Dejan Cukić

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For the Danish actor, see Dejan Čukić.
Dejan Cukić
Born November 4, 1953(1953-11-04)
Belgrade, Serbia
Origin Belgrade, Serbia
Genre(s) Rock
Pop-rock
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s) vocals, guitar
Years active 1978 – present
Label(s) PGP RTB, PGP RTS, W.I.T., Komuna Belgrade, CIP Publik, Atelje 212, BK Sound, Multimedia Records
Associated acts Bulevar
Bajaga i Instruktori

Dejan Cukić is a Serbian rock musician, journalist and writer, well-known for his excellent vocals and passionate on-stage mannerisms.

Contents

[edit] Musical career

As a teenager Dejan Cukić was a singer of band Dizel. After leaving Dizel, he joined Tilt, and later Bulevar. Cukić released two albums with Bulevar: Loš i mlad ("Bad and young") and Mala noćna panika ("A little night panic"). After bulevar disbaned in 1982, Cukić started working as a journalist. In 1984 he became a member of Bajaga i Instruktori. He recorded three albums with Bajaga i Instruktori: Pozitivna geografija ("Positive geography"), Sa druge strane jastuka ("On the other side of the pillow") and Jahači malgle ("Fog riders"). In the spring of 1987 he released his first solo album Spori ritam ("Slow rhytm"). Album featured a cover of Azra's song "A šta da radim". The same summer Cukić went on Bajaga i Instruktori Soviet Union tour, which was his last tour with the band. In 1988 he formed Spori Ritam Band. The first lineup of the band featured Dragan Mitrić (keyboard), a former Dr Spira i Ljudska Bića and Tunel member Vlada Negovanović (guitar), a former Piloti member Safet Petrovac (guitar), a former Mama Co Co and Točak Band member Slobodan Jurišić (drums), and Bulevar, Suncokret and Idoli member Branko Isaković (bass guitar). In 1989 Isaković became a member of Kerber, and Bata Božanić replaced him. This lineup recorded album Zajedno ("Together"). The title track was a cover of The Beatles' song "Come Together". At the time Petrovac left the band and Božanić was replaced by former Jugosloveni member Nenad Novaković. In 1991 both Isaković and Petrovac returned to the band. Album 1991 was soon released. It featured a cover of Bulevar's song "Nestašni dečaci". Due to the outbreak of the civil war Cukić made a three-year break.

In 1994 Cukić released a comPilation album San na pola puta ("A dream on the half of the trip") which featured songs that were not a part of his official discography. Album featured a cover of Arsen Dedić's song "Sve što znaš o meni", cover of Bulevar's song "Trenutni lek" (Cukić version titled "Julija") and ballad "Ruža ispod pepela" which was previously released on the various artist album S one strane duge ("Over the Rainbow"). Dejan Cukić performed at the unplugged festival held in Sava Centar in 1994, and an unplugged version of the song "Ruža ispod pepela" was released on the live album Bez struje ("Unplugged"). At the end of 1995 Negovanović left Cukić's Spori Ritam Band and became a member of Bajaga i Instruktori, but he continued working with Cukić. Album 4 1/2 Ja bih da pevam ("4 1/2 I would like to sing") was released in 1996. It featured a cover of Đorđe Marjanović's song "Zvižduk u osam" and a cover of Doobie Brothers' song Long Train Running (Dejan Cukić version titled "Dugo putovanje vozom"). Song "Mokre ulice" featured Branimir Štulić on vocals. In 1997 Dejan Cukić and Spori Ritam Band relased a live album Unplugged recorded on their concert in Studio M in Novi Sad. Dejan Cukić and Spori Ritam Band performed on the Budva music festival in 1996, playing a song "Na moru ljubavi", and in 1997 they performed at the same festival playing song "Karneval". At the end of 1998 they released album Igrajmo na ulici ("Let's dance in the street"). In 2000 Cukić wrote Serbian language lyrics for Bob Dylan's songs to be used in the play Divlji med. These covers were released on the album Divlji med ("Wild honey"). In 2002 Cukić released studio album Kalendar ("Calendar"). The album featured guest appearances of Teodora Bojović on the track "U snovima", Riblja Čorba guitarist Vidoja Božinović on the tracks "Marina" and Rolling Sones' cover of "Satisfaction" which also featured Vladimir Barjaktarević and Bora Đorđević of Riblja Čorba and Momčilo Bajagić and Žika Milenković of Bajaga i Instruktori. Along with "Satisfaction", The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" were covered as bonus tracks. In 2003, backed with Spori Ritam Band, Cukić recorded a live album in Belgrade's Sava Centar and released it as "DC & SRB @ SC" (short of Dejan Cukić & Spori Ritam Band at Sava Centar).

In 2007, after a 4 years break, Cukić presented his new single "Kud me vetar doziva" ("Where the wind calls me") at Budva Festival which he announced to appear on a new album. The album was recorded in "Sky Music" studio from November 2006 until November 2007, and was out on April the 1st, 2008 with a simbolic title Ubrzanje ("Acceleration"). The album featured several producers: Mirko Vukomanović, Vlada Negovanović, Voja Aralica, Ted Yanni, Predrag M. Milanović and Kornelije Kovač. Like on the previous album, two bonus cover versions appeared: Azra's hit "Obrati pažnju na poslednju stvar" and a different version of Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" (as "Zauvek Mlad") than the one appearing on Divlji med album. A video was shot for the opening track on the album "Fantastičan dan" ("Fantastic day").

[edit] Career as a journalist

After Bulevar disbaned in 1982, Cukić started working in the Rock magazine and other Politika publications. He published his interviews with Dire Straits, Uriah Heep, Saxon, Tina Turner, Sting, Kim Wilde and others. By his own words, an interview with Bananarama members made him return to the music.

At the end og 1996 he started writing about Serbian rock scene for Beocity. In the spring of 2001 Cukić became one of the editors of the Žica magazine. He is also a regular cooperative of the Politikin Zabavnik magazine.

[edit] Career as a writer

In 2001 Cukić published a book about life and work of Frank Zappa titled Muzika je najbolja ("Music is the best"). In 2007 his book 45 obrtaja ("45 turns") compiled of his articles published in Politikin Zabavnik was published.

[edit] Other media

In 1986 Cukić played one of the main characters in the TV drama Poslednja priča ("The last story") directed by Miloš Petrović. He played in TV rock opera Kreatori i kreature ("Creators and creatures") directed by Vladimir Milančić.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Solo albums

[edit] Studio albums

  1. Spori ritam (PGP RTB, 1987)
  2. Zajedno (PGP RTB, 1989)
  3. 1991 (PGP RTB, 1991)
  4. 4 1/2 - Ja bih da pevam (W.I.T., 1996)
  5. Igramo na ulici (PGP RTS / CIP Publik, 1998)
  6. Divlji med (Atelje 212, 2000)
  7. Kalendar (BK Sound, 2002)
  8. Ubrzanje (Multimedia Records, 2008)

[edit] Live albums

  1. Unplugged (Komuna Belgrade, 1997)
  2. DC & SRB @ SC (BK Sound, 2003)

[edit] Compilation albums

  1. San na pola puta (PGP RTS, 1994)

[edit] With Bulevar

[edit] Singles

  1. "Moje bezvezne stvari" / "Nemam ništa važno da te pitam" (Jugoton, 1980)
  2. "Nestašni dečaci" / "Moja lova, tvoja lova" (Jugoton, 1981)

[edit] Studio albums

  1. Loš i mlad (PGP RTB, 1981)
  2. Mala noćna panika (PGP RTB, 1982)

[edit] With Bajaga i Instruktori

[edit] Studio albums

  1. Pozitivna geografija (PGP RTB, 1984)
  2. Sa druge strane jastuka (PGP RTB, 1985)
  3. Jahači magle (PGP RTB, 1986)

[edit] References

[edit] See also

Pop and Rock music of Serbia
Music of Serbia - Serbian rock - Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest
Record labels
City Records - Bassivity - One Records - Komuna - PGP RTS
Pop and rock music of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Music of Yugoslavia - SFR Yugoslav pop and rock scene - Yugoslav Band Aid (YU Rock Misija) - Yugoslavia in the Eurovision Song Contest
Record labels
Jugoton - PGP RTB - Suzy Records - Diskoton - ZKP RTLJ - Jugodisk