Monteniggers
Monteniggers | |
---|---|
Origin | Kotor, Montenegro (then FR Yugoslavia) |
Genres | Hip hop |
Years active | 1994–1999 |
Labels | Komuna Belgrade |
Associated acts | Niggor |
Members |
Igor Lazić(a.k.a. Lucky Boy, Niggor) Nebojša Saveljić (a.k.a. Nebo, Sky) Duško Nikolić |
Monteniggers was a hip-hop band from Kotor, Montenegro, then Yugoslavia. Originally the band consisted of Igor Lazić, Nebojša Saveljić, and Duško Nikolić, also known under the pseudonyms "Lucky Boy", "Sky", and "Ducka", respectively. Nikolić soon got ill and couldn't perform, though he co-wrote songs. Even though the band's period of activity is generally taken to be 1994–1999, the band was actually formed in 1988 under the name "Brake Boys". One year later they changed the name to AE:Tell me, and then changed it yet again to Monteniggers. In 1996, soon after the release of their debut album, Nikolić died of leukemia, prompting the two other members to release a song dedicated to him on their second album in 1998, called "Voljeli bi da si tu" ("We Wish You Were Here"). That same year (1996) they had their first live performance on a music festival in Budva, performing the song "Mala plava" ("Little Blondie") and immediately catching the attention of the public. A song from the debut album, called Duka Diesel was even voted song of the year in 1996. In June 1997, they recorded what would eventually become one of their signature songs and arguably their best known, "So i tekila" ("Salt and Tequila"), which was famous mostly due to its catchy and memorable chorus. The band's success and popularity was growing rapidly, to the point where they became one of the most beloved hip-hop bands in Ex-Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. On 31 october 1999, at the peak of their popularity, Saveljic died in a car crash on the road from Podgorica to Cetinje when the car hit a cliff. His girlfriend Tanja and friend Aco died too, but the car driver Miloš and front passenger Jeca were injured. His death marked the definite end of the Monteniggers. Since 2 out of 3 members died, stories and rumors about the "curse of the Monteniggers" persisted for many years after that. The other member, Igor Lazić, is now a successful solo artist better known as Niggor.
Sky Forever
After Nebo's death, Igor Lazić formed an organisation "Sky Forever", whose primary goal was campaigning against drunk driving and preventing growing number of car accidents in Montenegro. In 2000, he and Vlado Georgiev (a friend of Niggor, another famous singer who was unknown at the time) released a single which had the same name as the campaign's slogan. The song sent an obvious message, and clearly, it was dedicated to Saveljic. Its main campaign slogan, and therefore the name of the song, was "Ne brže od života" (approximately meaning "Not faster than life"). It also organised a number of concerts and sport events in order to promote their agenda and finance their struggle.
Albums
- Tajna marenda (1996)
- Allboom (1998)
External links
- Igor Lazic's Interview following Nebo's death at the Wayback Machine (archive index)