Balkan (band)
Balkan (Serbian Cyrillic: Балкан; transl. Balkans) was a Serbian and former Yugoslav hard rock band from Novi Sad.
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Novi Sad, Serbia, Yugoslavia |
| Genres | Rock, hard rock |
| Years active | 1982–1989 |
| Labels | Jugodisk, Panonija Koncert, Raglas Records, One Records, Take It Or Leave It Records, MCF Records |
| Website | www |
| Past members | Aleksandar Cvetković Željko Jerković Saša Zavišić Radivoj Bugarski Zlatko Marušić Miroslav Papić Željko Glamočanin Zoran Vasiljević |
Band history
Balkan was formed in 1982 in Novi Sad by the guitarist and vocalist Aleksandar Cvetković, a former Leki frontman. The band's sound was hard rock-oriented, but also featured elements of ska and new wave, and the lyrics were inspired by the lyrics of Bora Đorđević and Branimir Štulić and dealt with the problems of the working class.
Initially, Balkan performed as an opening band on Divlje Jagode, Riblja Čorba, Parni Valjak, Drugi Način, Galija and Atomsko Sklonište concerts in Vojvodina. Cvetković recorded Balkan's debut album Gola istina (Bare Truth) with Željko Jerković (guitar), Saša Zavišić (bass guitar) and Radivoj Bugarski (drums). The album was produced by a former Pop Mašina member Robert Nemeček. It featured the song "Tridesetpeta-šesta" Cvetković wrote in 1971 and dedicated to his father. Balkan's second album Na brdovitom Balkanu (On the Mountainous Balkans), released in 1983, was also produced by Nemeček, and besides Cvetković and Jerković featured Zlatko Marušić (bass guitar) and Miroslav Papić (drums). Na brdovitom Balkanu featured lyrics dealing with similar subjects as on Gola istina. In 1985 Balkan released the album Homo Balcanicus, produced by Srđan Marjanović, which also featured lyrics about the poor. On June 15 of the same year, Balkan, alongside 23 other acts, performed on Red Star Stadium, on the concert which was a part of YU Rock Misija, a Yugoslav contribution to Live Aid.
After a longer break, in 1989, Balkan, now featuring Cvetković, Jerković, Bugarski, Željko Glamočanin (bass guitar), and Zoran Vasiljević (keyboards), recorded the album Kome verovati (Who to Trust) with lyrics filled with disappointment and pessimism. The album features the song "Tridesetpeta-šesta II deo", which tells the story of Cvetković's father who found peace after his death. Album was produced by Cvetković and Milan Ćirić. Divlje Jagode guitarist Sead Lipovača made a guest appearance on the album. After Kome verovati was released, Balkan officially disbanded. In 1996 Balkan's first two albums were rereleased on the disc Na brdovitom Balkanu by Raglas Records.
In 2007 Cvetković self-released the studio album Boli me nepravda (Injustice Hurts Me) under the name Balkan.[1] The album consisted of songs Cvetković recorded between 1989 and 2006.
Discography
Studio albums
- Gola istina (1982)
- Na brdovitom Balkanu (1983)
- Homo Balcanicus (1985)
- Kome verovati (1989)
- Boli me nepravda (2007)
Compilations
- Na brdovitom Balkanu (1996)
- Najlepše pesme 1982–2003 (2004)
- Antologija 1982–2007 (2007)
Singles
- "Trideset peta šesta" (2004)
References
- EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960–2006, Janjatović Petar; ISBN 978-86-905317-1-4
External links
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