Milan "Mile" Lojpur (

Serbian Cyrillic The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet ( sr, / , ) is a variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language, updated in 1818 by Serbian linguist Vuk Karadžić. It is one of the two alphabets used to write standard modern Serbian, t ...

: Милан-Миле Лојпур) (4 March 1930 – 29 July 2005) was a Serbian and Yugoslav

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

musician, notable as one of the first

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

musicians in Yugoslavia and one of the pioneers of the

Yugoslav rock scene Popular music in Yugoslavia includes the pop and rock music of the former SFR Yugoslavia, including all their genres and subgenres. The scene included the constituent republics: SR Slovenia, SR Croatia, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SR Montenegro, S ...

Biography

Lojpur was born in

Veliki Bečkerek Zrenjanin ( sr-Cyrl, Зрењанин, ; hu, Nagybecskerek; ro, Becicherecu Mare; sk, Zreňanin; german: Großbetschkerek) is a city and the administrative center of the Central Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbi ...

in 1930, but his entire career was connected to Belgrade. In 1958, he started performing with Sekstet M (trans. ''

Sextet A sextet (or hexad) is a formation containing exactly six members. The former term is commonly associated with vocal ensembles (e.g. The King's Singers, Affabre Concinui) or musical instrument groups, but can be applied to any situation where six ...

M'') led by trumpeter Mile Nedeljković, which were one of the first performers of the so-called "električna muzika" ("electrical music", a former Yugoslav slang for

in the late 1950s and early 1960s). In 1959, they changed their name to Septet M (''

Septet A septet is a formation containing exactly seven members. It is commonly associated with musical groups but can be applied to any situation where seven similar or related objects are considered a single unit, such as a seven-line stanza of poetry. ...

M''), and performed under that name until 1965. Septet M rose to fame on the dances organized at Red Star basketball courts at

Kalemegdan The Kalemegdan Park ( sr, / ), or simply Kalemegdan ( sr-Cyrl, Калемегдан) is the largest park and the most important historical monument in Belgrade. It is located on a cliff, at the junction of the River Sava and the Danube. Kal ...

and their summer performances in

Rovinj Rovinj (; it, Rovigno; Istriot: or ; grc, Ρυγίνιον, Rygínion; la, Ruginium) is a city in Croatia situated on the north Adriatic Sea with a population of 14,294 (2011). Located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, it is a p ...

. Their Belgrade performances, entitled Zvezdane noći (''Starry Nights''), consisted of

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

s of rock and roll standards. Lopjpur was famous for his spectacular appearance and microphone attached to his guitar. At the time, he got his nickname "Mile Najlon" ("Mile Nylon") as being one of the first in Belgrade who wore nylon shirts. On 4 March 1960 Lojpur appeared at a concert in Kolarac Concert Hall, when he was announced as "Belgrade

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

". During the 1960s, he regularly performed in

kafana Kafana is a distinct type of local bistro (or tavern), common in former Yugoslav countries and Albania, which primarily serves alcoholic beverages and coffee, and often also light snacks (''meze'') and other food. Many kafanas feature live music ...

London. After performing in

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

for six months, he returned to Yugoslavia, where he performed in Mažestik hotel's bar until the mid-1980s. In 1975, he played himself in

Srđan Karanović Srđan Karanović ( sr-Cyrl, Срђан Карановић, , born 17 November 1945) is a Serbian film director and screenwriter. He has directed 17 films since 1968. His film ''Miris poljskog cveća'' won the FIPRESCI prize at the 1978 Cannes F ...

's TV show ''Grlom u jagode'', which revived the spirit of Belgrade from the late 1950s. In the mid-1980s, Lojpur had his comeback, appealing to the young crowds again. He started performing with Saša Lunginović, son of his former bandmate, Dušan Lunginović. After certain time, he slowly switched to keyboards and started performing as a

one-man band A one-man band is a musician who plays a number of instruments simultaneously using their hands, feet, limbs, and various mechanical or electronic contraptions. One-man bands also often sing while they perform. The simplest type of "one-man ban ...

. In 1988, he made a guest appearance on

Nikola Čuturilo Nikola Čuturilo ( sr-cyr, Никола Чутурило; born 9 July 1962), also known as Čutura ( Чутура, literally "canteen") is a Serbian rock musician. He is known as a guitarist for the band Riblja Čorba, as well as for his solo work ...

's first solo album ''9 lakih komada'' (''9 Easy Steps'') in the song "Kad je Lojpur svirao" ("When Lojpur Used to Play"), and in 1996 he made a guest appearance on Prljavi inspektor Blaža i Kljunovi album ''Plagijati i obrade'' (''Plagiarisms and Covers'') in the cover of Lojpur's old hit "Šumadijski Twist" ("

Šumadija Šumadija (, sr-Cyrl, Шумадија) is a geographical region in the central part of Serbia. The area used to be heavily covered with forests, hence the name (from ''šuma'' 'forest'). The city of Kragujevac is the administrative center of th ...

Twist"). He actively performed until 2005, when, on 29 July, he died of heart attack.

Legacy

Although neither he nor his band made any recordings, they had a great influence on subsequent development of popular music in Serbia and Yugoslavia. His simple, but catchy lyrics are still remembered as a symbol of the beginnings of rock music in Yugoslavia.

References

External links

Mile Lojpur at DiscogsMile Lojpur at Eurorockabilly.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lojpur, Mile 1930 births 2005 deaths Musicians from Zrenjanin Serbian rock singers Serbian rock guitarists Serbian rock keyboardists Yugoslav rock singers 20th-century guitarists 20th-century Serbian male singers