Product Code Database
Plavi Orkestar () is a pop rock band originally formed in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia in 1983, and since 1998 based in Slovenia. Plavi Orkestar was one of the most popular acts of the 1980s Yugoslav rock scene and one of the best-selling acts of the Yugoslav popular music scene in general.
The band was started in 1982 by four teenagers – vocalist Saša Lošić "Loša", guitarist Srđan Krošnjar, bass guitarist Gordan Džamonja and drummer Admir Ćeremida "Ćera II". In 1983, the four were joined by experienced guitarist Mladen Pavičić "Pava". The band got a steady lineup in late 1983, with the departure of Krošnjar and Džamonja and the arrival of Admir Ćeremida's twin brother, bass guitarist Samir Ćeremida "Ćera I". In the early stage of their career, Plavi Orkestar were associated with the New Primitivism Subculture movement, but turned towards more commercial Folk music-influenced pop rock sound with their debut Soldatski bal. The album, released in 1985, became one of the best-selling records in the history of Yugoslav popular music and the band members rose to the status of teen stars, despite mixed reactions coming from the Yugoslav music critics. On their following album, Smrt fašizmu!, the band, influenced by their manager and promoter , presented themselves with the concept named New Partisans, featuring lyrics and imagery inspired by Yugoslav Partisans and Yugoslavism. The album was generally disliked by the critics and alienated the band from a large part of their teenage fans, the members deciding to make a discographic hiatus after its release. With the album Sunce na prozoru, released in 1989, the band turned to sentimental pop rock sound. Despite not repeating the nationwide success of the group's first album, Sunce na prozoru and Simpatija, released in 1991, brought a number of hits. The outbreak of the Bosnian War forced the band members to end their activity in 1992. In 1998, Lošić and Ćeremida brothers reunited in Slovenia with new guitarist Saša Zalepugin, making a highly successful comeback with the album Longplay. The band had released two studio albums since, maintaining large popularity in all former Yugoslav republics. In 2025, the default lineup, featuring Lošić, Pavičić and Ćeremida brothers, reunited for the first time since 1992.
Pavičić had already experienced a certain measure of musical prominence locally, having played in a band called Rock Apoteka ( Rock Pharmacy) with fellow teenagers Bojan Hadžihalilović (later would become prominent graphic designer) on vocals and Rusmir "Šanko" Mesihović (son of prominent politician Munir Mesihović) on the second guitar; the peak of their run was appearing as one of the opening acts at Bijelo Dugme's Rock spektakl '79 open-air concert at JNA Stadium in Belgrade in September 1979. With the emergence of new trends on the early 1980s Yugoslav rock scene, Rock Apoteka embraced ska, changing their name to Super 98 and managing to get in among the acts competing at the 1981 Omladinski festival in Subotica though failing to qualify for the finals. After Super 98's performance at the festival, Pavičić moved to Pop music band Mali Princ ( Little Prince), and eventually, during early 1982, ended up with the 1980 Zaječar Gitarijada festival winners Pauk ( Spider), with whom he soon recorded an album, Mumije lažu, released in 1983. Since Pauk was based out of Zavidovići, for teenage Pavičić, that meant traveling 130 km from Sarajevo every weekend for band rehearsals, which his parents did not approve of and soon persuaded him to stop. For a short time afterwards, alongside Admir Ćeremida's twin brother Samir, he played with Elvis J. Kurtović & His Meteors, and then in the bands Bonton Baja and Kazablanka ( Casablanca).
Throughout this 1982-1983 period, Pavičić and Lošić frequently hung out and jam session, even writing a song together, "Suada". It was in 1983, at a Siluete concert in Sarajevo, that the two agreed about Pavičić joining Lošić's band. Having much more musical experience than Lošić, Pavičić managed to persuade Lošić to kick Krošnjar and Džamonja out of the band, seeing them as not committed and dedicated enough. The steady lineup was formed in late 1983, with the arrival of bassist Samir Ćeremida whose most recent musical activity had been a brief spring 1983 stint with Zabranjeno Pušenje. Due to his twin brother Admir already being in Plavi Orkestar, he was easily persuaded by Lošić and Pavičić to join the band.
Lošić and Pavičić returned home first, in September 1984, continuing where they had left off one year earlier while waiting for their rhythm section to come back home as well. The two performed occasionally with various musicians, but due to poor gig quality, they got into a row that ended up with Pavičić quitting the band. However, the song "Goodbye Teens" was released on Diskoton's 1984 compilation album Nove nade, nove snage ( New Hopes, New Forces), featuring songs by young non-established bands, and Lošić got in touch with manager Goran Marić. Marić was previously the bass guitarist for the band Opera Iu, recording a 7-inch single with the group, before getting involved in the Sarajevo New Primitives movement under the alias Malkolm Muharem (which alluded to fashion designer and music manager Malcolm McLaren), managing Elvis J. Kurtović & His Meteors. In Zagreb, Lošić and Marić, with the help from Parni Valjak members Husein Hasanefendić "Hus" and Rastko Milošev and Ekatarina Velika drummer Ivan Fece, recorded the demos for the songs which would appear on Plavi Orkestar's debut album. Although Plavi Orkestar was inactive at the time, the demos got Yugoslavia's biggest record label Jugoton interested in the group, and Lošić signed a pre-contract with the company. Lošić showed the document to Pavičić and managed to persuade him to return to the group.
Soldatski bal was released in the spring of 1985, causing an immediate sensation on the Yugoslav scene with its radio-friendly folk-influenced songs, with occasional remnants of the band's New Primitivism roots. The members of Plavi Orkestar soon became nationwide teen stars. Already in September 1985, Jugoton announced that the album sold 300,000 copies, becoming the best-selling debut album in the history of Yugoslav popular music and placing Plavi Orkestar alongside other mega-selling acts of the Yugoslav rock scene like Bijelo Dugme, Riblja Čorba and Bajaga i Instruktori. The promotional performances were marked by the band's carefully molded image – in public Lošić always wore his cap, and the members wore sneakers with untied shoelaces, with—as they later explained—the goal of provoking unconscious protective urges with their female fans. The promotional video for the song "Kad mi kažeš paša" ("When You Call Me Pasha"), directed by Goran Gajić, featured actresseses Sonja Savić, Tanja Bošković and Mirjana Bobič, and singer and TV presenter Suzana Mančić. The band also used Socialism and Yugoslavism iconography, with Soldatski bal cover featuring the red star and the band appearing on promotional photographs and live performances wearing Combat boot and wool socks known as partizanke ( partisan socks). The concerts on the promotional tour opened with the sounds of "The Internationale", and the screens displayed footage from the 1940s and 1950s work actions, followed by the closing kolo from Jakov Gotovac's opera Ero the Joker.
On 15 June 1985, Plavi Orkestar, alongside 23 other acts, performed at the Red Star Stadium in Belgrade, on the concert which was a part of YU Rock Misija, a Yugoslav contribution to Live Aid. After the performance, the band continued their debut album promotional tour, entitled "Bolje biti pijan nego star" after the album's biggest hit. The concerts were sold out, including a concert in Belgrade's Tašmajdan Stadium, held on 14 September and featuring guest appearance by Nada Obrić. That evening, Plavi Orkestar performed in front of 11,000 spectators. Several days after the Belgrade concert, Plavi Orkestar performed at the alternative festival Novi Rock ( New Rock) in Ljubljana, the performance being followed by several incidents. Prior to the performance, during the band's appearance on Ljubljana's Radio Študent, a number of listeners called in to state that they will not allow Plavi Orkestar "to do in SR Slovenia what they did in other Yugoslav republics with their music" and threatened to throw stones at the band if they appear on the festival. The band performed in tense atmosphere in front of 6,000 people, but there were no larger incidents, with the exception of a small group of spectators throwing various object towards the stage and waving the banner "Bolje biti živ nego mrtav" ("Better to Be Alive than Dead").
Soldatski bal caused mixed reactions not only among Yugoslav rock audience, but also among the country's music critics. Part of the music press praised the album as innovative and exciting, while the other part described its blend of rock and "newly composed folk"—described by critic Rene Bakalović as "electro-sevdah"—as kitsch. The album also saw negative reaction by the country's cultural circles, which criticized the message of the song "Bolje biti pijan nego star", and the Yugoslav media initiated the discussion about the band. The League of Socialist Youth of Bosnia and Herzegovina demonstrated their stand on the band's work on the League's 11th congress by awarding the group with a plaque. In May 1986, the band performed in Sweden, and in the summer they performed on the Festival of Mediterranean Countries in Annaba, Algeria, holding three concerts in the city: in the city stadium, on the main square and on the closing evening of the festival. Following the performances, Soldatski bal was released on audio cassette for the Algerian market.
The unrefined lyrics in the album songs like "Fa fa fašista nemoj biti ti (jerbo ću te ja, draga, ubiti)" ("Fa Fa Fascist, Don't You Be One (Because I'll Kill You, Darling)") and "Puteru, puteru" ("(Oh,) Butter, Butter") caused negative reactions coming from Yugoslav music critics, but also from other Yugoslav rock artists. One of the negative reviews was written by renowned film director Emir Kusturica. In his review published in NIN magazine, Kusturica accused Lošić of promoting bad taste and attempting to turn rock music into state's project. Part of the press described the New Partisans concept as "quasi-revolutionary", accusing Bregović, Lošić and Merlin leader Dino Merlin of exploiting the imagery of National Liberation Struggle for popularity and financial gain.
The band's departure from the style of their debut also caused a decline in their popularity with their fans, with only the songs "Sava tiho teče" ("Sava Flows Quietly"), "Zelene su bile oči te" ("Those Eyes Were Green") and "Kad si sam druže moj" ("When You Are Alone, My Friend") seeing some success with the Yugoslav teen audience. The promotional tour also did not repeat the success of the previous one. In March 1987, the band held a promotional concert in a half-empty hall of Belgrade Fair. After their Belgrade concert, they held seven fund-raising concerts for the victims of the 1986 earthquake in Bosansko Grahovo and Knin. The band had more success with concerts in their home republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the end of their second Yugoslav tour, the group ended their cooperation with Malkolm Muharem and decided to make a discographic break in their work.
During 1988, the band performed abroad. They held a tour across the Soviet Union, during which they held eight concerts in Moscow and eight concerts in Volgograd. During their staying in the Soviet Union, they also appeared in Alla Pugacheva's TV show directed by Nikita Mikhalkov. They played on a festival in Çeşme, Turkey, performing as the opening act for Chaka Khan, and on the Sopot International Song Festival in Poland.
In 1991, the band released the album Simpatija ( Crush), through Diskoton record label. All the songs were authored by Lošić, with the exception of "Beštija" ("Beast"), composed by Marijan Brkić. Brkić also co-produced the album with band members and played keyboards on the album recording. Saxophonist Miroslav Sedak Benčić also appeared as guest on the album. Once again the album cover was designed by Trio studio, featuring Willem Johannes Martens' painting Loves Dream. The album featured a cover of The Mamas & the Papas song California Dreamin', entitled "Neka ljubi se istok iz zapad" ("May East and West Kiss"), the title coming from and old revolutionary song. The cover, which became a large hit for the band, was originally intended by Lošić as an advertisement for a tourism agency. The song "Sačuvaj zadnji ples za mene" ("Save the Last Dance for Me") was entitled after the song by The Drifters, but was musically based on the song "Rhythm of the Rain" by The Cascades.
The band started their last Yugoslav tour in August 1991, at the time when first Yugoslav Wars had already begun. The band intended to hold 120 concerts across Yugoslavia, but their concerts in war-affected Slovenia and Croatia had to be cancelled, and the band managed to hold planned concerts only in Serbia, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In early 1992, they performed on peace concerts in Sarajevo, Konjic, Mostar, Banja Luka and Trebinje. With the beginning of Bosnian War, Plavi Orkestar ended their activity.
With the outbreak of the war, Pavičić emigrated to Belgrade. For a period of time, he performed with Belgrade faction of another Sarajevo band, Zabranjeno Pušenje, before moving to Canada, where he started a career as studio musician.
Admir Ćeremida emigrated to Paris, where he formed the band Overdream with former members of less known Sarajevo bands. They released their self-titled album in 1996, and also took part in the recording of the album Fildžan viška ( A Cup to Spare) of the Zagreb faction of Zabranjeno Pušenje. During his staying in Paris, Ćeremida also worked as the arranger and co-producer on the album by French singer Alexandra Ross, and took part in the recording of the 1996 album Ruže u asfaltu ( Sarajevo Rose) by Teška Industrija.
Of the band members, only Samir Ćeremida remained in Sarajevo during the war. After the war ended, in 1996, he started a cafe in the city.
In 1996, Jugoton successor Croatia Records released two compilation albums entitled Everblue. Alongside band's old hits, the compilations featured four previously unreleased songs – "Zarazi me" ("Infect Me"), "O la la", "Mladene" ("(Oh,) Mladen") and "Suada" early demo.
In 1999, the band released the album Beskonačno ( Infinite), stylized as on the cover, with some of the songs being folk-influenced. The album was co-produced by Lošić, Nikša Bratoš and Janez Križaj. Once again, Bratoš and Brkić made guest appearances on the album, with other guests including Goce Dimovski (on kaval, gajde, Zurna and Balkan tambura), Goce Uzunski (on tapan, tarabuka and percussion) and Špela Možina (recitation). The album featured the song "Djevojka iz snova" ("Dream Girl"), which was a cover of the song "Djevojka bez činela" ("The Girl Without Cymbals") by Elvis J. Kurtović & His Meteors, a cover of "Pijem da je zaboravim" ("I'm Drinking to Forget Her") by folk singer Hašim Kučuk "Hoki", and a cover of the song "O kakav mesec" ("Oh, What Moonlight") by Đorđe Marjanović, Marjanović's song itself being a cover of Domenico Modugno's "Guarda che Luna". The album also featured the ballad "Zauvijek" ("Forever"), originally written by Lošić for Crvena Jabuka and originally recorded on their 1996 album Svijet je lopta šarena ( The World Is a Colorful Ball).
In 2011, a documentary about the band, entitled Orkestar and directed by Pjer Žalica, premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival. The following year, the band released their seventh and latest studio album, entitled Sedam ( Seven). The album was produced by Bratoš, and all the songs were authored by Lošić, with the exception of the lyrics for "Bi li pošla sa mnom" ("Would You Come With Me"), written by singer-songwriter Zlatan Stipišić Gibonni. The song "Od kod si doma" ("Where Are You From") featured Slovene language lyrics. The song "Ti misliš da je meni lako" ("You Think I Have It Going On") featured guest appearance by folk singer Dragana Mirković, and the song "(R)evolucija" ("(R)evolution") featured the members of the band Dubioza Kolektiv. Other guest appearances included Bruno Urlić (viola, violin), Dalibor Marinković (drums) and the members of Belgrade-based The Beatles tribute band The Bestbeat.
In 2019, the band went on a hiatus, prolonged by the COVID-19 pandemic. They announced that they were returning to performing in the summer of 2024, also stating they were working on a new studio album. "Plavi Orkestar najavio povratak - evo šta je rekao popularni Loša", Radio Sarajevo The band had their first performance since 2019 on Lent Festival in Maribor, on 27 June 2024.
In 2015, Soldatski bal was polled No.97 on the list of 100 Greatest Yugoslav Albums published by the Croatian edition of Rolling Stone.
In 2000, "Bolje biti pijan nego star" was polled No.75 on the Rock Express Top 100 Yugoslav Rock Songs of All Times list. In 2006, "Goodbye Teens" was polled No.97 on the B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs list. The B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs list at B92 official site
|
|
