Zvonko Bogdan

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Zvonko Bogdan (born January 5, 1942 in Sombor) is an eminent performer of traditional folk songs from Bačka, Vojvodina. Apart from being famous as a singer, he is also a composer, painter and harness racer, and universally recognized as a bonvivant and a gentleman. Bogdan lived in Vienna during the 1990s, but returned to Serbia (Vojvodina) after the fall of Slobodan Milošević and lives in Subotica.

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[edit] Biography

He was born in the city of Sombor (present day Serbia, Vojvodina) during the World War II, when the region was under Hungarian occupation, to a Croatian-Bunjevac family.

Bogdan sings both original and traditional songs (especially those of the Bunjevci people he belongs to) accompanied by the traditional tamburitza orchestra. Some of the songs he composed himself, including his most famous "Hej salaši na severu Bačke" ("Hey, farms from Northern Bačka"). Some of his songs are also in Hungarian and Roma language.

Accompanying bands on his concerts are the Tamburaški orkestar Janike Balaža from Vojvodina and the Zagrebački tamburaši from Croatia. The late Janika Balázs and still living Jerry Grchevich are his favourite tamburitza musicians and co-workers. Zvonko Bogdan is still very active and he plays in Vojvodina and Croatia, and all over the world where people of Vojvodina and Croatians are living.

Some of his most recognized songs are:

  • Hej salaši na severu Bačke
  • Osam tamburaša s Petrovaradina
  • Već odavno spremam svog mrkova
  • Ne vredi plakati
  • Govori se da me varaš
  • Kraj jezera jedna kuća mala
  • Fijaker stari
  • Prošle su mnoge ljubavi
  • Ko te ima, taj te nema

[edit] Influence on musical and popular culture of Croatia

In Feral Tribune (edition nr. 1086, July 12, 2006), in section "Zaboravljeni asevi" (Forgotten Aces), in article about Bela Tonković, Croatian political leader during the 90s in Vojvodina, it is stated that Tonković and Zvonko Bogdan are most well known Croats from region of Vojvodina.[1]

The most prominent Croatian tamburitza artists, such as Zlatni Dukati, Krunoslav Kićo Slabinac and Miroslav Škoro have recorded many songs that Bogdan wrote or is known for singing them. Zlatni Dukati made an album "Starogradska pjesmarica" in 1994, with many popular Bogdan's songs[2]. Krunoslav Slabinac had also started in the 70s to sing tamburitza songs and part of his repertoire is very similar to Bogdan's. Miroslav Skoro, who is an apprentice of Jerry Grchevich, has a habit to perform in almost every concert "Ej salaši na sjeveru Bačke" as dedication to Zvonko Bogdan.

On Croatian Radio Television (HRT), in cult children series "Smogovci", in season of 1992, character of Kumpić, that has speech defect was singing "Ej salaši na sjeveru Bačke" in his particular style as "Uj sulusi nu sjuvuru Bucku". On the same television, on the comedy show "Večernja škola", in season 2005/2006, character Blaž Sitz was singing "'Ko te ima, taj te nema", not the original text, but in Kajkavian dialect. There were also a few jokes and allusions in that season that have some connection with Zvonko Bogdan. A possible reason for this is the fact that Miroslav Skoro joined the cast in this season.

In 1990, Croatian poet Drago Britvić and composer Siniša Leopold wrote "Svirci moji" (Musicians of mine) especially for Zvonko Bogdan, for him to perform at the traditional festival of tamburitza songs "Zlatne žice Slavonije" in Požega, Croatia. Because of the Yugoslavia crisis, Bogdan haven't had a chance to make his performance, but Đuka Čajić stepped in and won the festival. It took more than a decade for Bogdan to publicly perform the song. In HRT show "Hit do hita", in April 2004., Zvonko Bogdan finally gave his premiere of "Svirci moji". Since then, it became a regular song in his repertoire. Krunoslav Slabinac and Zlatni Dukati have also recorded their version of this song that has became a tamburitza classic.

During the past years, Zvonko Bogdan has written few Croatian patriotic songs such as "Otvori prozor" (Open the Window), "Od Konavala pa do Zagore" (From Konavli to Zagora), "Markova čeznja" (Marko's Longing), "Oj, Dunave, teci, teci" (Oh, the Danube, flow, flow). In May 2003, on the Brodfest, annual tamburitza festival held in Slavonski Brod, Zvonko Bogdan won the "Ruka slobode" award ("Hand of Freedom") for the song "Od Konavala pa do Zagore". The song lyrics were declared the most patriotic lyrics written for Croatian tamburitza scene in 2002.[3]

Zvonko Bogdan was guest of many HRT shows such as "Turbo Limach Show" (a very popular children show), "Željka Ogresta i gosti" (talk show) and many tamburitza theme shows ("Lijepom našom", etc). In 2005 and again in 2006, he performed a concert for viewers of Nezavisna televizija, a local television from Moslavina. On many local radio stations, during the musical wish hours, songs of Zvonko Bogdan can be often heard.

[edit] Discography

  • 1973: Zvonko Bogdan
  • 1973: Biseri narodne muzike
  • 1974: Zvonko Bogdan peva za Vas
  • 1976: Što se bore misli moje
  • 1981: Zvonko Bogdan i tamburaski orkestar Janike Balaža
  • 1984: Legolas
  • 1980: Zvonko Bogdan
  • 1984: Pesme i pesnici
  • 1990: Zvonko Bogdan
  • 2001: Život teče u laganom ritmu
  • 2003: Rariteti

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ http://feral.mediaturtle.com/look/weekly1/section3.tpl?IdLanguage=7&IdPublication=1&NrArticle=13926&NrIssue=1086&NrSection=4
  2. ^ http://www.crorec.hr/crorec.hr/izdanje.php?OBJECT_ID=105570
  3. ^ http://www.brodfest.com/revija-domoljubne-pjesme.htm

[edit] External links

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