Rock music in Serbia

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Serbian rock
)

Serbian rock is the rock music scene of

SFR Yugoslav rock scene
.

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was not an

Elipse, which became enormously popular with the younger generations. Rock bands drew the public's attention to themselves, which was followed with the appearance of first rock music magazines, radio and TV shows.[3][5]

Until the beginning of the 1970s, Serbian rock bands released only

, started to develop and gain mainstream popularity.

With the outbreak of the

NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia
and the arrival of the political changes during the 2000s, a new independent scene started to develop. The 2000s also featured the establishing of new connections between the former Yugoslav republics' scenes.

History

Rock pioneers (late 1950s – late 1960s)

The first rock acts emerged in the late 1950s. Influenced by the

Kalemegdan. Although Lojpur did not make any recordings, he had a great influence on subsequent development of the scene. Another notable rock and roll artist was Perica Stojančić from Niš
, whose debut single was released in 1961.

The singer

schlager singer, Marjanović also performed rock and roll songs. He is also notable as the first Yugoslav popular music singer who had an energetic on-scene appearance. He was the first pop singer to walk off the stage into the audience and perform songs in theatrical manner. His popularity led to the release of his album Muzika za igru in 1959, the first popular music solo album released by PGP-RTB, the biggest Serbian record label.[4] In 1963, Marjanović went on his first Soviet Union tour, where he soon became very popular, and had gone on more than thirty Soviet Union tours since. He continued to perform until 1990, when, on concert in Melbourne
, he had a stroke, after which he decided to retire.

The beginning of the 1960s saw the emergence of numerous

– with the exception of Crni Biseri, which recorded their only studio album Motorok in 1976, and Bele Višnje, which recorded their old songs and released them on the album Pesme naše mladosti in 1994 – they had major influence on the subsequent development of the scene.

Mainstream and pop rock (late 1960s – present)

1974 Eurovision Song Contest
.

By the time Korni Grupa disbanded, other Serbian progressive rock bands, like

former Yugoslavia. The band's later releases, Satelit (1976), Crna dama (1977) and Stranice našeg vremena (1978), saw similar success, but the band disbanded in 1981 for the similar reasons like YU Grupa. The band reunited and disbanded several more times during the 1980s and 1990s, releasing albums that saw little commercial success, although the 2012 reunion of the band's default lineup saw large interest by the audience and covering in the media.[11][12][13]

The end of the 1970s featured the appearance of the pop rock band

Računajte na nas", a song which praised the legacy of the Yugoslav Partisans from a slightly different perspective than habitual socialist realism, and soon became an anthem of Yugoslav youth. Đorđević, however, soon left the band to form Riblja Čorba. Rani Mraz released two well-received albums, Mojoj mami umesto maturske slike u izlogu (1979) and Odlazi cirkus (1980), before disbanding in 1981. With the release of the album Pub
(1982), Balašević started a very successful solo career, spanning up to the present, establishing himself as the most popular Serbian singer-songwriter.

Riblja Čorba frontman Bora Đorđević performing in 2009

The hard rock band

Republika Srpska Krajina, which he demonstrated by recording controversial songs "E moj druže zagrebački" (which was recorded as a response to Jura Stublić's song "E moj druže beogradski") and "Ljetovanje" with the band Mindušari from Knin. However, Ðorđević was also strongly opposed to president Slobodan Milošević and he demonstrated his attitude by writing a number of anti-government songs released on Riblja Čorba albums Zbogom, Srbijo (1993), Ostalo je ćutanje (1996) and Nojeva barka (1999), and on his solo album Njihovi dani
(1996).

The end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s featured the appearance of three popular solo singers:

Brazil", the last representative of the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia at the Eurovision Song Contest
. Having released her second album Ritam srca (1995), her popularity declined and she withdrew from performing in the late 1990s, returning in the early 2000s. Oliver Mandić, though active in the 1970s as a member of various progressive rock bands, it was his debut album Probaj me (1980) that brought him the nationwide popularity. With hits appearing on his albums Zbog tebe bih tucao kamen (1982) and Dođe mi da vrisnem tvoje ime (1985), controversial stage performance and clothing style, Mandić achieved large attention and high record sales. In the early 1990s he semi-retired, appearing occasionally only until today.

After the decline of the

synthpop and pop rock) and Laki Pingvini (which moved towards synthpop and New Romantic
).

Bajaga i Instruktori performing in 2009

The pop rock band

Momčilo Bajagić "Bajaga", after releasing their debut, highly successful solo album Pozitivna geografija in 1983 (originally released as Bajagić's solo album, but, as it featured musicians which would later become members of Bajaga i Instruktori, included in the band's official discography), started releasing successful albums Sa druge strane jastuka (1985) Jahači magle (1986), and Prodavnica tajni (1988), all becoming mega-hits. Bajaga i Instruktori entered the 1990s as one of the most popular Serbian rock acts, managing to maintain the gained popularity through the 1990s.[16]

The mid-1980s pop rock bands

tumor in 1990. Bel Tempo, formed in 1986 by brother and sister Vlada and Suzana Petričević, released two pop rock albums with jazz elements before disbanding in 1992. Vampiri's sound was influenced by the 1950s doo-wop and rockabilly. However, with the breakout of the Yugoslav Wars
, their sound seamed misplaced and the band disbanded in 1993. They reunited in 1995 and released the album Plavi grad, and, in 1997, Monkey Food, experimenting with different musical genres on the latter. However, the band disbanded once again in 1998.

Galija performing in 2016

Popular rock acts of the late 1980s and the 1990s were Galija, Partibrejkers and Dejan Cukić. Galija, despite being formed in the late 1970s and initially performing progressive rock, reached the peak of popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the album trilogy consisting of Daleko je Sunce (1988), Korak do slobode (1989), and Istorija, ti i ja (1991), entering the 1990s as one of the most popular Serbian rock bands. In the 1990s, Galija promoted the Socialist Party of Serbia, which had provoked a part of the critics and fans to proclaim Galija a "state band".[17] Nevertheless, albums Karavan (1994), Trinaest (1996) and Voleti voleti (1997) were well received by majority of the fans. The garage/punk rock band Partibrejkers gained large popularity with the albums Partibrejkers I (1985), Partibrejkers II (1988), Partibrejkers III (1989) and Kiselo i slatko (1994). Former Bulevar and Bajaga i Instruktori vocalist Dejan Cukić started his solo career in the late 1980s, and forming his Spori Ritam Band started releasing a series of successful albums, Spori ritam (1987), Zajedno (1989), 1991 (1991) and Ja bih da pevam (1996).

Van Gogh performing in 2007

Popular acts of the 1990s include

Igor Blažević in 1993, quickly gained mainstream popularity with lyrics inspired by musical, film and sport stars. The band Familija was formed in 1994 by former Vampiri, U Škripcu and Košava members, and saw large popularity with their albums Narodno pozorište (1994) and Seljačka buna (1997), which featured ska/pop rock songs with humorous lyrics. With the outbreak of the Bosnian War the band Zabranjeno Pušenje from Sarajevo split into two factions, both named Zabranjeno Pušenje: the Sarajevo fraction, led by the original Zabranjeno Pušenje guitarist Sejo Sexon, and the Belgrade faction, led by the original Zabranjeno Pušenje vocalist Nele Karajlić. The Belgrade faction released the album Ja nisam odavle in 1997, and, after recording the soundtrack for the film Black Cat, White Cat by the director Emir Kusturica, moved towards world music, starting to perform with Kusturica under the name to The No Smoking Orchestra. The band saw large popularity outside Serbia, however, their new sound is better accepted abroad than in their home country.[19]

Neverne Bebe in 2007

The 2000s featured popular bands

Lavirint
(2009), maintained their popularity throughout the 2000s and early 2010s.

Acoustic rock (late 1960 – mid-1970s, early 1990s – present)

The Serbian acoustic scene emerged in the late 1960s with the appearance of the

DAG, and Suncokret, most of them being a part of the Belgrade acoustic rock scene, naming themselves "akustičari" ("acousticans").[20]

The pioneers of the Serbian acoustic rock scene were the bands Porodična Manufaktura Crnog Hleba, Vlada i Bajka and S Vremena Na Vreme. Porodična Manufaktura Crnog Hleba, which was also a theatre group, formed by Maja de Rado and

electric
-oriented album, Paviljon G in 1979, S Vremena Na Vreme disbanded. They reunited in 1993, releasing a studio and a live album, before disbanding once again in 1997.

Lutajuća Srca, formed in 1970 in

Biljana Krstić and Gorica Popović. The band started releasing folk music-inspired singles and, in 1977, released their only album, Moje bube. The following year, having written the song "Lutka sa naslovne strane", which the band refused to perform, Đorđević, together with Krstić, left the band, moving to Rani Mraz. Suncokret continued to perform with a changed lineup, led by female vocalist Snežana Jandrlić, until 1980 when they disbanded. Beside the mentioned bands, part of the Belgrade acoustic rock scene was the singer-songwriter Srđan Marjanović
during the first several years of his career.

Throughout the 1980s, the acoustic scene did not exist, however, the appearance of the first

Arsen & Bora Čorba Unplugged `87, was one of the first unplugged concerts in Serbia and former Yugoslavia. However, it was in the 1990s that the Serbian rock acts started performing unplugged more often. The first official unplugged live album was released by the britpop band Eva Braun in 1993, and in the following year the Music Television of Serbia organized an unplugged festival in Belgrade Sava Centar. The recordings of Eva Braun, Rambo Amadeus, Laki Pingvini, Babe, Dejan Cukić, Milan Delčić, Du Du A, Del Arno Band, Kazna Za Uši, and others appeared on the various artists compilation Bez struje in 1995.[21] During the 1990s, the unplugged concerts in Serbia were mainly organized by the Novi Sad television station NS Plus in Novi Sad Studio M. Influenced by the already popular MTV Unplugged, NS Plus Unplugged concerts of Dejan Cukić, Kerber, S Vremena Na Vreme, Električni Orgazam, Vlada Divljan & Old Stars Band and Garavi Sokak, all held in 1996, and Love Hunters, held in 1998, were released on live albums throughout the late 1990s. YU Grupa released only a part of their 1996 unplugged concert in Studio M, featuring Kornelije Kovač on piano, on their 2007 album Live. An unplugged album was also released by Generacija 5
in 2002, but their unplugged concert, held in 1995, was not a part of the NS Plus Unplugged series.

The 1990s also featured several notable acoustic non-live releases. The

Na posletku...
.

During the 2000s, the acoustic music featured only a few notable releases. In 2000, Dejan Cukić recorded an acoustic Bob Dylan tribute Divlji med, featuring Serbian language lyrics. In 2002, Block Out leader Nikola Vranjković released a solo album Zaovdeilizaponeti, featuring lyrics from his book of the same title released with the CD. In 2002, Đorđe Balašević released the album Rani mraz, stylistically similar to Na posletku.... In 2002, the reformed Griva held an unplugged concert in Studio M, the recording of which was released on the album Griva & Co. — Live in 2010.

Singer-songwriters (early 1970s – present)

Đorđe Balašević performing in 2010

Serbian rock scene featured several notable singer-songwriters. One of the most important authors was

Na posletku... (1996) and Rani mraz (2004) being entirely folk rock
-oriented. Balašević's lyrics often dealt with humorous or political- and social-related themes.

Other notable singer-songwriters are Srđan Marjanović and Nikola Čuturilo. Initially a part of the Belgrade acoustic rock scene, Srđan Marjanović released his debut album Srđan Marjanović i prijatelji, which he recorded with members of YU Grupa, in 1974. During his career he released twelve studio albums. Nikola Čuturilo rose to fame as the guitarist for Riblja Čorba. He released his first solo album, 9 lakih komada (1988), while still a member of Riblja Čorba. He left the band in 1989, continuing his solo career which spans up to the present day.

Progressive and psychedelic rock (late 1960s – early 1980s)

Progressive rock dominated the Serbian rock scene throughout the 1970s, with the acts such as Dogovor iz 1804., Korni Grupa, YU Grupa, Smak, Pop Mašina, Dah, S Vremena Na Vreme, Opus, Tako, and Igra Staklenih Perli being the most notable representatives.[22] With the emergence of the new wave scene at the beginning of the 1980s, Serbian progressive rock bands saw the decline of popularity and most of them ceased to exist.

symphonic rock
-oriented English language album Not An Ordinary Life. Korni Grupa disbanded shortly after, but reunited in 1987 to perform at the Legende YU Rocka (Legends of YU Rock) concerts.

YU Grupa performing in 2007

traditional music of the Balkans into rock,[23][24][25] and achieved huge popularity with their fusion of progressive/hard rock and folk found on their 7-inch singles. Members of YU Grupa performed as a support band for guitarists Bata Kostić, Vedran Božić, Josip Boček and Goran Bregović on the Kongres rock majstora (Congress of Rock Masters) concert and album. YU Grupa disbanded in 1981, but reunited in 1987, continuing to record successful hard rock
-oriented releases throughout the late 1980s, 1990s and the 2000s.

Radomir Mihajlović Točak, often considered one of the top and most influential guitarist on the former Yugoslav rock scene, and drummer Dejan Stojanović "Kepa", did not get a default lineup until 1975 by which time bassist Zoran Milanović, vocalist Boris Aranđelović and keyboard player Laza Ristovski consisted the official band membership. Smak performed jazz-influenced progressive rock, but also incorporated elements of folk, blues and hard rock into their sound. The band achieved huge popularity in the 1970s, with their releases Smak (1975), Satelit (1976), Crna dama (1977) and Stranice našeg vremena
(1978). However, the band's popularity heavily declined at the beginning of the 1980s. Smak disbanded in 1981, and reunited and disbanded several times since.

Pop Mašina, formed in 1971, performed progressive/hard rock, but their debut album Kiselina (1973) also featured acid and psychedelic rock elements. The band released the first former Yugoslav live album, Put ka Suncu in 1976, and disbanded the following year. In 1981, the band's former members, Robert Nemeček and brothers Vidoja and Zoran Božinović, formed the hard rock/heavy metal band Rok Mašina.

acoustic rock scene, but also incorporated progressive rock elements into their music. They were also one of the first former Yugoslav rock bands to incorporate folk music elements into their songs. The band's debut self-titled album, released in 1975, was widely praised by the critics. S Vremena Na Vreme disbanded in 1981, but reunited in 1993, and disbanded once again in 1997. Dah, formed in 1972 and led by guitarist Zlatko Manojlović, also combined progressive rock with folk. In 1975, Dah moved to Belgium and started a short-lasting international career under the name Land. After returning to Yugoslavia, the band recorded the album Povratak (1976) and disbanded shortly after. In 1977, Manojlović formed the progressive/hard rock band Gordi
, which made a shift towards heavy metal in the 1980s.

The band

Progressive/psychedelic rock band Igra Staklenih Perli, formed in 1976, was one of the pioneers of the former Yugoslav psychedelic/space rock scene. The band released two studio albums, Igra Staklenih Perli (1979) and Vrt svetlosti (1980), before disbanding in 1985. In 2011, the band's former members Draško Nikodijević and Predrag Vuković, with a group of young musicians, formed the band Igra Staklenih Perli The Next Generation, releasing their debut album Apokaliptus in 2013.[26]

Other notable bands that incorporated progressive rock elements into their music include

acoustic rock bands, but, as S Vremena Na Vreme, also incorporated progressive elements into their music. Galija, formed in 1977, released their debut, progressive rock-oriented album Prva plovidba in 1979. Although the band's several following releases featured similar progressive rock sound, the band started gradually turning towards mainstream rock, and reached the peak of popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Neverne Bebe, formed in 1993, in the initial period of their career incorporated progressive rock elements into their music, but in the 2000s (decade) turned towards pop rock
sound.

Hard rock and heavy metal (early 1970s – present)

Although some of the 1960s bands performed covers of songs by

traditional music elements. The band disbanded in 1981, only to reunite in 1987. Since their comeback album, Od zlata jabuka (1987), their work has been mostly hard rock-oriented. Smak, formed in 1971, performed jazz-influenced progressive rock, but their sound often featured hard rock, blues and folk elements. The band moved towards more commercial hard rock at the beginning of the 1980s with the album Rock cirkus
, but the album saw little success and the band disbanded shortly after, having constant reunions disbandments throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

The late 1970s featured the appearance of hard rock bands

Momčilo Bajagić (who, having left Riblja Čorba in 1984, formed the highly successful pop rock band Bajaga i Instruktori). Riblja Čorba debut album Kost u grlu (1979) saw huge success, and the band became very popular in a few months period. The albums Pokvarena mašta i prljave strasti (1981), Mrtva priroda (1981) and Buvlja pijaca (1982), the latter featuring softer sound than the band's first three releases, were also well received by fans and critics alike, and Ðorđević's provocative political- and social-related lyrics, caused him to become one of the most controversial musicians in Yugoslavia. The album Večeras vas zabavljaju muzičari koji piju (1984) was poorly received, and after its release Kojić and Bajagić were excluded from the band. However, the band triumphed with the following album, Istina (1985), recorded with guitarists Vidoja Božinović and Nikola Čuturilo. Although more heavy metal-oriented than any of the band's previous works and often considered Riblja Čorba's magnum opus,[28]
Istina was also the album after which the band, although still generally fitting into hard rock, started turning towards softer sound. However, the band managed to sustain their popularity and remained one of the most popular acts of the Serbian rock scene until today.

Kerber performing in 2011

The beginning of the 1980s saw the appearance of first

an album for the foreign market, but disbanded in 1986. In 1982, guitarist Aleksandar "Leki" Cvetković formed the hard rock band Balkan. Cvetković's social-related lyrics were heavily influenced by the lyrics of Bora Ðordevic and Azra leader Branimir Štulić
. The band released four studio albums before disbanding in 1989.

The late 1980s featured the appearance of the band

Karizma and Osvajači being the most notable representatives. Love Hunters, formed in 1987, initially performed punk blues, but later moved towards hard rock. As their songs featured English language lyrics, during the first several years of existence the band did not manage to break through to mainstream media, but achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s. Viktorija, known for her husky voice, started her career as a member of the girl group Aska, starting her solo career in 1988 with the album Spavaćeš sam. She combined pop rock, hard rock and glam metal and saw huge popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before she semi-retired at the end of the 1990s. The band Karizma released two albums before disbanding at the beginning of the 1990s.[33] The band Osvajači released their debut glam metal-oriented album Krv i led, which they recorded with Laza Ristovski on keyboards, in 1990, while their second album Sam (1995) marked the band's slight shift towards heavier sound. Osvajači disbanded in 1997, and reunited in 1999 with the new vocalist, releasing the album Vrelina, but disbanding a year later.[34]

The late 1980s also saw the emergence of the first extreme metal acts, which saw little mainstream popularity in Serbia and former Yugoslavia in general during the 1980s. The thrash metal band Heller, formed in 1985, released arguably the first thrash metal album in South-Eastern Europe and was one of the pioneers of Serbian and former Yugoslav extreme metal scene. Another pioneer of the former Yugoslav extreme metal scene, speed/thrash metal band Bombarder, originally based in Sarajevo, moved to Belgrade after the beginning of the Bosnian War, where the band continued to record and perform.[35]

The 1990s featured only several notable, mostly

Trigger
, and others.

The 2000s also saw the revival of the hard rock scene. The hard rock band Cactus Jack, influenced by the 1970s hard rock, was formed in 1998, but saw their commercial success in the 2000s. The post-grunge/hard rock band Night Shift, even though formed in 1991, released their debut album Undercovers in 2002. The album, which featured covers of songs by various rock and pop artists, was well received by the audience and the critics, and the band moved towards writing their own songs, releasing their second album Bez zaklona in 2009. The second half of the decade featured the appearance of new hard rock acts, like Atlantida, Art Diler, Death Saw, and others.

Blues-rock (late 1970s – present)

Ana Popović performing in 2010

Despite the facts that many 1960s rock bands, such as

Elipse, and others performed rhythm and blues, and many 1970s progressive and hard rock bands, such as Pop Mašina, YU Grupa, Smak and Riblja Čorba, incorporated blues elements into their music, the first Serbian blues band, Blues Kvintet, was formed in 1979. They held their first concert at Mašinac club in Belgrade in spring of 1981, which is considered the first blues concert by a Serbian band.[39]

During the 1980s many notable blues/

Hush, led by female guitarist Ana Popović, released their debut and only album Hometown in 1998. In 1999, Ana Popović moved to Netherlands and started a successful international career. The 2000s brought a new generation of blues rock bands: Šinobusi (formed in 2001), Texas Flood (formed in 2004), Cotton Pickers
(formed in 2004), and others.

Punk rock, post-punk and gothic rock (late 1970s – present)

The development of punk rock in Serbia started in Novi Sad with the bands Pekinška Patka and Gomila G, both formed in 1978. Pekinška Patka, formed by vocalist Nebojša Čonkić, pronounced themselves "the first Orthodox punk rock band", which was against the attitude of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, which promoted atheism. Another pioneer of punk rock in Serbia was the band Gomila G (this name being a censored version of Gomila Govana, trans. A Pile of Shit), also from Novi Sad. The band initially performed cover versions of Ramones and Sex Pistols songs, but soon started writing their own songs. Gomila G usually performed as an opening act for Pekinška Patka, and their appearance at the Celebration of the World War II liberation of Stepanovićevo in 1979, where the band performed the song "God Save Martin Bormann" and Čonkić of Pekinška Patka blown condoms on stage, made the media turn against the two bands, even asking for banning of their public appearances. Gomila G disbanded in 1980 as the band members, guitarist Žolt Horvat and drummer Robert Radić formed the first Serbian ska band, Kontraritam.

In the meantime, Pekinška Patka gained mainstream popularity and recorded their first releases. At the Subotica Festival Omladina they won the Audience Award and their whole performance was broadcast on national television, which was the first TV appearance of any punk rock band in Yugoslavia. The popularity of the band then gave them the opportunity to release two singles, and then a studio album, Plitka poezija, the first punk rock album by a Serbian band, released in 1980 by Jugoton. After the album release, the lineup changed, and the arrival of the young Zoran "Bale" Bulatović on guitar, brought the stylistic changes, firstly moving towards new wave, and eventually to post-punk. The band's second album Strah od monotonije is considered the first post-punk release in Serbia and former Yugoslavia. After the album release, the band disbanded.

The appearance of the first post-punk album on the Serbian scene influenced appearance of post-punk and

Katarina II (1984), Ekatarina Velika (1985) and S' vetrom uz lice
(1986).

Partibrejkers performing in 2003

The second generation of punk rock acts in Serbia featured

Gitarijada festival in 1992 and releasing their debut Ispod zemlje in the same year. During the mid-1980s the former vocalist of the punk rock band Radost Evrope, Velibor Miljković performed as a solo act using the pseudonym Toni Montano, and his albums featured a combination of punk rock and rockabilly
, also found on his future releases.

Other prominent representatives of the second generation of punk rock bands in Serbia featured Kragujevac bands KBO! and Trula Koalicija, both formed by Saša "Vuja" Vujić. Vujić formed KBO! in 1982, and their first recordings were released by foreign record labels, which was also the case with their first official studio album, Forever punk (1989). The band performed in many foreign countries, and also formed their own independent record label, KBO! Records, which released the band's demo recordings and studio albums. Vujić also formed the band Trula Koalicija in 1986 with the vocalist Predrag "Skaki" Drčelić.

Goblini performing in 2012

Punk rock continued to be popular in the 1990s with the appearance the bands

pop punk and new wave
influences.

The 2000s featured disbandment and reunions of many punk rock groups. In 2001, Goblini disbanded, reuniting in 2010.

Luna reunited in the original lineup, and, four years later at the same festival, the original Pekinška Patka lineup reunited to perform at the festival main stage, alongside Sex Pistols.[47] The band announced the release of a cover album, featuring songs performed at the Yugoslav 1960s pop festivals.[48]

New wave (late 1970s – early 1980s)

Električni Orgazam performing in 2008

The origin of the

Srđan Gojković
"Gile" was to play guitar and sing lead vocals. The band gained the public's attention at the performances and, soon after, the band ended their activity as Hipnotisano Pile and continued as Električni Orgazam.

Idoli, Šarlo Akrobata and Električni Orgazam had their first recordings released on the compilation Paket aranžman, today considered one of the most prominent Serbian and Yugoslav rock releases, and by the time the compilation was released, the bands had already started working on their debut albums. The promotional video for Idoli song "Maljčiki" which followed the release of the compilation featured a parody of soc-realist iconography. It was broadcast for the first time at the New Year's Eve on the then-popular Rokenroler show on the national television, and the Soviet embassy sent a protest note to the TV and radio stations which broadcast the song and some of them banned it. During the same show, for the first time were broadcast the promotional videos for Električni Orgazam's "Krokodili dolaze" and Šarlo Akrobata's "Niko kao ja", all three appearing on the compilation. Idoli released their self titled EP in 1981 and Odbrana i poslednji dani in 1982, the latter polled in 1998 as the greatest Yugoslav popular music album in the book YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike,[49] Električni Orgazam released their self titled debut in 1981 and post-punk oriented Lišće prekriva Lisabon in 1982, and Šarlo Akrobata released their only album, Bistriji ili tuplji čovek biva kad... in 1981. Električni Orgazam and Šarlo Akrobata also had short tours in Poland and the Polish bands recorded a tribute to the Yugoslav rock bands, including cover versions of Idoli and Električni Orgazam songs, released on the 2001 album Yugoton. By 1983, Idoli and Električni Orgazam had moved towards mainstream pop and rock, and Šarlo Akrobata disbanded.

Due to the success of Paket aranžman,

synthpop and pop rock, and VIA Talas released one studio album
before disbanding in 1982.

Other notable new wave acts include Belgrade acts Bulevar, fronted by later Bajaga i Instruktori vocalist and solo singer Dejan Cukić, which released two albums, Loš i mlad (1981) and Mala noćna panika (1982), Piloti, which released albums Piloti (1981) and Dvadeset godina (1982) before disbanding, turning towards pop rock after their 1987 reunion, and Kozmetika, which released only one album, Kozmetika (1983), and Novi Sad act Čista Proza, which released only one album, Čista Proza (1983). Initial works of the bands Laki Pingvini and Zana were new wave-oriented, but these acts later moved towards more commercial pop rock and synthpop. During the early 1980s, new wave influences were present in the works of Grupa I, Du Du A, Pekinška Patka, Kontraritam, Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića, La Strada, Obojeni Program and Gjurmët, as well as in the works of some acts that gained popularity in the 1970s, most notably Slađana Milošević and Laboratorija Zvuka.

Synthpop (early 1980s – mid-1980s)

One of the first Serbian

Remek depo, which featured a combination of synthpop and brass instrument-oriented soul
.

With the decline of the

synthpop
sound with the release of their second album Dodirni mi kolena (1982). Despite the success of Dodirni mi kolena and the following album, Natrag na voz (1983), vocalist Nimani left the band. The rest of the band continued performing as Zana, changing several vocalists and gradually turning towards pop music.

Other notable synthpop acts include bands

synth-funk-oriented debut album Maske za dvoje in 1984, featuring several hits. However, the band moved towards pop rock
on their second album Bomba u grudima (1986).

Funk rock (early 1980s – present)

Deca Loših Muzičara performing in 2007

Disciplina Kičme
.

In the following decades funk rock was again popularized in Serbia with the appearance of Deca Loših Muzičara and Plejboj in the 1990s. Formed in 1988, Deca Loših Muzičara played a combination of funk and rock, found on their albums Dobar dan (1992), and Prolećni dan (1995). In 1998, the band wrote music for the Virus theater play, in which the main character was played by the actor Ivan Jevtović, who, after the release of their 2005 studio album ...gde cveta Samsung žut, joined the band as a new vocalist, replacing Aleksandar Siljanovski. Plejboj, formed in 1992, combined funk and soul with ska, punk rock, jazz fusion and pop rock on their albums Sviraj dečko (1994) and Overdrive (1997).

Alternative rock (early 1980s–present)

The alternative rock scene developed in the early 1980s with the decline of the

erotic lyrics, unusual line ups and bizarre circus-inspired stage performances, La Strada, featuring the poet Slobodan Tišma on guitar and vocals, Obojeni Program, featuring former Urbana Gerila vocalist Branislav "Kebra" Babić, and the girl band Boye whose debut album Dosta! Dosta! Dosta! (1988) was the first Serbian all-female
release since the 1960s.

performing in 2000

In Belgrade, former

Dum dum (1991). Another prominent figure of the Serbian alternative rock scene, Mitar Subotić, also known as Rex Illusivi, a composer, producer and one of the pioneers of electronic music in Serbia, was closely associated with the works of Ekatarina Velika. In 1985, Subotić, Mladenović and Goran Vejvoda started the short-lived project Dah Anđela. At the about same time, Subotić was closely associated with the work of the art rock band Heorina, which featured comic book artist Zoran Janjetov on vocals. In 1990, Subotić moved to São Paulo, Brazil, where he worked as a musician and producer. In 1994, Subotić and Mladenović, with a group of Brazilian musicians, reactivated the project as Angel's Breath
, releasing the album Angel's Breath in 1994.

Rambo Amadeus in 2013

The second half of the 1980s brought the formation of the prominent alternative rock acts which gained the mainstream popularity with their works during the 1990s,

Psihološko propagandni komplet M-91
(1991).

The beginning of the 1990s featured the prominent alternative rock acts:

post rock, soul, free jazz and krautrock. Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša, formed in 1991, performed a combination of rock, jazz and reggae. Block Out, formed in 1991, initially inspired by various diverse bands and grunge/hard rock-oriented, after the release of Crno, belo i srebrno (1994) started to move towards a darker, heavier atmosphere and sound under Nikola Vranjković's songwriting, combining elements of doom metal, psychedelic rock, hard rock and punk rock with social-related lyrics. Obojeni Program, although formed in 1980, released their debut album Najvažnije je biti zdrav in 1990. Bjesovi, formed in 1989, combining grunge, hard rock, psychedelic rock and doom metal, released their debut U osvit zadnjeg dana in 1991, but achieved success with the release of their second, self-titled album
, released in 1992.

The mid-1990s featured the disbandment of

brass
sections, making a communicative musical performance found on their releases Kristali and Dolina ljubavi. E-Play, featuring a majority of female members, combined alternative rock with various electronic music genres.

The 2000s brought new alternative rock acts, large number of them usually denoted as Nova srpska scena (New Serbian Scene).

Oi!, ska, hardcore and pop punk (late 1980s–present)

Ritam Nereda performing in 2010

The late 1980s brought a variety of

pop punk
bands emerged from the local demo scenes to the major record labels and nationwide popularity.

The Oi! scene, with Ritam Nereda and Direktori, quickly found the way to the fans with their political-related lyrics, aggressive music and effective live performances. Direktori, unlike Ritam Nereda, were also turned towards ska music, which became very popular on the Serbian scene. Even though ska appeared in the early 1980s with the band Kontraritam, formed in 1980, which released only one album before disbanding in 1983, it was only with the bands like Plejboj and Familija that it gained a vast number of fans. Plejboj, formed in 1992, gained popularity with their combination of punk rock, ska, soul, funk, jazz fusion, and pop rock, found on their albums Sviraj dečko (1994) and Overdrive (1997). Familija, formed in 1994, gained popularity with their ska/pop rock songs with humorous lyrics found on their albums Narodno pozorište (1994) and Seljačka buna (1998). However, despite the success of the releases, they disbanded in 1998. In 2003, the band's former vocalist Dejan Pejović formed the band The Dibidus, whose albums The Dibidus (2003) and Trenerka i sako (2011) were stylistically similar to the works of Familija.

Hardcore punk scene, founded in the late 1980s, gained the mainstream popularity in the 1990s with the bands

rapcore band Sunshine from Belgrade, which combined rap and hardcore punk with sexually overt lyrics, and the hardcore punk/metalcore band Overdrive from Zrenjanin. One of the most popular bands of the genre was Eyesburn, a brass-oriented combination of hardcore punk and reggae music. The band's growing popularity with the releases of Fool Control /2000) and later Solid (2003), gave them the opportunity to tour Europe with Soulfly. The band disbanded in 2005, but reunited in 2011.[54]

Pop punk scene in Serbia mainly developed in the 1990s, due to the popularity of the bands

pop punk
, formed in 2005.

Industrial rock (late 1980s–present)

Despite being a part of the developed Yugoslav

Klopka za Pionira from Pančevo. DreDDup released seven albums, did several European tours and also collaborated with cult Slovenian industrial group Borghesia. The 2000s brought new bands to the scene: Youth A.D. from Srbobran, Syphil from Sombor, Figurative Theatre and Pornhouse from Niš
.

Several notable acts incorporated industrial rock elements into their sound: grindcore band Urgh!, with their 2001 album Sumo, alternative rock band Dža ili Bu, with their 2007 album Ultra muk, and alternative rock act, Supernaut, drawing on many different musical influences, featured a kind of experimental variant of industrial rock.

Grunge and post-grunge (early 1990s–present)

Bjesovi performing in 2009

The bands Block Out from Belgrade and Bjesovi from Gornji Milanovac were the representatives of grunge on the Serbian rock scene. After their debut album Crno, belo i srebrno (1994), the early hard rock concept of Block Out started to move towards a darker, heavier atmosphere and sound under Nikola Vranjković's songwriting. The followup Godina sirotinjske zabave (1996) featured the material written during the six years of the band existence, and the lyrical themes were mainly oriented around the end of socialism in Serbia. With the release of the next album, San koji srećan sanjaš sam (1998), the band moved from grunge sound towards art rock and alternative rock. Bjesovi released their debut U osvit zadnjeg dana in 1991, but achieved success with the release of their second, self-titled album (1994). Achieving success with the album, the band turned towards religiously oriented lyrics and music on their following album Sve što vidim i sve što znam (1997). After the album release, Bjesovi disbanded, after which the band member Goran Marić became one of the originators of the Christian rock project Pesme iznad istoka i zapada (2001).[55] The band reformed with a new lineup in 2000 and released Bolje ti in 2009.

The 2000s featured three notable

Gitarijada festival in Zaječar, the band released their debut album Svaki trenutak ostaje... in 2007.[57]

Britpop (early 1990s – present)

Eva Braun performing in 2008

Britpop appeared in Serbia with the band Eva Braun from Bečej, and the band's faction Popcycle. Eva Braun was formed in 1990 by Goran Vasović, Petar Dolinka and Milan Glavaški. Influenced by The Beatles, Little Richard, The Byrds, and the Serbian band Idoli, the band released their debut album Prisluškivanja in 1992. The album had minor hits, but the single "Sasvim običan dan" found on the band's second album Pop music, released in 1995, had drawn the public's attention to the band's work. The Rolling Stone review of the album described the album as "the best Brit-pop album never to come out of the UK".[58] Despite the success of the release, the internal conflicts lead to the disbandment of the band. Part of the band moved to their newly formed band Popcycle, while Vasović, with a new lineup reformed Eva Braun. The band's third album Heart Core repeated the success of the previous release, and the band, having performed at the International Pop Overthrow, also gained the opportunity to release an album for the North American market with the release of Nowhere Land. In 2000, the band started working on an ambitious project which came out as Everest in 2001, however, after the album release, the band disbanded. Popcycle, formed by former Eva Braun members Petar Dolinka and Milan Glavaški, released their debut album Orbitalna putovanja in 1996, and Popcyclopedia in 1997. The band disbanded in 1999, and Dolinka and Glavaški reunited with the rest of the original Eva Braun lineup in 2007, releasing the album Playback in 2011. In 2006, Glavaški, with a group of Serbian and Hungarian musicians formed his side project, alternative country/pop rock band Rebel Star.

Other notable representatives of the Serbian britpop scene are Kristali, Veliki Prezir, Instant Karma and Lutke.

Irish folk and Celtic rock (early 1990s – present)

Orthodox Celts performing in 2008

The

Aleksandar "Aca Celtic" Petrović and violinist Ana Đokić. The band, having released their first two albums, Orthodox Celts (1994) and The Celts Strike Again (1997), which mainly featured cover versions of Irish folk songs, started writing their own material. Since the release of Green Roses in 1999, the band centered on writing and recording their own songs. The traditional performances for Saint Patrick's Day and at the Belgrade Beer Fest
made the band become a live attraction, having well-visited live appearances in Serbia and abroad.

During the early 2000s, appeared two bands, Tir na n'Og and Irish Stew of Sindidun, both from Belgrade, inspired by the works of Orthodox Celts. Tir na n'Og, formed in 2000, performed a combination of Irish and Serbian folk music with punk rock, and their debut album Tir na n'Og was released in 2006.[59] However, in 2008, the band changed the name to Alfapop and moved towards power pop sound.[60] Irish Stew of Sindidun, formed in 2003, having started as a cover band, started writing their own material. The band recorded their debut album So Many Words... in 2005. In 2011, they released New Tomorrow, their first album not to feature any covers of Irish folk songs.

New Serbian Scene (late 2000s – early 2010s)

The term Nova srpska scena (New Serbian Scene) was coined in the second half of the 2000s by the web magazine Popboks, which was initially one of the main promoters of the scene.

In 2007,

S.A.R.S., which gained nationwide popularity with the hit song "Buđav lebac", released their debut, self-titled album in 2009.[72]

At the turn of the decades, the scene started to dissolve, as the band's started to set off towards their individual careers, with some of them, like S.A.R.S. and Zemlja Gruva, achieving large mainstream popularity and the others remaining popular in alternative rock circles only. In 2013, Popboks announced the end of its activity, publishing its final text on 25 August 2013.[73]

References

  1. ^ "Nikola Karaklajić – legendarni šahista i pionir rok novinarstva", tanjug.rs Archived 25 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Kad su didžejevi vrteli rokenrol", naslovi.net Archived 20 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b c "In Memoriam: intervju sa Nikolom Karaklajićem", timemachinemusic.org Archived 7 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b "Istorijat PGP RTS", rts.rs
  5. ^ a b "Za sve je kriv rokenrol", slobodnaevropa.org
  6. ^ Živko Ivković, "Zvezda koja će večno sjati"
  7. ^ a b "ZORAN SIMJANOVIĆ: Sa ove strane soula", popboks.com
  8. ^ "Hazardersko upuštanje u životne tokove", interview with Žika Jelić on Popboks.com
  9. ^ Srpski „Stonsi" rođeni na Dan republike, pressonline.rs
  10. ^ "Sviramo do zadnjeg daha – nema više trte mrte", popboks.com
  11. ^ "Puna Arena i Točkove oči suza: Smak održao neponovljiv koncert", timemachinemusic.org Archived 2 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Smak Beograda u Areni", balkanrock.com Archived 15 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "Ovo je pravi Smak, a ne ono...", popboks.com
  14. ^ a b Pejović N., "Teškometalni Ikar protiv gravitacije", Popboks.com Archived 29 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ The Rolling Stones u Beogradu za samo 50.000 ljudi
  16. ^ "BAJAGA I INSTRUKTORI U SAVA CENTRU: Instruktori mejnstrima", Popboks.com
  17. ^ Janjatović, Petar (2007). EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960–2006. Belgrade: self-released. p. 87.
  18. ^ a b Vreme vode review at Popboks.com
  19. ^ "Smoking obavezan", vreme.rs
  20. ^ "Svremenaši", belgradebeerfest.com
  21. ^ Bez struje at Discogs
  22. ^ a b c "Non-Aligned Prog: The Music of Serbia (Part II)", prog-sphere.com
  23. ^ Janjatović, Petar (2007). EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960–2006. Belgrade: self-released. p. 241.
  24. ^ "Dragi Jelić: Slučajno smo uveli etnorok", nezavisne.com
  25. ^ "Bregovićevi uzori opet jašu". Muzika.hr. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  26. ^ "Dve Igre Staklenih Perli – dva albuma", balkanrock.com Archived 25 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^ Energija "Generacije 5", na dlanu.com
  28. ^ "10 najvažnijih SFRJ ploča", Dimitrije Vojnov, pressonlie.rs Archived 25 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ Gordi at Balkanuk.com[usurped]
  30. ^ "Pejović N., "Teškometalni Ikar protiv gravitacije"". Popboks.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  31. ^ "Kostić P., "Rok Mašina: Na ponoru svetlosti"". Balkanrock.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  32. ^ a b Kerber, Svet se brzo okreće
  33. ^ Karizma Archived 25 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine at I♥80s blog
  34. ^ Osvajači biography on kragujevcani.com
  35. ^ Bombarder biography at serbianmetal.org Archived 1 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  36. ^ Kraljevski Apartman: Čuvar tajni
  37. ^ Alogia biography on serbian-metal.org Archived 15 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  38. ^ "Srećan petak trinaesti!", balkanmedia.com
  39. ^ Janjatović, Petar (2007). EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960–2006. Belgrade: self-released. p. 36.
  40. ^ link Mi plačemo iza tamnih naočara review at Barikada.com Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  41. ^ link Mi plačemo iza tamnih naočara review at Mikrofonija.com
  42. ^ link Mi plačemo iza tamnih naočara review at Terpaija.net
  43. ^ "Tamburaški pank u SKC na Bombshellfestu", naslovi.net
  44. ^ "ZBOGOM BRUS LI (novi sad) / purgeraj live". zagrebinfo.net
  45. ^ "Povratak Goblina", mondo
  46. ^ "Besplatno preuzmite novi album benda Nafta", popboks.com
  47. ^ "Pekinška Patka: Stari pankeri bez sakoa", Popboks, July 14, 2008
  48. ^ Povratak iz istorije Pekinške patke
  49. ^ Antonić, Duško; Štrbac, Danilo (1998). YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike. Belgrade: YU Rock Press. p. 5.
  50. ^ "DURAN DURAN, Beograd, Sajam, 17. listopad", dopmagazin.com Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  51. ^ Jane biography on the official site
  52. ^ Janjatović, Petar (2007). Ex YU rock enciklopedija 1960–2006. Belgrade: self-released. p. 100.
  53. ^ Rich Bitch official website
  54. ^ "Eyesburn ponovo na okupu", balkanrock.com
  55. ^ "Muzički projekat iznad istoka i zapada", Reporter magazine Archived 2 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  56. ^ B92 – Kultura: 4. January 2006. – Godišnja lista 2005
  57. ^ Broken Strings official MySpace
  58. ^ Pop Music reviews at oaza.rs
  59. ^ Tir na n'Og review at Popboks
  60. ^ Interview with Alfapop at nadlanu.com
  61. ^ a b Vlada Milovanović, "Grizi sistem. Živi poraz (I)", pescanik.net Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  62. ^ "Nova srpska scena", b92.net Archived 6 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  63. ^ "Petrol / Repetitor / Nežni Dalibor", tportal.hr
  64. ^ "Kamo u petak? Goribor u Močvari!", SoundGuardian.com Archived 17 September 2012 at archive.today
  65. ^ "Buđenje srpske nezavisne pop scene", politika.rs
  66. ^ Nova srpska scena artists at Last.fm
  67. ^ "Jutro će promeniti sve? – Nova srpska scena", Popboks.com
  68. ^ Goribor: Goribor, Popboks.com
  69. ^ Petrol: Nezgodno vreme opasni dani, Popboks.com
  70. ^ "NEŽNI DALIBOR – Sredstva i veštine /". Popboks.com. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  71. ^ Repetitor: Sve što vidim je prvi put, Popboks.com
  72. ^ S.A.R.S.: S.A.R.S., Popboks.com
  73. ^ "Hvala na pažnji i doviđenja", popboks.com

Bibliography

See also