Sveže Amputirana Ruka Satrijanija ( sr-cyr, Свеже ампутирана рука Сатријанија, lit=The Freshly Amputated Arm of Satriani), or S.A.R.S. for short, are a

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 ...

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band from

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 ...

. Presenting a combination of

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

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 ...

and hip hop with the

ethnic music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

of Serbia, the band is one of the leading acts of the so-called New Serbian Scene.

History

The band was formed in March 2006 by Aleksandar Luković "Lukac" (guitar) and Dragan Kovačević "Žabac" (vocals) along with Vladimir Popović "Hobbo" (vocals), Žarko Kovačević "Žare" (vocals), Miloš Kovačević "Kriva" (bass guitar), Branislav Lučić "Beban" (percussion), Goran Mladenović "Japanac" (drums) and Ivana Blažević "Violina" (violin). All musicians came from a different music backgrounds and spheres of interest, resulting in unique fusion sound of divergent music genres. At first they “jammed” in garage owned by Aleksander Luković best friend Ivona Vovković.

Break up and huge success

After a few minor live appearances in 2007, including several performances at

clubs as well as the

Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...

performance as a part of the Mirovni Karavan (''Peace Caravan'') manifestation, the band had entered a crisis. At the time the band recorded the demo for the song "Buđav lebac" ("Moldy Bread") at the Resnik RLZ, home made studio. In early 2008, bassist Miloš Kovačević went to serve in the army, drummer Mladenović and violinist Blažević had left the band, thus the band disbanded. After the break up, band's friend Siniša "Kum" decided to promote the song "Buđav lebac" by using internet guerrilla marketing. He created a simple video for the song and uploaded the demo to YouTube. Without any mainstream media promotion, "Buđav lebac" made by the anonymous band S.A.R.S. had become a top chart hit in Serbia and all other

former Yugoslav republics The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II in Yugoslavia, World War II, and ...

"Buđav lebac" meme phenomenon

"Buđav lebac" multi-layer meanings and catchy theme got it accepted by the broad audience. The song describes social contrasts and the poor economic situation of an ordinary man by using word play and dark humor. Along with a catchy melody and innovative vocal performance, "Buđav lebac" became one of the most popular alternative tracks in ex-Yugoslav countries. "Budav lebac" created a huge public and social buzz without any mainstream media promotion. After initial guerrilla release, song share rate and success was compared with

pandemic A pandemic () is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. A widespread endemic (epidemiology), endemic disease wi ...

s growth, corresponding with band's name S.A.R.S. "Buđav lebac" became offline and online meme The Serbian swimmer

Nađa Higl Nađa Higl (Serbian Cyrillic: Нађа Хигл; born 2 January 1987) is a Serbian swimmer. She was FINA World Aquatics Championships, World Champion in Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Women's 200 metre breaststroke, 200&nb ...

stated that she had sung the song lyrics before the race in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

where she became the

World Champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

in 200 m breaststroke, and the audience had sung the song to her at the Belgrade City Council plateau at the welcome ceremony. At the other welcome ceremony in her home town

Pančevo Pančevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Панчево, ; german: Pantschowa; hu, Pancsova; ro, Panciova; sk, Pánčevo) is a city and the administrative center of the South Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is located on ...

, Higl appeared on stage with S.A.R.S. who had been performing at the ceremony. The song, with altered lyrics, was also sung by

Delije Delije ( sr-cyr, Делије) is a name referring to the supporters of various sports clubs that compete under the Red Star Belgrade multi-sport club banner. The plural of the singular form ''delija'' (делија)—which in Serbian general ...

, the fans of the football club

Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional football club based in Bel ...

, due to the economic situation within the club.

The first album - S.A.R.S.

"Buđav lebac" huge public success had encouraged the rest of the band to continue working. In mid-2008, bassist Miloš Kovačević returned from the army and the band once again entered the RLZ studio and recorded several demos including the song "Ratujemo ti i ja" ("We are at War, You and Me"), with the new members Miloš Bakalović "Bakal" (drums) and Boris Tasev "Bora" (keyboards, accordion). During late 2008, the band got an offer from the

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 ...

record label to record their debut album. The album recording sessions, done with the help of the producer Đorđe Miljenović

Wikluh Sky Đorđe Miljenović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Миљеновић; born 10 December 1980) better known by his stage name Wikluh Sky ( sr, Виклер Скаj, ) is a Serbian musician, rapper, and producer. Best known for being a member of Bad Copy h ...

, were finished within a couple of months, and the eponymous debut album ''S.A.R.S'' was officially released in March 2009. The song lyrics for the album had been written by the vocalists Kovačević and Popović, and the music and arrangements were done by Kovačević, Luković and Miljenović and guest appearances featured former

Eyesburn Eyesburn is a Serbian band that combines hardcore punk and crossover thrash with reggae music. History 1994–2007 The band was formed in 1994, and the original line-up featured former Dead Ideas guitarist Nemanja "Kojot" Kojić (guitar, b ...

frontman Nemanja Kojić (trombone on "Ratujemo ti i ja" and "Zubarka" ("The Dentist"), the multi-instrumentalist Aleksandar Sedlar Bogoev (

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

on the same tracks), Nikola Demonja (saxophone),

Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša ( sr-cyr, Канда, Коџа и Небојша; , trans. ''Probably, Plenty and Daredevil'') is a Serbian alternative rock band from Belgrade. History Formation, first releases (1991–1995) The band, consisting of ...

member Vladan Rajović (drums on "Zubarka") and the former band member Ivana Blažević "Violina" (violin on the track "Sindrom lidera male stranke" ("Syndrome Of A Minor Political Party Leader ")). Simultaneously with album release appeared the official video for the song "Buđav lebac". It was an animated video directed by the Serbian illustrator

Aleksa Gajić Aleksa Gajić ( sr-Cyrl, Алекса Гајић, born May 20, 1974, Belgrade) is a Serbian comics artist and film director. Gajić is best known as the illustrator of '' Scourge of the Gods'' (fr. ''Le Fléau des dieux''), written by Valérie ...

. In the meantime, in early 2009, the band got the award on TV Metropolis for the greatest musical discovery in 2008.

Member departures and controversy

In mid-2009 after the first's album huge success, the original lineup suddenly changed. The transition from an unknown alternative underground band to an MTV featured pop band meant an earthquake. Original S.A.R.S. repertoire included hard rock, punk and heavy metal songs, not welcomed by the broader audience. Original singers Dragan Kovačević and Vladimir Popović promoted anarchism and fight against authorities during live plays. S.A.R.S. frequently performed poorly on stage because of the musicians' lack of discipline. All that will change over the night when the band became commercial. Vocalist Dragan Kovačević became the band manager and band owner, his brother Žarko Kovačević became the lead singer. Dragan Kovačević carried out band rebuild expelling original lineup members and introducing new musicians to the band. Vocalist Popović, bassist Kovačević, percussionist Lučić, and drummer Bakalović left the band. Ex S.A.R.S. members together with ex S.A.R.S. violinist Blažević, formed a new band, VHS (an acronym for Very Heavy S.A.R.S.). VHS continued to play harder sound performing in underground clubs. New S.A.R.S will change direction towards pop music in its future albums. New members arrived, Nenad Đorđević "Đole" (bass guitar), Tihomir Hinić "Tihi" (drums), Petar Milanović "Pera" (trombone, saxophone) and Sanja Lalić (backing vocals). New members appeared in the second SARS video, for the song "Debeli lad" ("Thick Shade"). On November of the same year, the band recorded the video for the song "Rakija" ("Brandy"). The later song, along with "Buđav lebac", was performed by the band in the Fajront Republika hosted by Zoran Kesić.

Tour and the second album

In October 2009, the band went on their first tour, performing at various Serbian,

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n and

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 ...

n cities and towns, ended with a large concert at the

Belgrade Youth Center Belgrade Youth Center ( sr, Dom omladine Beograda; abbr. DOB) is a cultural center in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, dedicated primarily to youth. History At the corner of the ''Dečanska'' and ''Makedonska'' streets, where the youth cente ...

. After the tour, the band entered the studio in order to record the material for the upcoming album. In the meantime, in March 2010, the band had a well-acclaimed performance at

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

. Also, the band had recorded the soundtrack for the TV series ''Može i drugačije'' (''It May Be Different''), debuted in January 2010. At midnight on 31 December 2010 the band released their second studio album, ''Perspektiva'' (''Perspective''), released for free digital download at the

MTV Adria MTV Adria was a localized version of the music and entertainment channel MTV Europe, customized for the Balkan countries that used to be constituent parts of Yugoslavia. It served the following countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedon ...

official website. In 2011, "Buđav lebac" was polled, by the listeners of Radio 202, one of 60 greatest songs released by

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 breaku ...

. On 27 June 2012, S.A.R.S., alongside

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe p ...

Example Example may refer to: * '' exempli gratia'' (e.g.), usually read out in English as "for example" * .example, reserved as a domain name that may not be installed as a top-level domain of the Internet ** example.com, example.net, example.org, ex ...

Jessie J Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical '' Whistle Down the Wind''. She studied ...

Dubioza Kolektiv Dubioza kolektiv (also known simply as Dubioza) is a Bosnian avant-garde dub rock group known for their crossover style that incorporates elements of hip hop, dub, ska, reggae, rock, punk, electronic music, and Balkan music, and for their soci ...

and Orbital, performed on the first evening of the first Belgrade Calling festival.

3rd Album - Kuća časti

In March 2013, the band released their third studio album, ''Kuća časti'' (''On the House''). The album, announced by the singles "Mir u svetu" ("World Peace"), "Mitohondrija" ("

Mitochondrion A mitochondrion (; ) is an organelle found in the cells of most Eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi. Mitochondria have a double membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used ...

"), was released for free download via band's official site. The album featured numerous guest appearances, including the appearance of Montenegrin hip hop duo

Who See Who See (also referred to as Who See? and Who See Klapa) is a Montenegrin hip-hop duo from Kotor. Its members are Dedduh or Deda (Dejan Dedović), from Kotor, and Noyz (Mario Đorđević), from Herceg Novi. The group was created in the early 2 ...

. In May, S.A.R.S. appeared on the tribute album to the band Brkovi entitled ''Brkati gosti'' (''Guests with Mustaches'') with a cover of Brkovi song "Naša mala zemlja" ("Our Little Country"). By the end of May 2013, the album ''Kuća časti'' overreached the number of 45.000 downloads.

4th Album - Ikone pop kulture

In January 2014, the band released the album ''Ikone pop kulture'' (''Pop Culture Icons''). The album is available for free download from the band's official website. At the same time, the band, together with the duo Dont, recorded and released as a single an

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...

version of "Buđav lebac", entitled "Moldy Bread"."„Буђав лебац” на енглеском језику", politika.rs
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Discography

Studio albums

* ''S.A.R.S.'' (2009) * ''Perspektiva'' (2011) * ''Kuća časti'' (2013) * ''Ikone pop kulture'' (2014) * ''Proleće'' (2015) * ''Poslednji album'' (2016) * ''Glava'' (2019)

Live albums

*''Mir i ljubav'' (2015)

Singles

*''Živim na Balkanu'' (2017) *''Ljubav umire'' (2018) *''Teško je'' (2018)

Compilations

* ''10'' (2016)

Other appearances

*"Naša mala zemlja" (''Brkati gosti'', 2013)

References

Band biography at the official Facebook page

External links

*
S.A.R.S.
at

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at

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Deezer Deezer is a French online music streaming service. It allows users to listen to music content from record labels, as well as podcasts on various devices online or offline. Created in Paris, Deezer currently has 90 million licensed tracks in i ...

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S.A.R.S.
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{{Authority control Serbian rock music groups Serbian alternative rock groups Serbian pop rock music groups Serbian reggae musical groups Musical groups from Belgrade Musical groups established in 2006