Azra

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Azra
Their debut album "Azra"
Background information
Origin	Zagreb, Croatia (formerly Yugoslavia)
Genre(s)	Rock Punk Rock New Wave
Years active	1977-1988
Label(s)	Jugoton Diskoton
Members
Branimir "Johnny" Štulić Mišo Hrnjak Boris Leiner

Azra was a rock band from Zagreb, Croatia, then Yugoslavia, that was popular across the entire country in the 1980s. Azra was formed in 1977 by its frontman Branimir "Johnny" Štulić. He was (and is) a kind of urban legend; he would show up in different places of the city, singing with his guitar - that is what made him famous before Azra even recorded an album. Other two members were Mišo Hrnjak (bass) and Boris Leiner (drums). They named the Band after a verse "Ja se zovem El Muhamed/Iz plemena starih Azra/Što za ljubav život gube/I umiru kada ljube!" (trans. "My name is El Muhamed/From the tribe of the old Azra/That lose their lives for love/And die when they kiss!") from a sevdalinka "Kraj tanahna šadrvana" ("Azra" here being a reference to a shortened versione of "Azera" or "Azeris", rather than a popular Bosnian name "Azra", as commonly thought). They are considered to be one of the most influential bands from the former Yugoslav New Wave era and the Yugoslav Rock scene in general.

They released their first single in 1979 with songs "Balkan" and "A šta da radim". The first album named "Azra" and published in 1980 achieved commercial success and popularized Azra in former Yugoslavia. Azra recorded its last studio album "Izmedju krajnosti" (Between the extremes) in 1987. In 1988 the band recorded 4LP live album under the name Zadovoljština (Satisfaction), after which Štulić disbanded the band.

Štulić recorded another three albums while in Houten, Netherlands, where he currently lives. He is often at lengths with his past as he lives a secluded life and is often the target of reporters seeking an interview, which he is reluctant to participate in.

A 2003 rock documentary, Sretno dijete (Happy Child, the title of a Prljavo kazalište song) depicts Azra as the locus of the rock scene in the former Yugoslavia during the 1980s, along with the influential Bijelo dugme. Even until today, Azra has remained very popular among youth in the countries of former Yugoslavia, unlike many other new wave bands which are now considered, more or less, historical examples.

1 Members
2 Discography

[edit] Members

Branimir "Johnny" Štulić - vocals, guitar
Boris Leiner - drums, vocals
Mišo Hrnjak - bass (1979 - 1982)
Jurica Pađen - guitars (1983 - 1984, 1987 - 1988)
Stephen Kipp - bass (1987 - 1988)

[edit] Discography

[edit] Singles

Balkan ('The Balkans'), A šta da radim ('What am I gonna do') - (Jugoton 1979)
Lijepe žene prolaze kroz grad ('Pretty women passing through the town'), Poziv na ples ('The Invitation to dance'), Suzy F.- (Jugoton, 1980)
Đoni, budi dobar ('Johnny B. Good'), Teško vrijeme ('The Difficult Time') - (Jugoton 1982)
E, pa što ('So what'), Sloboda ('The Freedom'), Gluperde lutaju daleko ('Jerks wander far') - (Jugoton 1982)
Nemir i strast ('Restlessness and passion'), Doviđenja na Vlaškom drumu ('Farewell on the Vlaska road') - (Jugoton 1983)

[edit] Compilation

Svi marš na ples! - Jugoton, 1981
Vrući dani i vrele noći - Jugoton, 1982
Single Ploče 1979-1982 - (Jugoton, 1982)
Kao i jučer - Single Ploče 1983-1986 'I to se dogadja ponekad' (Even that happens sometimes), 'Mamica su štrukle pekli' (Mum was baking cakes), 'Sardisale Lešočkiot manastir (The blocade of Leshochky monastery) - (Jugoton, 1987)

[edit] Albums

AZRA

Azra - (Jugoton, 1980)
Sunčana strana ulice ('The Sunny side of the street') - (Double - Jugoton, 1981)
Ravno do dna ('Straight to the bottom') - (Triple Live - Jugoton, 1982)
Filigranski pločnici ('The Filigree Sidewalks') - (Double - Jugoton, 1982)
Kad fazani lete ('When pheasants fly') - (Jugoton, 1983)
Krivo srastanje ('The Mistaken Sublimation') - (Jugoton, 1984)
It Ain't Like the Movies At All - (Triple - Diskoton, 1986)
Između krajnosti ('In Between Extremes') - (Jugoton, 1987)
Zadovoljština ('Satisfaction') - (Quadruple Live, 1988)

Branimir Štulić

Balkanska rapsodija ('The Balkans’ Rhapsody') -(Double, 1989)
Balegari ne vjeruju sreći ('Paupers do not believe in luck') (1990)
Sevdah za Paulu Horvat ('Sevdah for Paula Horvat') - (Recorded in Sarajevo 1991 & Published 1995)
Anali (Double, 1995)
Blasé (Double, 1997)

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