Marina Tucaković ( sr-Cyrl, Марина Туцаковић; 4 November 1953 – 19 September 2021) was a
Serbian lyricist and songwriter. Born and raised in
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 ...
,
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 ...
, Tucaković had a degree from the
Economic Faculty at the
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade () is a public university, public research university in Belgrade, 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 me ...
. She first started writing songs at the age of 19. After the success of "Dodirni mi kolena" ("Touch my knees") by the
Yugoslav rock group
Zana and vocalist
Zana Nimani, Tucaković continued working with numerous artists in then
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 ...
.
Before transitioning to folk music, she collaborated with various Yugoslav pop, rock, and new wave artists, including
Oliver Mandić,
Zana,
Slađana Milošević, and
Oliver Dragojević. In the 2000s and 2010s, she continued to write for many folk artists from Serbia and collaborated with numerous pop and folk musicians from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia, such as
Ceca Ražnatović,
Džej Ramadanovski,
Toše Proeski,
Severina,
Magazin,
Jelena Karleuša,
Lepa Brena,
Neda Ukraden,
Dino Merlin
Edin Dervišhalidović (born 12 September 1962), known professionally as Dino Merlin, is a Bosnian singer-songwriter and record producer. Born in Sarajevo, he founded and led the band Merlin (Yugoslav band), Merlin, one of the best-selling Rock b ...
,
Mišo Kovač,
Massimo Savić,
Aca Lukas,
Ana Nikolić,
Doris Dragović,
Maja Odžaklijevska,
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 many others.
Many of the songs she wrote are considered to be some of the greatest hits of all time in the Balkans. She was also widely regarded as one of the most influential and respected Serbian lyricists. Throughout her nearly 50-year-long career, she served as the primary author of more than 4,000 songs.
Life
Tucaković was born on November 4, 1953, in Belgrade. She attended the 6th Belgrade gymnasium and went on to study economics at the University of Belgrade's Economic Faculty. Although Tucaković initially considered working as a tourist guide, a hairdresser, or a teacher, her interest in music and songwriting began to develop and intensify during her university years, even though she was not aware of her talent at the time.
After completing her studies, Tucaković worked as a secretary for a jazz union. She began writing songs at the age of 19, initially for the acoustic trio Dag.
Writing career
During the 1970s, Tucaković collaborated with Smak,
YU Grupa,
Bisera Veletanlić, ,
Maja Odžaklijevska and . The first major successful single she wrote was the song "Au, au" by
Slađana Milošević released in 1977.
Some other songs she wrote early on in her career also include "Ti samo budi dovoljno daleko" (1979) by
Generacija 5, "Ljuljaj me nežno" (1981) by
Oliver Mandić, "Što to bješe ljubav" (1988) by
Oliver Dragojević, "Idi dok si mlad" (1995) by
Ceca and "Smijehom Strah Pokrijem" (1999) by
Dino Merlin
Edin Dervišhalidović (born 12 September 1962), known professionally as Dino Merlin, is a Bosnian singer-songwriter and record producer. Born in Sarajevo, he founded and led the band Merlin (Yugoslav band), Merlin, one of the best-selling Rock b ...
.
In 1979, she wrote the lyrics to all songs of the soundtrack to the movie ''Nacionalna klasa'' (1979) whose main composer was Zoran Simjanović. Some of the most notable songs from that movie included "Flojd" by
Dado Topić and "Zašto" by Oliver Dragojević. She also worked with Simjanović on music from the movie ''Sok od šljiva'', which marked her first venture into folk music, and on the movie ''Balkan Ekspres''.
Another immensely successful song Tucaković wrote was "Dodirni mi kolena" by rock band Zana and vocalist
Zana Nimani released in 1982.
During the 1980s, she wrote several hit singles including "Ruška" by Zdravko Colic, "Stranac u noći" by
Massimo Savić, "Što to bješe ljubav" (1988) by
Oliver Dragojević, "Svi pjevaju, ja ne čujem" by
Mišo Kovač and "Ti si želja mog života" by
Magazin.
Despite initially starting off in the pop and pop rock genre, she continued working in the folk genre during the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s as well. Some of her major collaborators in that period included
Mišo Kovač,
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 ...
,
Dragana Mirković,
Lepa Brena,
Selma Bajrami,
Severina,
Ceca and
Jelena Karleuša, among others. She composed the lyrics of the
Serbian entries for
Eurovision Song Contest 2010 ("
Ovo je Balkan"),
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
("
Nije ljubav stvar") and
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
("
Ljubav je svuda").
Tucaković frequently collaborated with Serbian songwriter
Ljiljana Jorgovanović, who has created the biggest hits alongside her for more than 30 years and during the final years of her career with her son Milan Laća Radulović.
During an interview Tucaković described her songwriting process, "To me the person I write for is key, but also her majesty, the melody - when it pulls me, then I am king and when it does not, there can also be a bit of routine and tension and that can really tire an artist".
She also added that she has never been ashamed of the lyrics she wrote although she regretted having written songs for collaborating with "bad singers".
During an interview in 2018, Tucaković revealed that the number of songs she wrote registered with her agency was around 4000 although she estimated that the actual number of songs written by her included between 4500 and 5000.
Other ventures
In 2003, Tucaković served as the art and music director of the festival
Beovizija together with Vlada Graić. In 2008, she served as one of the judges in the reality show Operacija trijumf which featured contestants from Serbia, Croatia,
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 ...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia.
In 2014, she became a member of the jury in the show Pinkove zvezde organized by
Pink
Pink is a pale tint of red, the color of the Dianthus plumarius, pink flower. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, p ...
.
Personal life
In the 1980s, Tucaković was in a relationship with Oliver Mandić for four years. Tucaković was married to producer and composer Aleksandar Futa Radulović. The couple had two sons, Milan "Laća" and Miloš. On 1 December 2008, Tucaković found Miloš dead in his room at the age of 24.
Following her son's death, she took a hiatus from the media and from writing songs for several months. Despite
autopsy
An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of deat ...
results being done to investigate the cause of death, Tucaković refused to look at them. The song "Mišo moj" by
Ana Nikolić, released in 2010, was dedicated to her deceased son.
Laća, who was a lyricist like his mother, was last seen alive on 12 December 2022. He was found dead on 13 December on the street in Israel and his identity confirmed on 20 December.
In 2018, Tucaković was diagnosed with
breast cancer
Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...
for which she also soon underwent a surgery and received
chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (list of chemotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard chemotherapy re ...
. On 14 September 2021, her son Milan Laća Radulović shared with the public that the disease became more advanced and metastasized to the
liver
The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...
,
lung
The lungs are the primary Organ (biology), organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the Vertebral column, backbone on either side of the heart. Their ...
s,
brain
The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...
and
bone
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, ...
s and asked for urgent help due to his mother's worsening health. Tucaković was then transferred to the
Dragiša Mišović hospital where she needed assistance for her breathing problems and
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 ...
. She died on 19 September 2021, at the age of 67. After her death, many music artists and media outlets expressed their grief at the loss.
Artistry and legacy
Tucaković was also known for writing more provocative lyrics which included
sexual innuendos. Her lyrics have covered a wide variety of topics for which she revealed that they had some connection to her life.
Tucaković has cited
Arsen Dedić, Džemaludin Latić,
Dino Merlin
Edin Dervišhalidović (born 12 September 1962), known professionally as Dino Merlin, is a Bosnian singer-songwriter and record producer. Born in Sarajevo, he founded and led the band Merlin (Yugoslav band), Merlin, one of the best-selling Rock b ...
,
Gibonni,
Bora Čorba,
Bajaga,
Đorđe Balašević
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, transitionin ...
,
Vjekoslava Huljić,
Buba Corelli,
Jala Brat and
Rasta as her favorite lyricists and songwriters.
In 1987, Dutch singer
Piet Veerman (former member of the popular Dutch band
the Cats) had a number one hit in the Netherlands with the single "Sailin' Home", which was a translation of one of Tucaković's songs, "Zora je" performed by
Neda Ukraden. It became the singer's biggest hit and the best selling single of the year in the Netherlands.
Many of the songs Tucaković wrote are considered to be some of the greatest songs of all times on the
Balkans.
She was considered to have the biggest merit in establishing the career of Džej Ramadanovski and Ceca.
Music critics were divided on the quality of the lyrics written by Tucaković; while some considered them to be very representative of the time she was living, others dismissed them as "saccharine" and "often on the verge of trash".
Selected discography
*"Protiv nas su svi",
Jadranka Stojaković (1976)
*"Ljuljaj me nežno",
Oliver Mandić (1978)
*"Ti samo budi dovoljno daleko",
Generacija 5 (1979)
*"
Stakleni hotel",
Divlje jagode (1981)
*"Dodirni mi kolena",
Zana (1982)
*"
Pile moje",
Lepa Brena (1984)
*''Zora je...'',
Neda Ukraden (1985)
*"
Hajde da se volimo", Lepa Brena (1986)
*"
Što to bješe ljubav", Oliver Dragojević (1988)
*"
Četiri godine, Lepa Brena (1989)
*"
Dolaze nam bolji dani",
Dragana Mirković (1992)
*"
Kukavica",
Ceca (1993)
*"Gori more",
Željko Šašić (1994)
*"
Fatalna ljubav", Ceca (1995)
*"Opet imam razloga da živim",
Ana Bekuta (1996)
*"
Luda za tobom", Lepa Brena (1996)
*"
Emotivna luda", Ceca (1996)
*"
Maskarada", Ceca (1997)
*"Lična karta",
Aca Lukas (1998)
*"Gili, gili",
Jelena Karleuša (1999)
*"
Ceca 2000", Ceca (1999)
*"Smijehom Strah Pokrijem", Dino Merlin (1999)
*"Prokleta Je Violina",
Saša Matić (2001)
*"
Lopov",
Indira Radić (2002)
*"
Januar",
Ana Nikolić (2003)
*"
Zbogom Ljubavi", Saša Matić (2003)
*"
Zmaj", Indira Radić (2004)
*"Mahi, mahi",
Viki Miljković (2005)
*"
Tako Mlada",
Tanja Savić (2005)
*"
Anđeo Čuvar", Saša Matić (2005)
*"
Idealno loša", Ceca (2006)
*"
Selma 2007",
Selma Bajrami (2007)
*"Zidovi",
Dara Bubamara (2007)
*"
Uđi slobodno...", Lepa Brena (2008)
*"
JK Revolution", Jelena Karleuša (2008)
*"Muštuluk",
Haris Džinović (2009)
*"Mišo moj", Ana Nikolić (2010)
*"Mafia Caffé", Ana Nikolić (2010)
*"
Diva", Jelena Karleuša (2012)
*"Poziv", Ceca (2013)
*"Đavo", Ana Nikolic (2013)
*"
Labilna", Ana Nikolić (2016)
*"Original",
Nataša Bekvalac (2016)
*"Boginja",
Milica Pavlović (2016)
*"Ne bih ništa menjao", Saša Matić (2017)
*"Promjena",
Amar Gile (2018)
*"Veran", Aca Lukas (2018)
*"Ruine",
Džejla Ramović (2019)
*"Tihi Ubica", Jelena Karleuša
*"Nedelja",
Džej
References
Translated quotations
''Some quotes used in this article were originally in
Serbian, and have been user-translated.''
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tucakovic, Marina
1953 births
2021 deaths
Musicians from Belgrade
Serbian lyricists
Serbian women songwriters
Rock songwriters
Deaths from breast cancer in Serbia
Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia