DAG (Yugoslav band)

DAG (Serbian Cyrillic: ДАГ), also known as Trio DAG (Трио ДАГ) were a former Yugoslav acoustic rock band from Belgrade.

DAG
Background information
Also known as	Trio DAG
Origin	Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia
Genres	Acoustic rock, progressive rock, folk rock
Years active	1972 – 1975
Labels	PGP-RTB, ZKP RTLJ
Associated acts	Miki Jevremović, Suzana Mančić, Oliver Mandić
Past members	Dragan Popović Grujica Milanović Aleksandar Milanović

Band history

The band was formed in 1972 by Dragan Popović (guitar, vocals), and brothers Grujica (percussion, vocals) and Aleksandar Milanović (guitar, vocals). They named the band using the initials of their first names (Dragan, Aleksandar, Grujica).

In 1972 the band released their debut single "Voz" ("Train"),[1] and with the song "Rastanak" ("The Leave"), released on a 7" single in 1973,[2] they won at the 1973 Zagreb Festival. In 1974 they released their only studio album, Sećanja (Memories).[3] Although DAG was one of the representatives of the Belgrade acoustic rock scene, on the album they used electric instruments. The poetic lyrics were written by Marina Tucaković, and the album cover was designed by Grujica Milanović.[3] The album was produced by the band members themselves and Boban Petrović, and featured numerous guests: Sloba Marković on keyboards, Robert Nemeček on bass guitar, Ljubomir Ristić on sitar, Branimir Malkoč on flute, and drummers Raša Đelmaš, Nikola Jager, and Mihajlo Popović. Although praised by the critics, the album saw little commercial success. After it was released, Popović left the band, forming the acoustic band Maj (May), with Aleksandar Bijelić and Bane Zarin. Meanwhile, DAG recorded a single "Kako ti je ime, devojčice" ("What's Your Name, Little Girl") with Miki Jevremović. The B-side featured DAG song "Za dečji san" ("For a Child's Dream").[4]

After Popović left the band, DAG, for a short period of time performed with the female singer Suzana Mančić, but after the release of the single "Daj mi ruku" ("Give Me Your Hand"), recorded with Popović, in 1975,[5] they ended their activity.

Post breakup

Aleksandar Milanović sold part of his unrecorded songs to Oliver Mandić, and worked with him on his early albums as a guitarist and arranger.[6]

Dragan Popović, with the band Maj, recorded the single "Još uvek sanjam" ("I'm Still Dreaming"),[7] and "A ja bih je ljubio" ("And I Would Kiss Her"), released on the various artists album Uspomene (Memories).[8] After Maj ended their activity, Popović worked as a journalist for Omladinske novine and Mladost. Various artists album Index 202, released in 1981, featured four songs written by him.[9] During 1981 he worked with a short-lived band Dragstor (Drugstore), and later formed the band Lift (Elevator) with the bass guitarist Boba Orlić. He participated in the recording of Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića album Dijagnoza.[10] During the 1980s he worked in the Akademija Studio and composed children's music and experimental music. During the 1990s he moved to Sweden, where he performed in clubs, worked as a music teacher. He was a founder of the theatre Teater Kapija, and with the actress Janna Eriksson he formed Mitopa Music Project.

In 1994, the song "Daj mi ruku" appeared on Komuna compilation album Sve smo mogli mi: Akustičarska muzika (We Could Have Done All: Acoustic Music), which featured songs by Yugoslav acoustic rock acts.[11]

In 2013, the album was reissued on CD by Austrian record label Atlantide.[12]

Legacy

The lyrics of four songs by the band were featured in Petar Janjatović's book Pesme bratstva, detinjstva & potomstva: Antologija ex YU rok poezije 1967 - 2007 (Songs of Brotherhood, Childhood & Offspring: Anthology of Ex YU Rock Poetry 1967 - 2007).[13]

Discography

Studio albums

• Sećanja (1974)

Singles

• "Voz" / "Smiljana" (1972)
• "Rastanak" / "Svitanje" (1973)
• "Kako ti je ime devojčice" / "Za dečji san" (with Miki Jevremović, 1974)
• "Tragovi u pesku" / "I sad..." (1974)
• "Daj mi ruku" / "Jedan dan u Vojvodini" (1975)

References

1. "Voz" at Discogs
2. "Rasatanak" at Discogs
3. Sećanja at Discogs
4. "Kako ti je ime, devojčice" at Discogs
5. "Daj mi ruku" at Discogs
6. Aleksandar Milanović at Discogs
7. "Još uvek sanjam" at Discogs
8. Uspomene at Discogs
9. Index 202 at Discogs
10. Dijagnoza at Discogs
11. Sve smo mogli mi: Akustičarska muzika at Discogs
12. Sećanja reissue at Discogs
13. Janjatović, Petar (2008). Pesme bratstva, detinjstva & potomstva: Antologija ex YU rok poezije 1967 - 2007. Belgrade: Vega media.

• EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960-2006, Janjatović Petar; ISBN 978-86-905317-1-4

External links

• DAG at Discogs
• DAG at Progarchives