and six covers of traditional Irish songs. It was produced by Dejan Lalić and released through the band's own label, O'Celts Records.[11] The album artwork was designed by Italian comic book artist Walter Venturi.[12] In 2018, the band performed in Ireland for the first time, in the club Fibber Magees in Dublin.[13] In June 2020, the band, in cooperation with the Gvint brewery, launched their own brand of beer, Orthodox Celts Irish Red Lager.[14]

Legacy

In 2021 the band's album

SFR Yugoslavia. The list was published in the book Kako (ni)je propao rokenrol u Srbiji (How Rock 'n' Roll in Serbia (Didn't) Came to an End).[15]

Members

Current members

  • Aleksandar Petrović - vocals (1993–present)
  • Dejan Lalić - octave mandola, mandolin, banjo, backing vocals (1992–present)
  • Nikola Stanojević - violin (2009–present)
  • Vladan Jovković - acoustic guitars, backing vocals (1993–present)
  • Dejan Grujić - bass guitar, backing vocals (2001–present)
  • Dušan Živanović - drums, bodhran (1992–present)
  • Dragan Gnjatović - tin whistles (2016–present)

Past members

  • Ana Đokić - violin (1992–2009)
  • Dejan Jevtović - bass guitar (1993–2001)
  • Dejan Popin - tin whistles (1997–2012)
  • Bojan Petrović - tin whistles (2012–2016)

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Other appearances

References

  1. ^ "2004 Belgrade Beer Fest program at the festival's official site". 2004.belgradebeerfest.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Janjatović, Petar (2007). EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960–2006. Belgrade: self-released. p. 227.
  3. ^ a b c "Irska muzika među Srbima", Glas javnosti
  4. ^ Orthodox Celts in Fajront republika, YouTube
  5. ^ "One Two... Five review at Popboks". Popboks.com. 2011-03-24. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
  6. ^ a b "Aca Celtic (Orthodox Celts): Spremamo album nabijen emocijama". Balkanrock.com. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  7. ^ "Kultura - Vesti - Ortodoks Kelts u SKC-u 17. marta". B92. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
  8. ^ "Koen, Koker, Princ i ... Orthodox Celts". B92.net. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  9. ^ "Orthodox Celts objavili novu pesmu i spot". Balkanrock.com. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  10. ^ "Novi spot Orthodox Celtsa". Balkanrock.com. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  11. ^ "Orthodox Celts: Čujte i počujte ‘Many Mouths Shut’", rockomotiva.com
  12. ^ "Orthodox Celts: Novi album stiže 17. januara", rockomotiva.com
  13. ^ "Grupa 'Orthodox Celts' prvi put nastupila u Irskoj", Blic.rs
  14. ^ "Bend Ortodox Celts promovisao svoje pivo: Crveni irski lager", telegraf.rs
  15. ^ Antonić, Duško (2021). Kako (ni)je propao rokenrol u Srbiji. Belgrade: Take It Or Leave It. pp. 151–238.

External links