Plavi orkestar

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Plavi orkestar
Background information
Origin Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Genres Pop rock, Folk rock, New Primitives
Years active 1983–present
Website Plavi Orkestar - Music - Videos - Pictures
Members Saša Lošić
Saša Zalepugin
Admir "Ćera I" Ćeremida
Samir "Ćera II" Ćeremida
Past members Mladen Pavičić

Plavi orkestar (English translation: Blue Orchestra) is one of the most popular bands from former Yugoslavia. The band was founded in Sarajevo, the capital city of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1983.

The band has remained popular to the present day with 8 albums and more than 3,500 concerts worldwide. The band was formed in 1983 by Saša Lošić aka Loša who is the lead singer and songwriter of the group.

History

In 1981, 16-year-old gymnasium student from Sarajevo Saša Lošić founded a band called Ševin orkestar with Srđan Krošnjar on guitar, Gordan Džamonja on bass, and Admir "Ćera II" Ćeramida on drums. The following year they changed their name to Plavi orkestar due to there being another group called Ševe in the city at the time. Still, the band's activity was sporadic at best, consisting of occasional local audition-like performances for musical hopefuls. Soon afterwards Lošić changed schools, switching from Third Sarajevo Gymnasium to First Sarajevo Gymnasium where he met guitarist Mladen "Pava" Pavičić who already experienced a certain measure of musical prominence having played in a band called Rock Apoteka that was one of the numerous opening acts for Bijelo Dugme at their September 1979 open air concert at Stadion JNA. In 1981 Pavičić also appeared at Omladinski festival in Subotica with a band called Super 98 (Rock Apoteka's next incarnation), before switching to pop band Mali Princ, and finally ending up in Pauk with whom he even recorded an album called Mumije lažu that was released in 1982. Since Pauk was based out of Zavidovići, for teenager Pavičić that meant traveling every weekend for band rehearsals, which his parents weren't too keen on and soon persuaded him to quit the group. He then flirted with and filled in with a variety of bands, including Elvis J. Kurtovich & His Meteors, Bonton Baja, and Kazablanka.

Though Pava and Loša hit it off as soon as they met in school, it wasn't until 1983 that Pava joined Loša's band. The two agreed to do so at the Siluete gig in Sarajevo. As soon as he arrived to Plavi orkestar, much more musically experienced Pava arranged for guitarist Krošnjar and bassist Džamonja to be kicked out of the group, seeing them as not committed and dedicated enough. Before summer 1983, Samir "Ćera I" Ćeramida joined on bass as replacement for Džamonja.

Beginning

This is when the group's activity became decidedly more serious and it's generally considered as the band's real beginning. They started appearing as opening act for big Yugoslav touring bands like Riblja Čorba and Leb i Sol, which got them exposure in the country's press. However, the reviews and notices were atrocious, which Loša took quite hard and for a time even decided to quit music. Still, the enthusiasm among other band members brought him back and he devoted himself to writing pop ballads, most of which were inspired by unrequited love for a girl he was after at the time. During summer 1983, they held a gig at Sarajevo club called Trasa where they got spotted by Laboratorija Zvuka's Bata Vranešević who noticed their potential, inviting them to Belgrade to record some material. In September 1983 as a send off before going away to serve the army stint, they played another show at Trasa. The next day they were on a train to Belgrade where in Enco Lesić's Druga maca studio they recorded three tracks — "Soldatski bal", "Goodbye Teens", and "Suada" — all of them future hits. After this, all four band members left straight to serve the mandatory Yugoslav People's Army stint.

A year later in September 1984 they returned to Sarajevo where their mates from the scene, Zabranjeno Pušenje where enjoying breakout success with their debut album. Loša and Pava returned home first, continuing where they left off while waiting for their rhythm section to come back home. However, due to poor gig quality and general malaise, the two got into a row that ended up with Pava quitting the band.

Loša then got in touch with music manager Malkolm Muharem who previously worked with Elvis J. Kurtovich and His Meteors and the two arranged for the band (though the group strictly speaking didn't even exist at the moment) to record a few more demos in Zagreb with the help of Parni Valjak's Husein Hasanefendić and Rastko Milošev. While in Zagreb, Loša managed to get the country's best known record label interested in the group, signing a pre-contract with Jugoton. The event was the catalyst for Pava to return into the band.

Debut album

In early 1985, the band's first album Soldatski bal (Soldier's Ball) was recorded in SIM studio, Zagreb. From this album the band had many hit singles such as "Suada", "Medena curice" (Honey Girl), "Odlazi nam raja" (Our Friends are Leaving), "Bolje biti pijan nego star" (Being Drunk is Better than Being Old!), "Goodbye teens", and the title track, "Soldatski bal". The album's lyrics were formed following Loša's experiences whilst serving the army.

Their second album "Smrt Fašizmu" ("Death to the Facism") was another outstanding success for this band, selling over 300 000 copies in Yugoslavia, and being certified diamond. This album spawned several hits: "Fa, fa fašista nemoj biti ti (jerbo ću te ja draga ubiti)", "Puteru Puteru", "Sava Tiho Teče", "Zelene su bile oči te" i "Kad si sam druže moj".

In 1989, they returned with "Sunce na prozoru" lp which was another big hit for the band, and it included such hits as "Kaja", "Lovac i košuta" i "Proljeće".

Their 1991. release "Simpatija" would be their last album released in SFRY prior to its breakup. It included their version of Mamas and Papas hit single "California Dreaming" (titled "Ljubi se Istok i Zapad) which is still a big hit to this day in post-Yugoslav republics.

They were on hiatus until 1998. when they released "LongPlay" which included smash hits "Ako su to bile samo laži" and "Od rođendana do rođendana". Their last album to date "Infinity" was released in 1999, and it includedincluded numerous hit singles like "Odlazim", "Djevojka iz snova" i "Pijem da je zaboravim".

Members

  • Saša Lošić - Loša: vocals, songwriting, composing
  • Mladen Pavičić: Lead/Electric Guitar (occasional keyboards)
  • Saša Zalepugin: Lead/Electric Guitar
  • Samir Ćeremida, Ćera I: Bass Guitar
  • Admir Ćeremida, Ćera II: Drums

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

See also

External links

Main
Record labels
Music magazines
Music festivals
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