Đorđe Balašević
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Đorđe Balašević ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Балашевић; 11 May 1953 – 19 February 2021) was a Serbian singer and songwriter, writer, poet and director. He began his career in the late 1970s as a member of the band Rani Mraz, transitioning after two albums to a solo career. He first gained mainstream prominence for writing Rani Mraz's hit "Računajte na nas" (Count on Us), which was often described as an anthem of a generation. Noted for his vivid lyricism and poetry, Balašević was also known for weaving political commentary into his songs and live performance. Broadly supportive of South Slavic unity in late 1970s and early 1980s, in the lead up to the
Yugoslav wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
he began to criticise the authorities. During the Yugoslav wars, he became a prominent anti-war voice in the region, thanks to which he also became an
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador is an official postnominal honorific, honorific title, title of authority, legal status and job description assigned to those goodwill ambassadors and activists, advocates who are designated by the United Nations. UNHCR ...
. Balašević was the first Serbian act to perform in
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
following the
siege of Sarajevo The siege of Sarajevo () was a prolonged military blockade of Sarajevo, the capital of Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the ethnically charged Bosnian War. After it was initially besieged by Serbian forces of the Yugoslav People's Arm ...
. Balašević became one of the most prominent critics of
Slobodan Milošević Slobodan Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Слободан Милошевић, ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the President of Serbia between 1989 and 1997 and President of the Federal Republic of Yugos ...
's regime, at considerable personal risk. Balašević was a prolific singer and writer, he recorded 14 albums and wrote 8 books during his career and has been characterised by media and commentators as "musical legend" and author of many "evergreen hits".


Early biography

Balašević was born to a Serbian father Jovan, and mother Veronika Dolenec, half Hungarian and a half
Croat The Croats (; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighboring countries in Central Europe, Central and Southeastern Europe who share a common Croatian Cultural heritage, ancest ...
ian from Rasinja near
Koprivnica Koprivnica () is a city in Northern Croatia, located 70 kilometers northeast of Zagreb. It is the capital and the largest city of Koprivnica-Križevci County. In 2011, the city's administrative area of 90.94 km2 had a total populati ...
, Croatia. He had a sister Jasna. His grandfather's surname was Balaš but during the
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
his grandfather changed it to Balašević in fear of being Magyarized. The younger Balašević grew up in Jovan Cvijić street in
Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...
, in the same house where he lived until his death. He started writing poetry in primary school. He left
high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
in the third year but managed to get a high school diploma as a correspondence student and passed the preliminary exam for the university study of geography. He never graduated from the university but instead, he decided to pursue a music career, and in 1977 he joined the band Žetva.


Musical career


Early career: Žetva and Rani Mraz

After Balašević joined the group, Žetva recorded a humorous
tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Arge ...
-oriented hit single "U razdeljak te ljubim" (I Lay a Kiss on Your Parting), which was sold in more than 180,000 copies. In 1978, he left Žetva and, together with Verica Todorović, formed the band '' Rani Mraz''. The band had its debut at the 1978 music festival in
Opatija Opatija (; ; ) is a List of cities and towns in Croatia, town and a municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in northwestern Croatia. The traditional seaside resort on the Kvarner Gulf is known for its Mediterranean climate and its historic bu ...
with the song "Moja prva ljubav" (My First Love). During 1978, former Suncokret members
Biljana Krstić Biljana () is a settlement east of Dobrovo in the Municipality of Brda in the Littoral region of Slovenia, very close to the border with Italy. Name Biljana was first mentioned in written sources in 1205 as ''Beliana'' (and as ''Villana'' in 12 ...
and
Bora Đorđević Borisav "Bora" Đorđević ( sr-Cyrl, Борисав, Бора Ђорђевић; 1 November 1952 – 4 September 2024), also known as Bora Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Бора Чорба), was a Serbian singer-songwriter and poet. He was best known as th ...
joined the band (forming the most famous Rani Mraz lineup), and together they recorded "Računajte na nas" (Count on Us), written by Balašević, a song which celebrated the youth's adoption of the
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
revolution. The song became popular with both the communist authorities and the people, becoming an anthem of the Yugoslav youth. After just a few months of cooperation, Verica Todorović and Bora Đorđević left the band (Đorđević forming his famous
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
band
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; ) is a Serbian and former Yugoslav Rock music, rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band has been one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Popular music in the So ...
). Biljana Krstić and Balašević then recorded Rani Mraz's first album '' Mojoj mami umesto maturske slike u izlogu'' (''To my Mom instead of Prom Photo in the Shop-Window'') with the help of
studio musicians A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a record ...
. At the 1979
Split Festival The Split Festival (officially ''Festival zabavne glazbe Split'' or ''Splitski Festival'') is a pop music festival held annually, in July, in Split, Croatia. It has been held since 1960. It is one of the premier Croatian music festivals. Since its ...
, Balašević won the first prize with the single "Panonski mornar" (Pannonian Sailor). A few months later, Rani Mraz sold out
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
's Dom Sindikata Hall eight times in a row. In 1980, Balašević served in the
Yugoslav People's Army The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA/; Macedonian language, Macedonian, Montenegrin language, Montenegrin and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian language, Croatian and ; , J ...
in
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
and
Požarevac Požarevac ( sr-cyr, Пожаревац, ) is a list of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative centre of the Braničevo District in eastern Serbia. It is located between three rivers: Danube, Great Morava and Mlava and below the hill Čač ...
, where he had a role in the TV show ''Vojnici'' (''Soldiers''), but also found time to write song "Zbog tebe" (Because of You) for
Zdravko Čolić Zdravko Čolić (, ; born 30 May 1951) is a Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian-Serbian Pop music, pop singer and widely considered one of the greatest vocalists and cultural icons of the former Yugoslavia. Favourably compared to Paul McCartney and T ...
and lyrics for several songs recorded on Srebrna krila album ''Ja sam samo jedan od mnogih s gitarom'' (''I'm only One of Many with a Guitar''). By the end of 1980, Balašević and Krstić released their second and final album under the name Rani Mraz, with a symbolic title ''
Odlazi cirkus ''Odlazi cirkus'' (trans. ''The Circus Is Leaving'') is the second and final studio album released by former Yugoslav rock band Rani Mraz. Recording As was the case with the previous record, two official Rani Mraz members, Đorđe Balašević ...
'' (''The Circus Is Leaving''). The album reaffirmed Balašević's status and delivered several hit songs, one of them being "Priča o Vasi Ladačkom" (Story of Vasa Ladački) which went on to become one of Balašević's signature songs. However, Rani Mraz officially dissolved after that.


Solo career


1980s

Balašević started his solo career in 1982 with the album ''
Pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
'' ('' Jack'') which was well received, bringing hits "Boža zvani Pub" (Boža Known as the Jack), "Pesma o jednom petlu" (The Song about a Rooster), "Lepa protina kći" (Archpriest's Beautiful Daughter) and "Ratnik paorskog srca" (Warrior with a Peasant's Heart). The album was produced by Josip Boček, who would also produce Balašević's following two releases. Shortly after, Balašević had a role in the TV series ''Pop Ćira i pop Spira'' (''Priest Ćira and Priest Spira''), recorded after Stevan Sremac's novel of the same title. At the time, he wrote the song "Hej, čarobnjaci, svi su vam đaci" (Hey, Magicians, Everyone Can Learn from You) for the football club
Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club), commonly referred to as Crvena zvezda () and colloquially referred to as Red Star Belgrade in anglophone media, is a ...
. In December 1983, Balašević released the album '' Celovečernji the Kid'' (''Wholevening the Kid''), which featured hits "Svirajte mi 'Jesen stiže, dunjo moja'" (Play 'Autumn Is Coming, My Dear' to Me), "Neko to od gore vidi sve" (Someone from up above Watches it All), "Blues mutne vode" (Muddy Water Blues), "Lunjo" (Hey, Tramp) and "Don Francisco Long Play". The following album, ''
003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to: * 003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986) * 1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen * OO3 gauge model railway * ''O03 (O2)'' and other related blood type alleles in the AB ...
'', was released in 1985, and brought hits "Slovenska" (The Slavic Song), "Al' se nekad dobro jelo" (Back Then Eating Was Good), "Badnje veče" (''Christmas Eve'') and "Olivera". In 1986, Balašević released the album ''
Bezdan Bezdan ( sr-Cyrl, Бездан; , , ) is a village located in Bačka, Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated in the Sombor municipality, West Bačka District. The village has a Hungarian ethnic majority and its population numbers at 5,263 people (2002 ...
'' (''Abyss''), which brought hits "Ne lomite mi bagrenje" (Don't Break My Locust Trees), "Bezdan" and "Ne volim januar" (I Don't Like January). The record was produced by Đorđe Petrović and arrangements were done by Aleksandar Dujin. Those two would be the key associates of Balašević in the following years. They became the backbone of Balašević's supporting band nicknamed The Unfuckables. In 1987, Balašević released his first live album, double album '' U tvojim molitvama – Balade'' (''In Your Prayers – Ballads''). The album was recorded during 1986 and 1987 on his concerts in Zetra hall in
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
, Ledena dvorana and Šalata in Zagreb, Sava Centar in Belgrade, and Studio M in Novi Sad. The album featured a gift single with previously unreleased tracks "1987" and "Poluuspavanka" (Half-Lullaby). The album also featured previously unrecorded track "Samo da rata ne bude" (Just Let There be no War) which was recorded live with a large children's
choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
. On 19 July 1987, Balašević, alongside
Parni Valjak Parni Valjak (; trans. '' Steam Roller'') is a Croatian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Zagreb in 1975. They were one of the most popular acts of the Yugoslav rock scene, and have maintained large popularity in all former Yugoslav republics a ...
, Leb i sol and
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; ) is a Serbian and former Yugoslav Rock music, rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band has been one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Popular music in the So ...
, performed at
Stadion Maksimir Maksimir Stadium (, ) is a multi-use stadium in Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. Named after the surrounding neighbourhood of Maksimir, it is one of the List of football stadiums in Croatia, largest stadiums in the country with a current seating capacit ...
in Zagreb on the
1987 Summer Universiade The 1987 Summer Universiade, also known as the XIV Summer Universiade, took place in Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia. It involved participants from 111 countries and over 6,000 individual sportspersons and members from delegations. Infrastruc ...
closing ceremony. Balašević's next studio album, '' Panta Rei'', released in 1988. The song "Requiem" was dedicated to late
Josip Broz Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito ( ; , ), was a Yugoslavia, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and politician who served in various positions of national leadership from 1943 unti ...
, while satire "Soliter" (High-rise) caricatures Yugoslavia as a building in which only façade still holds while foundations slide.
Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
sound was present in the songs "Neki se rode kraj vode" (Some Were Born By the Water) and "Nemam ništa s tim" (I Have Nothing to Do with It). Balašević's following album, '' Tri posleratna druga'' (''Three postwar Friends''), was subtitled ''Muzika iz istoimenog romana'' (''Music from the Novel of the Same Name''), referring to his novel '' Tri posleratna druga''. The album was recorded by Dujin, bass guitarist Aleksandar Kravić, and two musicians from
Rijeka Rijeka (; Fiume ( fjuːme in Italian and in Fiuman dialect, Fiuman Venetian) is the principal seaport and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, third-largest city in Croatia. It is located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Ba ...
, guitarist Elvis Stanić (a former Linija 23,
Denis & Denis Denis & Denis was a Croatian and Yugoslav synth-pop group formed in Rijeka in 1982. They were one of the most prominent and most popular acts of the Yugoslav synth-pop scene. Formed as a duo consisting of keyboardist and vocalist Davor Tolja and ...
, and Dr Doktor member) and drummer Tonči Grabušić. The album featured radio hits "Kad odem" (When I'm Gone) "D-moll" (
D minor D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative major is F major and its parallel major is D major. The D natural minor scale is: Changes needed ...
), "Ćaletova pesma" (Dad's Song), "Saputnik" (Fellow Traveler), "O. Bože" (Oh God), and
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
-oriented "Devojka sa čardaš nogama" (A Girl with
Csárdás Csárdás (, ; ), often seen as Czárdás, is a traditional Hungarian folk dance, the name derived from ' (old Hungarian term for roadside tavern and restaurant). It originated in Hungary and was popularized by bands in Hungary as well as neighb ...
Legs). The song "Sugar Rap" featured caricatured rap sound.


1990s

The album '' Marim ja...'' (''As if'' ''I care...'') was released in 1991. Beside Balašević's old associates, the album featured Davor Rodik (
pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a console steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings, enabling more varied and complex music to be played than with other steel guitar designs. Like all steel guitars, it can play ...
), Nenad Jazunović (percussion), and Josip "Kiki" Kovač (violin). The songs "Nevernik" (The Nonbeliever), "Ringišpil" (Carousel), "Divlji badem" (Wild Almond) were the album's biggest hits. As the
Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
erupted, Balašević was forced to stop collaborating with Stanić and Grabušić (the two forming the
jazz rock Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music Music genre, genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, a ...
band Elvis Stanić Group). Balašević withdrew to isolation, partly due to his anti-war attitudes. His next album '' Jedan od onih života...'' (''One of Those Lives...''), released in 1993, featured Aleksandar Dujin on piano, Dušan Bezuha on guitar, Đorđe Petrović on keyboards, Aleksandar Kravić on bass guitar, Josip Kovač on saxophone, and Dragoljub Đuričić (formerly of YU grupa, Leb i Sol and Kerber) on drums. The songs such as "Krivi smo mi" (It's Our Fault) and "Čovek sa mesecom u očima" (The Man with the Moon in His Eyes) heavily criticized and denounced the ongoing war. At the same time, the compilation album ''Najveći hitovi'' (''Greatest hits''), featuring songs recorded during the 1986–1991 period, was released. The songs which appeared on the compilation were chosen by Balašević himself. After a long break, at the beginning of 1996, he issued '' Naposletku...'' (''After All...''). Beside Balašević's old associates, the album featured young drummer Petar Radmilović. ''Na posletku...'' was mainly
folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...
-oriented. Nearly all instruments on the album are acoustic, with the violin becoming dominant and woodwind instruments heavily used. In 1997, the live album '' Da l' je sve bilo samo fol?'', recorded on 6 December 1996 on a concert in
Maribor Maribor ( , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is the seat of the ...
, was released in
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
. The album '' Devedesete'' (''Nineties''), self-released by Balašević in the spring of 2000, was his most politically involved album. The album was produced by Petrović, and, beside old associates, featured the saxophonist Gabor Bunford.


2000s

In 2001, Balašević released the album '' Dnevnik starog momka'' (''Diary of an Old Bachelor''). The album comprised 12 songs, each having a female name as its title. The song titles form the
acrostic An acrostic is a poem or other word composition in which the ''first'' letter (or syllable, or word) of each new line (or paragraph, or other recurring feature in the text) spells out a word, message or the alphabet. The term comes from the Fre ...
"Olja je najbolja" (Olja is the Best), Olja being the nickname of Balašević's wife Olivera Balašević. Balašević stated on several occasions that the girls the songs were named after are pure fiction. In 2002, the compilation album '' Ostaće okrugli trag na mestu šatre'' (trans. ''A Round Trace Will Remain at the Place where Tent Used to Be'', named after a verse from the song "Odlazi cirkus") was released. The album featured the choice of songs from Balašević's solo career, with some of the older songs prerecorded. Balašević released the songs that should have been the soundtrack for the film '' Goose Feather'' on the album '' Rani mraz''. The album's
subtitle Subtitles are texts representing the contents of the audio in a film, television show, opera or other audiovisual media. Subtitles might provide a transcription or translation of spoken dialogue. Although naming conventions can vary, caption ...
was ''Priča o Vasi Ladačkom.../Muzika iz nesnimljenog filma'' (''Story of Vasa Ladački.../Music from the Film that was not Filmed''). The album featured folk rock sound similar to the one on ''Na posletku''. The album featured rerecorded "Priča o Vasi Ladačkom" and the instrumental track based on it, "Pričica o Vasi L." (Short Story about Vasa L.). The album also featured the song "Maliganska", which Balašević wrote at the beginning of his career and unsuccessfully offered to Zvonko Bogdan, and which was previously released by pop rock/folk rock band Apsolutno Romantično under the title ''Đoletova pesma'' (''Đole's Song''). The album, beside old associates, featured Zoran and Pera Alvirović (of Apsolutno Romantično), Andrej Maglovski (
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
), Stevan Mošo ( prim), Beni Ćibri (double bass), Agota Vitkai Kučera (
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
), St. George Choir, and others.


2010s

In 2010, Balašević directed the film ''Like An Early Frost'' (originally titled ''Kao rani mraz''), starring Daniel Kovačević,
Rade Šerbedžija Rade Šerbedžija ( sr-Cyrl, Раде Шербеџија, ; born 27 July 1946) is a Croatian actor, director and musician. He is known for his portrayals of imposing figures on both sides of the law. He was one of the best known Yugoslav actors ...
and Balašević's daughter Jovana, based on the song "Priča o Vasi Ladačkom". The film received mostly negative reviews by the critics. In 2012, Balašević released six new songs among which are: "Berba '59." (Harvest of '59), "Ljubav ne pobeđuje" (Love Doesn't Win) and "Osmeh se vratio u grad" (Smile Returned to Town). In 2015, Balašević released a song "Duet" dedicated to
Kemal Monteno Kemal Monteno (17 September 1948 – 21 January 2015) was a Bosnian recording artist and singer-songwriter whose career stretched from the 1960s to the 2010s. He is widely considered one of the greatest songwriters of the former Yugoslavia. Mon ...
who had died in January of that year. In 2016, Balašević released a song "Mala vidra sa Begeja" (Little otter from Bega river).


Concerts

His traditional New Year's concerts in Sava Center hall in Belgrade were traditionally sold out. He sold out Sava Center for the first time in the 1982/1983 season.


Civic engagement

After having released one of his early songs "Računajte na nas" (''You Can Count on Us''), Balašević was deemed politically involved. Together with another early single "Triput sam video Tita" (''I Saw Tito Three Times''), he was expressing support for
Yugoslavism Yugoslavism, Yugoslavdom, or Yugoslav nationalism is an ideology supporting the notion that the South Slavs, namely the Bosniaks, Bulgarians, Croats, Macedonians (ethnic group), Macedonians, Montenegrins, Serbs and Slovenes belong to a single ...
and
Titoism Titoism is a Types of socialism, socialist political philosophy most closely associated with Josip Broz Tito and refers to the ideology and policies of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (LCY) during the Cold War. It is characterized by a br ...
. In 2018, he commented that "
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
wasn't much good - if it had been good it would not have fallen apart so bloodily". During the second half of the 1980s, Balašević began to criticize the authorities, and in the early 1990s, his songs and stage speeches showed disillusionment and sadness over the fact that bloodshed was possible in the Yugoslavia he had once admired. He openly criticized the up-and-coming forms of ethnic nationalism in
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
,
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
,
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
and
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
. In the ensuing war years, Balašević's career suffered due to his open conflict with the government of
Slobodan Milošević Slobodan Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Слободан Милошевић, ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the President of Serbia between 1989 and 1997 and President of the Federal Republic of Yugos ...
. At that point, Balašević was one of only handful of public figures who had openly stated their opposition to Milošević's authoritarian regime. During his concert performances, he often criticized and mocked Milošević and other Serbian politicians. In 1996, he became the
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador is an official postnominal honorific, honorific title, title of authority, legal status and job description assigned to those goodwill ambassadors and activists, advocates who are designated by the United Nations. UNHCR ...
for his antiwar statements during the
Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
and held the first post-war concert in
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
as the first Serbian artist visiting the
war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
-torn
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
. In 2000, he took part in protests during and following the downfall of Slobodan Milošević. In 2006, after
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
had declared independence from the
State Union of Serbia and Montenegro The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro or simply Serbia and Montenegro, known until 2003 as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and commonly referred to as FR Yugoslavia (FRY) or simply Yugoslavia, was a country in Southeast Europe locate ...
, Balašević sent a letter to then
Prime Minister of Montenegro The prime minister of Montenegro ( cnr-Latn, Premijer/Premijerka Crne Gore, cnr-Cyrl, Премијер/Премијерка Црне Горе), officially the president of the Government of Montenegro ( cnr-Latn, Predśednik/Predśednica Vlade ...
Milo Đukanović Milo Đukanović (, ; born 15 February 1962) is a Montenegrin politician who served as the President of Montenegro from 2018 to 2023, previously serving in the role from 1998 to 2002. He also served as the Prime Minister of Montenegro (1991–19 ...
in which he congratulated Đukanović on the independence of
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
. He voted for
Boris Tadić Boris Tadić, (born 15 January 1958) is a Serbian politician who served as the president of Serbia from 2004 to 2012. Born in Sarajevo, he graduated from the University of Belgrade with a degree in psychology. He later worked as a journalist ...
in the
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
and the
2012 Serbian presidential election Presidential elections were held in Serbia on 6 May 2012 alongside 2012 Serbian parliamentary election, parliamentary elections. The elections were called following President of Serbia, President Boris Tadić's early resignation in order to coin ...
.


Personal life

Balašević lived in Novi Sad in the same house where he grew up, with his wife Olivera (born Savić in
Zrenjanin Zrenjanin ( sr-Cyrl, Зрењанин, ; ; ; ; ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Central Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The city urban area has a population of 67,129 inh ...
), who was a
ballerina A ballet dancer is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. Ballet dancer ...
and a member of the national gymnastics team, and their three children; daughters Jovana (an actress, born in 1980) and Jelena (born in 1984), and son Aleksa (born in 1994). He had married Olivera on 7 May 1981 in Novi Sad. On 14 November 2019, Balašević suffered a
myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
. For most of his life, he declared himself as a Yugoslav.


Death

Balašević died on 19 February 2021, in
Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...
from complications of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
, caused by
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
. On 22 February 2021, an event called Noć kada je Đole preplivao Dunav (
eng Eng or ENG may refer to: Language and linguistics * Eng (letter), Ŋ ŋ * En with descender, Ң ң * eng, ISO 639-3 and ISO 639-2 code for English language * Velar nasal, a phoneme People * Eng (name), a given name and surname in various cu ...
. ''Night when Đole crossed the
Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
'') was organized in Novi Sad in memory of him. One of the participants was the Serbian National Theater choir.


Legacy

The 1998 book '' YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike'' (''YU 100: The Best albums of Yugoslav pop and rock music'') features two Đorđe Balašević solo albums, ''
Bezdan Bezdan ( sr-Cyrl, Бездан; , , ) is a village located in Bačka, Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated in the Sombor municipality, West Bačka District. The village has a Hungarian ethnic majority and its population numbers at 5,263 people (2002 ...
'' (ranked No. 25) and ''
Pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
'' (ranked No. 66), and one Rani Mraz album, '' Mojoj mami umesto maturske slike u izlogu'' (ranked No. 44). In 2000, the song "Slovenska" polled No. 69 on the ''Rock Express'' Top 100 Yugoslav Rock Songs of All Times list. In 2006, the song "Priča o Vasi Ladačkom" polled No. 13
B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs 100 najboljih domaćih pesama (''Top 100 Domestic Songs'') was a list compiled by Serbian Radio B92. In 2006, Radio B92 organized the poll for the selection of top 100 Yugoslav songs. The whole list was presented on radio B92 on 5 November 2006. T ...
list. In 2011, the song "Menuet" was polled, by the listeners of Radio 202, one of 60 greatest songs released by
PGP-RTB PGP-RTB ( sh-Cyrl, Продукција грамофонских плоча Радио телевизије Београд, translit=Produkcija gramofonskih ploča Radio televizije Beograd ) was a major state-owned record label and chain record ...
/ PGP-RTS during the sixty years of the label's existence. In 2007, twenty-one bands from Balašević's native Novi Sad, including Zbogom Brus Li, Pero Defformero, Super s Karamelom and others, recorded a tribute album to Balašević entitled '' Neki noviji klinci i...''. In 2012, singer-songwriter and former Azra leader Branimir "Johnny" Štulić released a cover of "U razdeljak te ljubim" on his official YouTube channel. In 2016, the sketch show
Državni posao ''Državni posao'' ( sr-Cyrl, Државни посао; ) is a Serbian comedy television series starring Dimitrije Banjac, Nikola Škorić and Dejan Ćirjaković. They are also the authors of the show. The show began airing in September 2012. I ...
created an episode which was based on Balašević's song Sugar Rap. On 17 January 2020, Državni posao aired an episode which referred to concerts which Balašević had traditionally held on the Epiphany (19 January). Only nine days before Balašević's death, Državni posao aired an episode named after his song "Računajte na nas". Within a week of his passing, Državni posao aired an episode named after Balašević's song
Odlazi cirkus ''Odlazi cirkus'' (trans. ''The Circus Is Leaving'') is the second and final studio album released by former Yugoslav rock band Rani Mraz. Recording As was the case with the previous record, two official Rani Mraz members, Đorđe Balašević ...
. Even after the
Yugoslav wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
of the 1990s, Balašević had remained immensely popular and well-liked not only in Serbia but throughout all former Yugoslav republics. News of his death was widely reported by the Croatian and Bosnian media, with Bosnian web portal '' Klix.ba'' describing Balašević as a "legendary" performer whose songs could "inspire deepest emotions." In his hometown of
Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...
, hundreds of people gathered on a vigil, and similar spontaneous fan gatherings occurred in
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
,
Pula Pula, also known as Pola, is the largest city in Istria County, west Croatia, and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, seventh-largest city in the country, situated at the southern tip of the Istria, Istrian peninsula in western Croatia, wi ...
,
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
, and other cities across the region. The
Mayor of Novi Sad This is a list of mayors of Novi Sad from 1 February 1748, when the city got royal free city status by Maria Theresa of Habsburg monarchy, Austria. The mayor of Novi Sad is the head of the City of Novi Sad (the List of cities in Serbia, secon ...
, Miloš Vučević declared 21 February a day of mourning.


Discography


With Rani Mraz

* '' Mojoj mami umesto maturske slike u izlogu'' (1979) * ''
Odlazi cirkus ''Odlazi cirkus'' (trans. ''The Circus Is Leaving'') is the second and final studio album released by former Yugoslav rock band Rani Mraz. Recording As was the case with the previous record, two official Rani Mraz members, Đorđe Balašević ...
'' (1980)


Solo

* ''
Pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
'' (1982) * '' Celovečernji The Kid'' (1983) * ''
003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to: * 003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986) * 1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen * OO3 gauge model railway * ''O03 (O2)'' and other related blood type alleles in the AB ...
'' (1985) * ''
Bezdan Bezdan ( sr-Cyrl, Бездан; , , ) is a village located in Bačka, Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated in the Sombor municipality, West Bačka District. The village has a Hungarian ethnic majority and its population numbers at 5,263 people (2002 ...
'' (1986) * '' Panta Rei'' (1988) * '' Tri posleratna druga'' (1989) * '' Marim ja...'' (1991) * '' Jedan od onih života...'' (1993) * '' Naposletku...'' (1996) * '' Devedesete'' (2000) * '' Dnevnik starog momka'' (2001) * '' Rani mraz'' (2004)


Bibliography

*''Računajte na nas'' – book of poems *''I život ide dalje'' – collection of
column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...
s *''Jedan od onih života'' – novel *''Dodir svile'' (1998) – book of poems *''Tri posleratna druga'' – novel *''...i od dva-tri akorda (jer ni ne umem bolje ja...)'' – book of poems *''Kao rani mraz'' – screenplay based on which a movie with the same name was filmed *''Kalendar mog detinjstva'' – novel


References

*EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960–2006, Janjatović Petar; *''NS rockopedija, novosadska rock scena 1963–2003'', Mijatović Bogomir; Publisher: SWITCH, 2005


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Balasevic, Djordje 1953 births 2021 deaths 20th-century Serbian poets 20th-century Serbian writers 21st-century Serbian poets 21st-century Serbian writers Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia Deaths from pneumonia in Serbia Indexi Award winners Serbian baritones Serbian male actors Serbian male poets Serbian people of Croatian descent Serbian people of Hungarian descent Serbian pop singers Serbian record producers Serbian rock singers Serbian singer-songwriters Serbian male singer-songwriters Musicians from Novi Sad Yugoslav musicians Yugoslav rock singers United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees goodwill ambassadors