Biography

Đorđe Balašević (May 11th 1953) was born in Novi Sad, Vojvodina, ex-Yugoslavia (now Serbia).

He’s a famous Serbian songwriter and singer (both writes lyrics and composes scores), whose songs have a strong pacifistic note and often talk about love in his very unique way. Many would agree that he’s also one of the greatest ex-Yu poets of our time, given his amazing proficiency with words.

Next to emotional lyrics, Balašević often writes politically engaged songs, as well as very humoristic tunes, thus rounding up the intellectual touch he attaches to his work.

Guitarists Elvis Stanić, Jovan Demirović and Nikša Sviličić worked with Balašević on his late 80’s albums. Some of them are famous guitarists today with prestigious musicography.

Because of his protests against the war Serbia waged with Croatia during the breakup of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Balasevic had to briefly move to Slovenia to protect his own and life of his family. He gained a title of UN “good will” ambassador. After the war, he returned to Novi Sad, where he lives and works today.

Many fans would agree that listening to Balašević isn’t just listening to music, it’s living a philosophy, especially for people from ex-Yugoslavia that share his views on the events that have occured in the late 80’s and 90’s.

Solo career

[edit] Early solo career
He started his solo career in 1982 with the album Pub (“Jack”) which was well received. Shortly after he had a role in TV series Pop Ćira i pop Spira recorded after Stevan Sremac’s novel of the same title. In the following 1982 / 1983 tour he sold out Belgrade’s Sava Center hall for the first time. His Sava Center concerts would become his trademark in years to follow. The next two albums Celovečernji The Kid (“Wholeevening The Kid”), released in 1983 and 003, released in 1985 followed the same path of success and Balašević established himself as respectable singer-songwriter.


[edit] Late 1980s
The next blue album, Bezdan (“Abyss”), released in 1986, was a milestone in his career. The record was produced by Đorđe Petrović and arrangement was done by Aleksandar Dujin. Those two would be the key associates of Balašević for the next 20 years and substantially influence his work. They became the backbone of Balašević supporting band The Unfuckables (although this is just a nickname, as he performs under his own name and the support band is never billed) and part of his stage appearance.

The next album was his first live album U tvojim molitvama - Balade (“In Your Prayers - Ballads”). The album was recorded on his concerts in Zetra hall in Sarajevo, Ledena dvorana and Šalata in Zagreb, Sava Centar in Belgrade and Studio M in Novi Sad in 1986 and 1987. Apart from his well-known previous songs, the album featured a previously unrecorded track “Samo da rata ne bude” (“Just Let There be no War”). The song features a large children’s choir which, together with lyrics warning about the war (which indeed will start three years later), delivers a hymn of pacifists throughout then still existing SFR Yugoslavia.

The same sensation of imminent disaster predominates his next album Panta Rei released in 1988. The song “Requiem” was dedicated to late Josip Broz Tito, while satire “Soliter” caricatures Yugoslavia as a high-rise in which only façade still holds while foundations slide. The atmosphere of the album is dark and bitter.

Guitarists Elvis Stanić, Jovan Demirović and Nikša Sviličić also takes part in recording of album Tri posleratna druga (“Three Afterwar Friends”) in 1989. Josip Kiki Kovač joined The Unfuckables on album Marim ja… (“I Don’t Care…”) released in 1991.