Željko Bebek
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Želimir "Željko" Bebek (born 16 December 1945) is a Bosnian-
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 ...
n vocalist and musician most notable for being the lead singer of the Yugoslav rock band
Bijelo Dugme () is a Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav Rock music, rock band, formed in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1974. is widely considered to have been the most popular and the best-selling band ever to exist in the former S ...
from 1974 until 1984. He has since maintained a successful folk-pop solo career.


Early years

Bebek was born 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 ...
, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia to Bosnian Croat parents Zvonimir and Katarina. He showed an early interest in music, entertaining his mother's house guests by singing songs he had been hearing on the radio. He also experimented with
harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...
but abandoned it in third grade of primary school, preferring to play guitar and sing along. His teacher, however, discouraged such intentions so Željko ended up playing
mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...
instead. He soon became the school's best mandolin player and was allowed to play guitar as a reward. At age sixteen, Bebek began taking the stage at Eho 61, an
open mic An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, often taking place at night (an open mic night), in which audience members may perform on ...
club-like school activity for the musically inclined students of Sarajevo's Second Gymnasium. A couple of years earlier, the same stage had seen a performance by teenage Kornelije Kovač who would later also go on to become a famous musician and composer. Bebek's next musical activity came in a nameless band with Šento Borovčanin and the Redžić brothers— and Zoran. Bebek carried on playing with the band until Fadil Redžić left to join Indexi.


Career


Kodeksi

In 1965, invited twenty-year-old Bebek to join a cover band he had started, called
Kodeksi Kodeksi were a cover band from Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia that existed from 1965 until 1971. It is most notable as one of the predecessors to Bijelo dugme, the most commercially successful band ever to come out of SFR Y ...
, that also featured on backing vocals and Luciano Paganotto on drums. Bebek spent several years singing and playing rhythm guitar with the band, helping them become quite prominent locally in the city of Sarajevo. As Kodeksi experienced persistent problems filling the bass guitar spot, Bebek recommended eighteen-year-old Goran Bregović after seeing the teenager play with Beštije in 1969. It would be the beginning of Bebek's long professional association with Bregović that would frequently turn tumultuous. In fall 1970, after falling out with band mates during the group's stay in Italy, Bebek left Kodeksi and returned home to Sarajevo.


Novi Kodeksi

Shortly after getting back to Sarajevo, Bebek established Novi Kodeksi with another former Kodeksi member Edo Bogeljić. Conceptualized as a return to the original Kodeksi cover repertoire, Bogeljić's and Bebek's band gigged around Sarajevo with diminishing success as the audiences' general taste seemingly moved away from cover music; although at one point they did break a record for the length of performance, spending 32 straight hours playing on stage with break. The new year 1971 brought more creative stagnation as their repertoire still consisted entirely of foreign covers. In December 1971, Bebek received a notice from 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 ...
(JNA) to report for his mandatory military service and Novi Kodeksi played their last gig at Sarajevo's Dom Mladih. Twenty-six years of age at this point, Bebek got married with the intention of settling down and giving up on trying to make a living via playing music altogether.


Jutro

Just as he was about to report for the obligatory army duty in early 1972, twenty-six-year-old Bebek received an invitation from Bregović—whom he hadn't spoken to in a year-and-a-half at that point, ever since their split in Italy—to record "Patim, evo, deset dana" song with Jutro, a new band Bregović formed with Nuno Arnautalić. Bebek accepted, recorded vocals in a studio, and then left for his army stint in
Pirot Pirot ( sr-Cyrl, Пирот) is a city and the administrative center of the Pirot District in southeastern Serbia. According to 2022 census, the urban area of the city has a population of 34,942, while the population of the city administrative are ...
in late February 1972. Discharged from the army in March 1973 and returning home, Bebek joined Jutro in earnest, but also took a clerk job as a protective measure due to not being certain about the band's creative and commercial potential. Jutro did become successful and he quit the government job to again devote to music full-time. Jutro soon transformed into
Bijelo dugme () is a Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav Rock music, rock band, formed in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1974. is widely considered to have been the most popular and the best-selling band ever to exist in the former S ...
, with Bebek as a founding member.


Bijelo Dugme

Bebek continued as vocalist and occasional bassist in
Bijelo dugme () is a Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav Rock music, rock band, formed in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1974. is widely considered to have been the most popular and the best-selling band ever to exist in the former S ...
from its inception in 1974. Bebek found himself to be a
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
-wide celebrity. He ended up spending a full decade and recording six studio albums with the band before eventually leaving in April 1984 to fully pursue a solo career.


Solo career

Bebek maintains a solo career, which began during the late 1970s in parallel with his work in Bijelo Dugme.


While with Bijelo Dugme

In 1978, while Bijelo Dugme bandleader Bregović was away serving his
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 ...
(JNA) stint that forced the band on hiatus, Bebek decided to use the time off to record a solo album, ''Skoro da smo isti'', with drummer , old friend Edo Bogeljić on guitar, and Neven Pocrnjić on keyboards. Featuring songs written and composed by Bebek, the material was prepared in Bugojno, Sarajevo, and Borike throughout February, March and April 1978. It was then recorded in Jugoton studios in Zagreb from late April until mid May 1978 with Bebek himself handling the production and playing
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
in addition to singing. The album was released by Jugoton on 28 July 1978 but failed both critically and commercially, selling only 6,000 copies and quickly falling into oblivion. Though Bebek and his collaborators had planned a Yugoslavia-wide tour in support of the album, their plans were scrapped following the poor reception. In late 1983, amid turmoil within Bijelo Dugme, Bebek returned to solo work by recording his second solo album, ', with Generacija 5's guitarist Dragan Jovanović, former Smak and Bijelo Dugme keyboardist
Laza Ristovski Lazar "Laza" Ristovski (Serbian Cyrillic: Лаза Ристовски, ; 23 January 1956 – 6 October 2007) was a Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms ...
, Bijelo Dugme drummer Ipe Ivandić, and bassist . Produced by
Saša Habić Aleksandar "Saša" Habić (Serbian Cyrillic: Саша Хабић; born 17 March 1956) is a Serbian and SFRY, Yugoslav musician, record producer and composer. He's most notable for his music production work. Over his long career as a producer, he ...
, the album was released by PGP-RTB in 1984. Featuring tracks composed by Dragan Ilić as well as the Zana duo and Radovan Jovićević, in addition to lyrics by Alka Vuica and
Marina Tucaković Marina Tucaković ( sr-Cyrl, Марина Туцаковић; 4 November 1953 – 19 September 2021) was a Serbian lyricist and songwriter. Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, Tucaković had a degree from the Economic Faculty at the Universit ...
, the album had a lukewarm commercial reception with only the title track managing to become a moderate radio hit in Yugoslavia. In parallel with recording his second solo album, Bebek recorded a pop duet with Zana Nimani, "Jabuke i vino". Written by Jovićević and Živanović from Zana and released as a single, the song became an immediate hit and would eventually go on to reach evergreen status in Yugoslavia.


After leaving Bijelo Dugme

Throughout his 11-album solo run, Bebek had several major hits, most of them occurring in the 1984–1989 period. Most of his hits had a strong commercial folk influence, including "Oprosti mi što te volim", "Da je sreće bilo", "Laku noć svirači", "Jabuke i vino" (duet with Zana Nimani), "Sinoć sam pola kafane popio" (with lyrics by
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 ...
), "Da zna zora" (duet with
Halid Bešlić Halid Bešlić (; born 20 November 1953) is a Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian folk music, folk singer and musician who has been performing professionally since 1979. Bešlić's singing career was one of the most successful in SFR Yugoslavia, Yugo ...
)", "Čaša otrova", "Gdje će ti duša", and others. Also he had several hit ballads like "Žuta Ruža", "I Bog je od nas digao ruke", "Šta je meni ovo trebalo", "Lagano umirem", "Tko je mene prokleo", and "Ne idi sad". When 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 ...
started, he moved to
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 ...
where he continues to live and work. His record labels included Taped Pictures and Croatia Records.


2005 Bijelo Dugme reunion

In 2005 he took part in three large reunion concerts of Bijelo dugme, 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 ...
,
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
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 ...
, performing alongside most of the musicians that passed through the band, including the other two vocalists ( Alen Islamović and Tifa).


B.A.T., Bijelo Dugme tribute

During 2006, Bebek (in collaboration with Alen Islamović and Tifa) formed a Bijelo dugme tribute band called "B.A.T." (stands for Bebek, Alen, Tifa), which performed on numerous stages around the world between 2006 and 2010. Their 2006 "Kad Bi' Bio Bijelo Dugme" North American tour (together with Okus Meda and Tifa Band), was featured in a documentary titled "B.A.T.: Balkan Rock Nostalgia", (directed by Serb-American filmmaker Branislav R. Tatalović). Bebek was one of the three featured performers alongside Alen Islamovic, and Tifa, in a documentary that followed the musicians while they were on tour. During 2012, after recording a duet with Crvena Jabuka, Bebek met their producer, Branimir Mihaljević, and together they started working on what will become Bebek's new studio album, first after twelve years. Album entitled ''Kad poljubac pomiješaš sa vinom'' was released in late 2012. Some of the songs on the album include "Gdje sam bio", "Kaldrma", "Tango" (duet with Severina Vučković), "Začarani krug" and others.


Personal life

Bebek has been married three times. With his first wife, Spomenka, he has a daughter Silvija, born in 1974. By the early 1980s, Bebek's marriage with Spomenka was over as he entered into a relationship with Sandra Priganić, an economics student at the
University of Sarajevo The University of Sarajevo (Bosnian language, Bosnian, Croatian language, Croatian and Serbian language, Serbian: ''Univerzitet u Sarajevu'' / Sveučilište u Sarajevu / Универзитет у Сарајеву) is a List of universities in Bo ...
. The couple had a child, daughter Bjanka, born out-of-wedlock in 1981. The two got married in 1984 in a civil ceremony with the wedding reception held at Sarajevo's Kineski Restoran. Priganić soon began working as an economist at Šipad Inženjering in Sarajevo. With the disintegration of SFR Yugoslavia and outbreak of the
Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...
in 1992, forty-six-year-old Bebek and his wife and daughter fled their hometown Sarajevo for
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 ...
,
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 ...
and remained living there. During early-to-mid 1990s, the couple opened a restaurant at the Eugen Kvaternik Square in Zagreb before divorcing. In 1997, fifty-two-year-old Bebek met eighteen-year-old
Duvno Tomislavgrad ( Cyrl, Томиславград, ), also known by its former name Duvno ( Cyrl, Дувно, ), is a town and the seat of the Municipality of Tomislavgrad in Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosni ...
-born Ružica, 34 years his junior, reportedly when she approached him for a photo after a show. The two soon began dating and got married in April 2002 in
Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...
. The couple has a son, Zvonimir, and daughter, Katarina, named after Bebek's parents. From the mid-1990s onwards, Bebek has applied several times for the ''samostalni umjetnik'' (cultural worker) status in Croatia, a legal provision for country's prominent artists entitling them to various financial benefits from the state budget. However, he was rejected each time—with one of the rejections accompanied with an explanation that he "hasn't sufficiently contributed to Croatian music". Bebek has been vocal in Croatian media about his displeasure that the status continues to elude him.


Discography


With Bijelo Dugme


Studio albums

*'' Kad bi bio bijelo dugme'' (1974) *'' Šta bi dao da si na mom mjestu'' (1975) *'' Eto! Baš hoću!'' (1976) *'' Bitanga i princeza'' (1979) *'' Doživjeti stotu'' (1980) *'' Uspavanka za Radmilu M.'' (1983)


Solo


Studio albums

*''Skoro da smo isti'' (1978) *''Mene tjera neki vrag'' (1984) *''Armija B'' (1985) *''Niko više ne sanja'' (1989) *''Pjevaj moj narode'' (1989) *''Karmin pjesma i rakija'' (1990) *''...A svemir miruje'' (1992) *''Gori svijet ti ćeš ga ugasiti'' (1993) *''Puca mi u glavi'' (1995) *''S tobom i bez tebe'' (1999) *''Ošini po prašini'' (2000) *''Kad poljubac pomiješaš sa vinom'' (2012) *''Ono nešto naše'' (2017) *''Mali oblak ljubavi'' (2021)


Singles


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bebek, Zeljko 1945 births Living people Musicians from Sarajevo Yugoslav male singers Yugoslav rock singers Bosnia and Herzegovina pop singers 20th-century Bosnia and Herzegovina male singers Bosnia and Herzegovina folk-pop singers Bosnia and Herzegovina rock singers 20th-century Croatian male singers Croatian pop singers Croatian folk-pop singers Croatian rock singers Indexi Award winners Mandolinists 21st-century Croatian male singers 21st-century Bosnia and Herzegovina male singers