Antonije Pušić (; born 14 June 1963), known professionally as Rambo Amadeus () is a Montenegrin author. A self-titled "musician, poet, and media manipulator", he is a noted artist across the countries of
former Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
.
His songs combine
satirical
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...
lyrics on
human nature
Human nature is a concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or ...
and the silliness of local politics with a mixture of musical styles including
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
,
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 ...
drum and bass
Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...
, and self-conscious ironic wit; for example, his most popular alias is "Rambo Amadeus Svjetski Kilo Car" ("Rambo Amadeus the World Kilo Tzar"), formerly "Rambo Amadeus Svjetski Mega Car" ("Rambo Amadeus the World Mega Tzar") (RASMC) (changed in 2012 because of his belief in the importance of modesty in an environmentally conscious society). His stage name itself is made from
John Rambo
John James Rambo (born July 6, 1947) is a fictional character in the ''Rambo'' franchise. He first appeared in the 1972 novel '' First Blood'' by David Morrell, but later became more famous as the protagonist of the film series, in which he was ...
and
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
.
His concerts are never mere repetitions of recorded songs, but a mixture of
free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician(s) involved. The term can refer to both a technique (employed by any musician in any genre) and as a recognizable genre in its ...
and satirical humor exploiting all aspects of
human nature
Human nature is a concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or ...
in a crude manner. Some fans compare his style with
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
and
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet (; born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as Th ...
Eurovision Song Contest 2012
The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 was the 57th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, following the country's victory at the with the song " Running Scared" by the duo Ell & Nikki. It was the first time Azerb ...
in
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
,
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
, with the song "
Euro Neuro
"Euro Neuro" is a song by Montenegrin singer Rambo Amadeus. The song was chosen to represent Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012; it was the first song performed at the contest in the first semi-final and failed to advance to the fina ...
".
Early life
Antonije Pušić was born in
Kotor
Kotor (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian: ), is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative c ...
SFR Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...
though his family lived in nearby
Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi ( cyrl, Херцег Нови, ) is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the Western entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 in ...
where he was raised. His writer and painter mother Bosiljka was born in
Ćuprija
Ćuprija (Serbian Cyrillic: Ћуприја, ) is a town and municipality located in the Pomoravlje District of central Serbia. The population of the town is 19,380, while the municipality has 30,645 inhabitants.
History
The Romans founded the ...
and raised in
Jagodina )
, image_shield = Jagodina-grb.png
, image_flag = FLAG Jagodina.png
, image_skyline =
, image_caption =
, image_map = File:Municipalities of Serbia Jagodina.png
, map_caption = Location of Jagodina w ...
,
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
before meeting Ilija Pušić from the coastal village of
Kumbor
Kumbor ( sr-cyr, Кумбор) is a small town in the municipality of Herceg Novi, Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica ...
near Herceg Novi and moving there upon marrying him. The couple soon moved to Herceg Novi proper and started a family. After completing elementary and secondary education in his hometown, Antonije graduated in tourism studies from the
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade ( sr, / ) is a public university in Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia.
Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-b ...
's Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. He also completed six grades of elementary music school for piano before dropping out.
Before pursuing music and performing arts as a career choice, Pušić was an accomplished competitive sailor. Between 1972 and 1984, he represented Yugoslavia in numerous international
regatta
Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wate ...
s. During this period he was the Montenegrin champion several times, an 8-time South-
Adriatic
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...
champion, national title winner in the junior category, as well as International
Đerdap
The Iron Gates ( ro, Porțile de Fier; sr, / or / ; Hungarian: ''Vaskapu-szoros'') is a gorge on the river Danube. It forms part of the boundary between Serbia (to the south) and Romania (north). In the broad sense it encompasses a rout ...
Cup winner in 1980. He still occasionally attends and participates in some recreational sailing regattas in the
Gulf of Kotor
The Bay of Kotor ( Montenegrin and Serbian: , Italian: ), also known as the Boka, is a winding bay of the Adriatic Sea in southwestern Montenegro and the region of Montenegro concentrated around the bay. It is also the southernmost part of the h ...
.
He began to sing and compose during his first year of high school ( gymnasium) which soon led to involvement with various local bands in Herceg Novi and
Titograd
Podgorica (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Подгорица, ; Literal translation, lit. 'under the hill') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Montenegro, largest city of Montenegro. The city was formerly known as Titograd ...
. One of his first performances saw him play the
mandolin
A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...
in an orchestra entertaining guests at
Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi ( cyrl, Херцег Нови, ) is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the Western entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 in ...
's Plaza hotel.
In 1985, he moved to
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
in pursuit of higher education. Parallel to his university studies, he also played with various amateur bands and musicians.
Musical career
1970s
In 1979, Rambo Amadeus started off in a band called "Radioaktivni otpad," which was short lived. He was also in a band called "The Blues Band." He didn't like the content produced, so he rearranged the setup. The band lasted throughout his high school years, playing in Herceg Novi, Nikšić and Igalo (5 km distance from Herceg Novi).
1980s
In 1988, he dropped into the music scene out of nowhere with his debut album '' O tugo jesenja.'' His sound was a seemingly coarse blend of folkish
ululation
Ululation (), , is a long, wavering, high-pitched vocal sound resembling a howl with a trilling quality. It is produced by emitting a high pitched loud voice accompanied with a rapid back and forth movement of the tongue and the uvula
The palati ...
s and opera, further mixed in with humorous lyrics and classic guitar riffs. Since very few people had prior knowledge of him, Rambo was delighted in creating confusion by introducing himself as Nagib Fazlić Nagon, a mine shaft operator who saved up enough money to record an album. He also jokingly referred to his own musical style as
turbo folk
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
, long before this term would begin to be applied to an actual musical style, which critics refer to with a grave social connotation and came to symbolise the moral and cultural decline throughout the Balkans during the wars of the 1990s.
Producer
Saša Habić
Aleksandar "Saša" Habić (Serbian Cyrillic: Саша Хабић; born 17 March 1956) is a Serbian and former Yugoslav musician, record producer and composer. During his career as a producer he worked with artists like Piloti, Divlji Anđeli, U ...
gave Rambo the opportunity to sign for the state television's record company
PGP RTB
PGP-RTB (abbreviation for sr, Produkcija gramofonskih ploča Radio televizije Beograd) was a major state-owned record label and chain record store in the former SFR Yugoslavia, based in Belgrade, Socialist Republic of Serbia. After the breakup ...
(Rambo later wrote an anecdotal tribute to that event, in the hit song "Balkan Boy"). Habić also played the synthesiser on this album, from which a track named "Vanzemaljac" (Extraterrestrial) continues to be popular to this day. The record's sales weren't particularly high, but Rambo created enough of a buzz to remain active on the scene.
His next album '' Hoćemo gusle'' was released in 1989 and gave a small taste of Rambo's future musical direction – overt political satire. The track "Amerika i Engleska (biće zemlja proleterska)" was originally supposed to be named "Kataklizma komunizma" (Cataclysm of Communism) but local authorities did not allow it. The album title pokes fun at a bizarre event from the 1989 protests in Montenegro that eventually grew into the anti-bureaucratic revolution that swept
Milo Đukanović
Milo Đukanović ( cnr, Мило Ђукановић, ; born 15 February 1962) is a Montenegrin politician serving as the President of Montenegro since 2018, previously serving in the role from 1998 to 2003. He also served as the Prime Minister o ...
,
Momir Bulatović
Momir Bulatović ( sr-cyr, Момир Булатовић; 21 September 1956 – 30 June 2019) was a Yugoslav and Montenegrin politician. He was the first President of the Republic of Montenegro from 1990 to 1998, after which he served as the Prime ...
, and
Svetozar Marović
Svetozar Marović ( sr-cyr, Светозар Маровић; born 31 March 1955) is a Montenegrin lawyer and politician who served as the last head of state and head of government of Serbia and Montenegro from 2003 until Montenegro's declaratio ...
into power. Protesters were heard chanting "Hoćemo Ruse" ("We want the Russians"), but when the authorities and state-controlled media criticized them for it, many quickly began backpedaling by claiming they actually chanted "Hoćemo gusle" ("We want gusle").
Other songs like "Glupi hit" and the aforementioned "Balkan boy" would also become considerable hits. Rambo even received solid critical acclaim for chances he took in "Samit u buregdžinici Laibach". On that track, he created a catchy hybrid by mixing the unique sound of
Laibach
Laibach () is a Slovenian avant-garde music group associated with the industrial, martial, and neo-classical genres. Formed in the mining town of Trbovlje (at the time in Yugoslavia) in 1980, Laibach represents the musical wing of the Neue ...
with lyrics borrowed from the poetry of
Laza Kostić
Lazar "Laza" Kostić ( sr-Cyrl, Лазар "Лаза" Костић; 12 February 1841 – 27 November 1910) was a Serbian poet, prose writer, lawyer, aesthetician, journalist, publicist, and politician who is considered to be one of the greatest ...
and
Desanka Maksimović
Desanka Maksimović ( sr-Cyrl, Десанка Максимовић; 16 May 1898 – 11 February 1993) was a Serbian poet, writer and translator. Her first works were published in the literary journal ''Misao'' in 1920, while she was studying at th ...
, as well as from folk ''
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 ...
'' standard "Čaše lomim" mixing with his own humorous lyrics. The album sleeve lists the lyrics of a song that wasn't actually recorded, and explains that "it was dropped at the last moment because there was no room for it," but gives assurances that it would appear on the next album. Since the song in question, named "Pegepe ertebe," was all about taking shots at Rambo's label PGP RTB, but however, it didn't appear on the next or any other album.
1990s
In the early 1990s, Rambo was growing into an established performer. His third album '' Psihološko propagandni komplet M-91'' came out towards the end of 1991 at a time when the breakup of the
former Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
was already in full swing. For obvious reasons, the least of which was the album's subtitle – ''Psychological Propaganda Set'', many songs contained heavy lyrics and a dark, militaristic atmosphere. In your face profanity and descriptive cursing was also par for the course, making this the first major music release in former Yugoslavia to take such narrative liberties. Tracks like "Smrt popa Mila Jovovića" (30-year-old poem by Božo Đuranović), "Jemo voli jem" (incorporating samples from Yugoslav aviators' anthem "Hej vojnici vazduhoplovci" as well as
Šemsa Suljaković
Šemsa Suljaković born 29 September 1951) is a Bosnian folk singer.
Early life
Suljaković was born in Maglaj, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia. She was born as the eldest of six children into an ethnic Bosniak family.
Career
Suljakov ...
's "Izgubila sve sam bitke"), "Inspektor Nagib" and "Zdravo damo" became instant hits.
The discrepancy between what's listed on the cover and what is actually recorded is there again as sleeve announces the track called "KPGS" which would, this time for real, appear on the next live album, but does not list "Halid invalid Hari" and "Prijatelju, prijatelju" which were included and became big hits. Many consider the two tracks to be classic Rambo: observant, opinionated, direct and profane. The latter of the two originally included excerpts from
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević (, ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the president of Serbia within Yugoslavia from 1989 to 1997 (originally the Socialist Republic of Serbia, a constituent republic of ...
and
Franjo Tuđman
Franjo Tuđman (; 14 May 1922 – 10 December 1999), also written as Franjo Tudjman, was a Croatian politician and historian. Following the country's independence from Yugoslavia, he became the first president of Croatia and served as p ...
speeches, but the record company censors took them out.
This album further solidified Rambo's presence on the scene as he started playing bigger arenas like
Sava centar
Sava Centar ( sr, Сава центар) is an international congress, cultural and business centre of various multi-functional activities located in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is the largest audience hall in the country and entire forme ...
. Due to his outspoken and entertaining nature he would often get invited on various TV and radio outlets across the country.
During "Belgrade spring" festival in 1992. he showed civil courage when he interrupted a concert by "Bebi Dol" during live TV broadcast and said to tens of thousands of viewers:
"As we play here bombs are falling on Dubrovnik and Tuzla. We won't entertain the political voters no more. F*** your mothers!"
He threw the microphone on the floor, left the stage and the show was over.
Trying to take the new situation in stride, he hit the road, becoming one of the first performers from
FR Yugoslavia
Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup
A relationship breakup, breakup, or ...
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
in the years following those states' declarations of independence.
After the live album ''KPGS'' (taped on 29 December 1992 in
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
) that included the new studio track "Karamba karambita" followed by a greatest hits compilation ''Izabrana dela 1989–1994'', Rambo recorded peculiar new material during July 1995 in Paris with
Goran Vejvoda
Goran Vejvoda ( Serbian: Горан Вејвода, ''Goran Vejvoda'') (born 1956 in London, United Kingdom) is an English-born, French-based, Serbian media artist (musician, composer, sound and visual artist, performance artist, photographer, wri ...
. Released the following year as ''
Mikroorganizmi
''Mikroorganizmi''The Latin alphabet name of the album as shown aRambo Amadeus' official site. The name on the front cover is Cyrillic ''Микроорганьизмия''. (Russian: ''Микроорганьизмия'', en, Microorganisms) is a s ...
'', it featured an inaccessible, moody sound garnered with terse, experimental music marking a sizable departure from his usual antics.
He simultaneously released ''
Muzika za decu
''Muzika za decu'' (trans. ''Music for Children'') is a studio album released in 1995 by Montenegrin-Serbian musician Rambo Amadeus.
Track listing
Lyrics by Ljubivoje Ršumović
# "Popaj i Badža"
# "Kojot Kosta"
# "Pera Detlić"
# "Kapetan Kuk ...
'', a personal musical take on
Ljubivoje Ršumović
Ljubivoje Ršumović (Serbian Cyrillic: Љубивоје Ршумовић; born 3 July 1939) is a Serbian poet and writer.
Ršumović is predominantly a writer and poet for children; however, a portion of his work is literature for adults.
Bio ...
's poetry featuring two bonus new tracks – "Sex" and "ABVGD".
Old-school Rambo fans did not have to wait long for a return to earlier style. Towards the end of 1996, on ''
Titanik
Antonije Pušić (; born 14 June 1963), known professionally as Rambo Amadeus () is a Montenegro, Montenegrin author. A self-titled "musician, poet, and media manipulator", he is a noted artist across the countries of former Yugoslavia.
His so ...
'' he delivered a new batch of traditional fare like "Šakom u glavu", "Sado-mazo", "Zreo za penziju" and "Otiš'o je svak ko valja" (dedicated to
Toma Zdravković
Tomislav "Toma" Zdravković (; 20 November 1938 – 30 September 1991) was a Serbian pop-folk singer-songwriter and recording artist.
Zdravković was an outstanding figure on the Serbian folk scene; a true bohemian and a poet, he lived up to hi ...
and members of
Šarlo Akrobata
Šarlo Akrobata ( sr-Cyrl, Шарло Акробата; trans. ''Charlot the Acrobat'', a Serbo-Croatian language version of Charlie Chaplin's name in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) were a seminal Serbian new wave/post-punk band from Belgrade. Short-l ...
). Seasoned musicians like Ognjen Radivojević (who would become famous for working with such musicians like
Goran Bregović
Goran Bregović (born 22 March 1950) is a recording artist from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is one of the most internationally known modern musicians and composers of the Slavic-speaking countries in the Balkans, and is one of the few former Yug ...
and
Zdravko Čolić
Zdravko Čolić (, ; born 30 May 1951) is a Bosnian Serb singer and is widely considered one of the greatest vocalists and cultural icons of the former Yugoslavia. Dubbed the " Tom Jones of the Balkans", he has garnered fame in Southeastern Europ ...
), Goran Ljuboja, Dragan Markovski and Marija Mihajlović) took part in recording sessions for this album.
An extensive tour followed and it again included Slovenia (a live album was recorded over two
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
where Rambo appeared as a guest at
Sejo Sexon
Davor Sučić (; born June 7, 1961), better known by his stage name Sejo Sexon, is a Bosnian rock and roll musician, film score composer, actor and television director. He is most notably the bandleader and a co-founder of the rock group Zabranjen ...
's
Zabranjeno pušenje
Zabranjeno pušenje () is a Bosnian rock band formed in Sarajevo in 1980. The group's musical style primarily consists of a distinctive garage rock sound with folk influences, often featuring innovative production and complex storytelling. Curre ...
gig in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
. That appearance in December 1997 was the first post-war visit by a Montenegrin performer to
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
.
On 9 June 1998 Rambo played Belgrade's
Dom Sindikata
Dom Sindikata (lit. Trade Union Hall), known as mts Hall for sponsorship reasons, is a non-residential, multi-purpose building in downtown Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Finished in 1957, by the 1970s it became the most popular entertainment ve ...
hall in what he announced to be the farewell performance before retirement. Even if many doubted his sincerity, the concert was a memorable one. Soon, Rambo packed his bags and left for the Netherlands, though not before squeezing in two more shows in
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
. In the Netherlands, he worked a series of menial jobs including construction, before deciding to return to Belgrade after only four months abroad. Back home, not surprisingly, he also returned to music and continued to break down inter-ethnic barriers: on 10 December 1998 he and
Margita Stefanović
Margita "Magi" Stefanović ( sr-cyr, Маргита "Маги" Стефановић; 1 April 1959 – 18 September 2002) was a Serbian musician best known as a keyboardist of a Yugoslav rock band Ekatarina Velika (EKV).
Born in Belgrade, she wa ...
played a show in
Pula
Pula (; also known as Pola, it, Pola , hu, Pòla, Venetian language, Venetian; ''Pola''; Istriot language, Istriot: ''Puola'', Slovene language, Slovene: ''Pulj'') is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, and the List of cities and town ...
at the local cinema with
KUD Idijoti
KUD Idijoti was a punk rock band from Pula, Croatia. The name of the band translates to ''Cultural Artistic Society " Idiots"'' The word ''Idijoti'' is deliberately spelled wrong, the correct Croatian form of the word being ''idioti''. The pre ...
, which was a first opportunity since the war for a Croatian audience to see performers from Serbia and Montenegro.
2000s
Throughout 2000, Rambo worked on what would eventually become the ''Don't Happy, Be Worry'' album. This album included the song ''Laganese'' which sampled the
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
journalist
Åsne Seierstad
Åsne Seierstad (born 10 February 1970) is a Norwegian freelance journalist and writer, best known for her accounts of everyday life in war zones – most notably Kabul after 2001, Baghdad in 2002 and the ruined Grozny in 2006. (in Norwegian)
Pe ...
singing the
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
Folk song
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be c ...
''Eg rodde meg ut på seiegrunnen'' and swearing. By this time, sampling and local pop-cultural references had become two more staples of his sound, and this material, too, was heavy on both. Produced by Iztok Turk, it featured tracks like "Čoban je upravo napustio zgradu" (loose cover of
Neda Ukraden
Neda Ukraden ( sr-Cyrl, Неда Украден; born 16 August 1950) is a Serbs of Croatia, Serbian-Croatian singer. Her professional career stretches back to 1967.
Personal life
Ukraden was born in Glavina Donja, a village near the small Socia ...
's "Zora je svanula"), "Moj skutere" that borrows from
Oliver Dragojević
Oliver Dragojević (; 7 December 1947 – 29 July 2018) was a Croatian singer and composer, who was considered one of the most enduring musical stars and cultural icons in Croatia with a discography that spanned nearly five decades. His style ble ...
's "Moj galebe", and "Izađite molim" with sprinkled in dialogues from
Goran Marković
Goran Marković ( sr-cyr, Горан Марковић, ) (born 24 August 1946) is a Serbian film and theatre director, screenwriter, writer, and playwright. He has directed approximately 50 documentaries, 13 feature films, and 3 theatre plays. ...
's 1975 movie ''Variola vera''.
In 2004, Rambo released his third live album '' Bolje jedno vruće pivo nego četri ladna'', which was followed by the studio album '' Oprem dobro'' in mid-2005.
He made a song "Dikh tu kava" in collaboration with ethno-jazz fusion band Kal, and in 2007 he appeared on their album as a featured artist in the song "Komedija" ("Comedy").
In autumn 2007 he did a performance called "Mixing of alternative rocks", when he "played" on 12 concrete mixers in front of the audience during The Alternative Rock Festival in SKC, Belgrade.
For the purpose of the New Year's show on RTV, he appeared in the song "Rakija" followed by Zorule, the traditional folk orchestra. This song was used later as one of the tracks for "
Vratiće se rode
''Vratiće se rode'' () is a Serbian television series. Broadcast on B92 television in Serbia, it premiered on November 9, 2007. The series is directed by Goran Gajić and written by Nikola Pejaković (12 episodes) along with Ranko Božić (9 ep ...
" TV serial. In February 2008, Rambo Amadeus performed as a guest star of The RTS Big Band jazz orchestra, for their 60th Anniversary.
''Hipishizik Metafizik'' is his latest studio album, released for
PGP RTS
PGP-RTS ( sr, Produkcija gramofonskih ploča Radio televizije Srbije) is a major record label based in Belgrade, Serbia. It is a successor of PGP-RTB which was established in 1959 in Belgrade, then capital of Socialist Republic of Serbia and So ...
in July 2008.
2010s
Rambo Amadeus was internally selected by the Montenegrin national broadcaster
RTCG
Radio and Television of Montenegro ( cnr, Радио и Телевизија Црне Горе, Radio i Televizija Crne Gore; abbr. /RTCG) is the public service broadcaster of Montenegro. A state-owned company with its headquarters in Podgorica, i ...
Eurovision Song Contest 2012
The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 was the 57th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, following the country's victory at the with the song " Running Scared" by the duo Ell & Nikki. It was the first time Azerb ...
in
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
, Azerbaijan. His winning song "
Euro Neuro
"Euro Neuro" is a song by Montenegrin singer Rambo Amadeus. The song was chosen to represent Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012; it was the first song performed at the contest in the first semi-final and failed to advance to the fina ...
" gained controversy for its video. He ultimately succeeded in his goal of obtaining a very low ranking in the competition and announced that he is honoured to have written the worst song on Eurovision.
In 2013, he released a video for the new single ''O'Ruk on the Road Again'' with Three Winnettous.
In 2015, he released the album "Vrh Dna", which featured previously unreleased track "Rano Za Početak" from 2011, and he retitled it "Samo Balade" for the album's release.
In 2016, he landed two voice-work roles, as Mighty Eagle in the Croatian-language and Serbian-language version of ''
The Angry Birds Movie
''The Angry Birds Movie'' (also known simply as ''Angry Birds'') is a 2016 computer-animated comedy film based on Rovio Entertainment's video game series of the same name, produced by Columbia Pictures and Rovio Animation, and distributed by S ...
'', and as Crush in the Serbian-language version of ''
Finding Dory
''Finding Dory'' is a 2016 American computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Andrew Stanton, produced by Lindsey Collins and written by Stanton and Vict ...
''.
In 2018, he tried to represent
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2018
The Eurovision Song Contest 2018 was the 63rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Lisbon, Portugal, following the country's victory at the with the song " Amar pelos dois" by Salvador Sobral. Organised by the European Broa ...
with the song Nema Te, a duet with jazz singer Beti Đorđević. They performed the song in Beovizija 2018. and came 9th.
Other endeavours
In addition to a prolific solo recording career, Rambo frequently engaged in different, often bizarre side projects.
*In 1989 in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
, for a short while, he hosted an erotic quiz show with actress Jasna Beri named ''Turbo-lilihip'', which aired on a local TV station SA3.
*He wrote music for different theatre plays such as ', ', as well as ' for which he was awarded the Sterija prize in 1994.
*Rambo also wrote lyrics for commercial folk stars like
Lepa Brena
Fahreta Živojinović (; ; born 20 October 1960), known by her stage name Lepa Brena (), is a folk singer, actress, and businesswoman. She is the best-selling female recording artist from the former Yugoslavia.
Lepa Brena grew up in Brčko, Bosni ...
and
Vesna Zmijanac
Vesna Zmijanac (, ; born 4 January 1957) is a Montenegrin-born Serbian singer and actress. Dubbed the "Queen of Sadness", she is known for her emotional vocal delivery and melancholic ballads. Also noted for her provocative appearance and weste ...
, as well as the entire score for the 1994 film ', which was a star vehicle for another
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
performer
Dragana Mirković
Dragana Mirković ( sr-cyr, Драгана Мирковић, ; born 18 January 1968) is a Serbian pop-folk singer and entrepreneur. She rose to prominence in the eighties as a member of the popular collective Južni Vetar. Today, Mirković is reco ...
.
*In 1994, he also wrote a musical score for the 1927 silent movie ''
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
'' by
Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...
. At a movie screening at
Sava Center
Sava Centar ( sr, Сава центар) is an international congress, cultural and business centre of various multi-functional activities located in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is the largest audience hall in the country and entire forme ...
, Rambo's music was played by the Belgrade Philharmonic. The material was later recorded by Rambo himself along with Miroslav Savić and Heavily Manipulated Orchestra, and released as ''Metropolis B (Tour-de-Force)''
*A year later, he arranged a
cadenza
In music, a cadenza (from it, cadenza, link=no , meaning cadence; plural, ''cadenze'' ) is, generically, an improvisation, improvised or written-out ornament (music), ornamental passage (music), passage played or sung by a solo (music), sol ...
within "A concerto for piano and orchestra in C-minor" by
W.A. Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...
. In 1995, this cadenza was performed by
Ivan Tasovac
Ivan Tasovac ( sr-Cyrl, Иван Тасовац; 21 June 1966 – 29 September 2021) was a Serbian pianist and manager. He served as the director of Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra from 2001 to 2013. He also served as the Minister of Culture an ...
, while the entire concert was conducted by
Oskar Danon
Oskar Danon (7 February 1913 – 18 December 2009) ''
at
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
's Kolarac concert hall.
*Since early 2005, Rambo has written a column ' (''Mega-Imperial Thoughts'') for the daily tabloid '' Blic''.
* In December 2010, he was a guest on Studio B's Agape program together with Serbian Orthodox bishop Porfirije where they talked about the meaning of life, finding ones's self way in life, slowing down, drug abuse and rehabilitation (Rambo confessed to using marijuana for 20 years).
* Rambo has done voice-work for the Serbian-Croatian language dubs of ''The Lion King'' franchise, ''
Despicable Me
''Despicable Me'' is a computer-animated media franchise centering on Gru, a reformed super-villain (who later becomes a father, husband, and secret agent), and his yellow-colored Minions. It is produced by Illumination and distributed by ...
The Angry Birds Movie
''The Angry Birds Movie'' (also known simply as ''Angry Birds'') is a 2016 computer-animated comedy film based on Rovio Entertainment's video game series of the same name, produced by Columbia Pictures and Rovio Animation, and distributed by S ...
'' and ''
Finding Dory
''Finding Dory'' is a 2016 American computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Andrew Stanton, produced by Lindsey Collins and written by Stanton and Vict ...
Muzika za decu
''Muzika za decu'' (trans. ''Music for Children'') is a studio album released in 1995 by Montenegrin-Serbian musician Rambo Amadeus.
Track listing
Lyrics by Ljubivoje Ršumović
# "Popaj i Badža"
# "Kojot Kosta"
# "Pera Detlić"
# "Kapetan Kuk ...
''
* 1996 – ''
Mikroorganizmi
''Mikroorganizmi''The Latin alphabet name of the album as shown aRambo Amadeus' official site. The name on the front cover is Cyrillic ''Микроорганьизмия''. (Russian: ''Микроорганьизмия'', en, Microorganisms) is a s ...
''
* 1997 – ''
Titanik
Antonije Pušić (; born 14 June 1963), known professionally as Rambo Amadeus () is a Montenegro, Montenegrin author. A self-titled "musician, poet, and media manipulator", he is a noted artist across the countries of former Yugoslavia.
His so ...
''
* 1998 – ''Metropolis B (tour-de-force)''
* 2000 – ''Don't happy, be worry'' (Released as ''Čobane vrati se'' in Slovenia and Croatia)
* 2005 – ''Oprem Dobro''
* 2008 – ''Hipishizik Metafizik''
* 2015 – ''Vrh Dna''
* 2020 - ''Brod budala''
*1994 – ''Izabrana dela''
*1998 – ''Zbrana dela 1''
*1998 – ''Zbrana dela 2''
Backing band members
Current members
* Rambo Amadeus (World Kilo Tzar) – guitar, fretless guitar, vocals, arrangement
Live members
* Miroslav Tovirac – bass (2012–)
* Igor Malešević – drums, percussion (2012)
Also associated
*
Aleksandra Kovač
Aleksandra Kovač ( sr-cyr, Александра Ковач, ; born 1972) is a Serbian singer-songwriter, composer, and music producer. She is the eldest daughter of eminent composer Kornelije Kovač and the elder sister of singer Kristina Kovač ...
– vocals
*
Kristina Kovač
Kristina Kovač ( sr-Cyrl, Кристина Ковач, ; born 10 November 1974) is a Serbian singer and composer. She became famous during the 1990s when she and her sister Aleksandra Kovač were a big attraction in Serbia and surrounding count ...