The Sound of Zagreb Music: Be Sure to Check out These Great Local 80s Rock Bands!
There are a couple of things that make each city great and unique - people, food, local customs, cultural and historical heritage. They all have a significant impact on the creation of city identity, but don’t you think music is one of the key elements in differentiating one town from all the others?
Personally, I always Google local music before travelling somewhere new. I think it gives me an idea of what to expect from that city, almost as if it reflects the character of people living there, but it also mirrors its soul whether it's an old and rustic one or an open-minded and urban one. If you’re a music buff like me, then I’m sure all of this makes sense to you, but if you haven’t tried discovering new cities this way, I suggest you give it a go next time you book your vacation.
With Zagreb’s ever-growing tourist offer and travellers coming from all over the world, the music scene has never been so varied like it is today. Street performers singing popular Croatian songs is a very familiar sight if you walk around the city centre. You can easily spot them so stop and listen, give them a few kunas for their effort and maybe you'll learn some new lyrics, as well.
For now, I would like to introduce you to Zagreb based rock musicians and bands that reflect city’s layered, rebellious and wild music taste. This time, I’ll focus on the 80s, as it was one of the most prolific decades of Croatian music. Since it's Croatia’s capital, Zagreb is also the focal point for most musicians and almost a melting-pot of Croatia’s whole music scene. Give them a chance, even if you don’t understand the words or speak Croatian. Focus on their music. I’m sure you’ll find something for yourself among these recommendations.
Photo Credit: Zagreb Facts Pinterest
New wave (Novi val)
The new wave in Croatia appeared in 1977. While the media in the UK and the USA used the term "punk" for this kind of music, Croatia did things a little bit differently than the rest of them. The two strong focal points at the time were Rijeka and Zagreb with bands like Paraf, Termiti, Mrtvi kanal, Prljavo kazalište, Haustor, Azra, Parlament, Patrola, Zvijezde. The following years are almost unanimously considered to be the golden age of music in Croatia. A lot of those crucial musical moments occurred at Kulušić - a concert club in Zagreb on Hrvojeva Street which hosted a large number of well-known international artists as well as renowned composers from the Balkan region. It is primarily identified with the Croatian new wave that was played in the late 1970s and early 1980s. A large number of live albums, which are considered to be an important part of the Zagreb's music scene history, have been recorded there.
Another iconic location was Lapidarij or Lap for short, a place that catered to the needs of urban and rebellious young people. On Habdelić Street in the Upper Town of Zagreb, the Lapidarium gathered an alternative scene and bands such as Azra, Disciplina Kichme and many others that paved their way on its stage. Although some of the tenants at that time were worried about the great noise that was coming from this cult place, so many of the people in Zagreb cannot get over its closure. Unfortunately, my generation can only imagine what it was like to be a part of places like Kulušić or Lap because both clubs are closed for many years now, and we can only listen about their glory from the legendary stories of those who were jumping and dancing in the front rows.
Some of the most memorable bands from those golden years were ITD Band whose famous song Rođen u Zagrebu / Born in Zagreb awakes local-patriotism in every Zagrebian and Boa whose founding members, Mladen Puljiz and Slavko Remenarić, switched from classical music to rock music and were inspired by art rock artists. It’s no wonder they performed as a supporting act at David Bowie's concert at Maksimir stadium in Zagreb in front of over 50,000 people. Then there was Dorian Grey that was known for artistic and extravagant style, stage performances and alt-rock music, and since their early rehearsals took place in the art gallery of the Zagreb's Student Centre, they quickly became popular among the younger audience.
Another musician worth mentioning is Renato Metessi whose first appearance on the music scene occurred in the 1980s when his hit "Do not ask for me" / Ne pitaj za mene, performed with the band Patrola, topped all the charts in the state. Just a year after their first album (U sredini), Metessi left his first band in 1982 and founded another band called Zvijezde, meaning Stars in English, which released five studio albums and had many hits at the time of the new wave.
But, without further ado, here are some of the founding fathers of the 80s new wave music in Zagreb and you should absolutely give them a listen.
Haustor
This band was a member of the new wave movement in the 80s and was quite progressive with both their sound and lyrics. The roots of Haustor go all the way back to 1977 when singer and guitarist Darko Rundek met bassist Srđan Sacher. Two years later they formed a band consisting of Rundek and Sacher who were joined by rhythm-guitarist Ozren Štiglić, the drummer Boris Leiner, from another rock band - Azra, saxophonist Damir Prica, called Capri, and trombonist Nikola Santro, who also played in the orchestra of the Croatian National Theater. They were all very experienced musicians with unique ideas which allowed them to explore different genres. The liberal neo-punk atmosphere in their lyrics along with music they played made Haustor widely recognisable, and they are considered to be rock legends even today.
Photo Credit: Emir Srkalovic
Darko Rundek still performs as a solo artist, and he's one of the most esteemed Croatian musicians. In 1997 he released his first solo album "Apokalipso", featuring 30 musicians where he turns towards more folkloric influences. After his second album, "In Wide World", he began working and recording "Ruke", or "Hands" in English, with several musicians in France, which later resulted in the Rundek Cargo Orchestra project. This project grew out of the need to develop ideas in collaboration with other musicians through improvisation and exchange. If you find yourself in Zagreb on December 16th, you can go to "Dom sportova" and attend his big concert celebrating 20 years from the release of his first solo album "Apocalypso". For this special anniversary, he reunited with the big band for the regional tour "Apocalypso Now" which began in June. I highly recommend this experience, but make sure you listen to his songs before going to the concert to get a full experience.
Azra
As previously mentioned, Azra was definitely among the founding fathers of modern rock sound in Croatia, and they originated from Zagreb. Just like Haustor, they don’t play together anymore, but their musical legacy is still powerful. Led by charismatic Johnny Stulic, the band released nine albums during their fourteen-year career and experimented with different themes and styles, but it’s their well-known frequent social and philosophical lyrics that made them iconic. During their early days, Azra was greatly influenced by the Beatles, but also sevdah music and new wave rock. Their songs explored political topics from Balkan, love and romantics, cultural and social issues and differences, human isolation and emotions that weren’t publicly discussed such as anxiety and depression.
Throughout the years, some ridiculed Johnny’s guitar playing performances, his way of singing, the incomprehensible texts of far-reaching metaphors that were considered by some "an intellectual failure and vain politics at all costs." The others were "defeated by directness of music, energy, and poetics" and they considered him to be "the man who caught the fragments of urban despair that rejoined the real world of his songs, giving him a wide register of tones…”. My parents grew up with Azra’s songs and were always telling me that music was way more rebellious back then than it is today. Still, even though I didn’t live at the golden age of Azra’s career, I still grew up with their music because every place I went to during my high school years played their songs and it was impossible for me to escape their influence. And it’s not like I wanted to. If you ask locals in Zagreb about Azra, they’ll tell you it’s a must-listen band with important legacy and iconic impact which cannot be erased from Croatian music scene.
Aerodrom
Aerodrom, meaning Airport, but also known as Jurica Pađen & Aerodrom were a rock band founded in 1978 by (you guessed it) Jurica Pađen, a former member of rock band Grupa 220 and Parni valjak. Even though it was founded in the 70s, Aerodrom saw its greatest success in the early 1980s. The band produced five studio albums before disbanding in 1987.
First things first, it’s important to note that Jurica Pađen had a great musical background even before founding Aerodrom so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that at the time of their greatest popularity, Aerodrom made records in top foreign studios, including some studios in Milan and Sweden. They influenced a lot of youngsters with their songs, but also fellow musicians and they are fondly remembered as one of the favourite bands from the 80s. Even though they stopped playing in 1987 and went on to live their own lives, band members decided to reappear on Croatian music scene in 2000. They operate still today, and since getting back together, they released three studio and one concert album.
Film
During the late 1970s, bassist Marino Pelajić, guitarist Mladen Jurčić, and drummer Branko Hromatko were Azra members when Johnny Štulić brought Jura Stublić as the new vocalist. He was to become Aerodrom member, but due to his deep vocals, it never happened. The lineup functioned for a few months, but after having some disagreements with Štulić, the rest of the band (Pelajić, Jurčić, Hromatko and Stublić) formed the band “Šporko Šalaporko i Njegove Žaluzine”, naming the band after a story from the "Polet" youth magazine, which was soon after renamed to Film.
The first big break was achieved in the fall of 1980, but they gained even greater popularity after the concert in Belgrade's 'Youth Home' on January 1st, 1981, entitled "Greetings from Zagreb" (Cro. Pozdrav iz Zagreba). At that time, while playing at the festivals, they formed a friendly relationship with members of the Idoli band, with whom they travelled in the summer of 1981 during a tour of the Adriatic coast. Between 1982-1986 they were on the top of the world, but I don’t mean literally. They were rubbing shoulders with the giants of the Croatian new wave music scene and this period is considered to be their golden period. Eventually, members decided to go separate ways due to different musical genres they wanted to participate in. Still, during the mid-1998, the original Film lineup (Juričić, Pelajić and Stančić) reunited with Stublić for a one-off show and performed at Zagreb Gori (Eng. Zagreb's Burning) open-air concert. Post-breakup Film continued to work under the name of Jura Stublić and Film.
Personally, I can’t imagine the 80s themed party (yes, I actually like going to themed parties like that, don’t judge me) without one of their songs. And I think there isn't a single person that doesn’t know all the lyrics of “Zamisli život u ritmu muzike za ples” or “Sjećam se prvog poljupca”. Those are just classics!
Prljavo kazalište
This is absolutely one of the most famous Croatian bands, not just from the new wave period, but altogether. Since its formation in 1977, the group changed several music styles and lineups but remained one of the most influential performers of Croatian rock scene. They were formed in Dubrava, part of Zagreb known as working-class neighbourhood among locals and that had a huge impact on topics of their songs. In its early beginnings, they were considered to be a punk band, although they wanted to sound like The Rolling Stones whom they admired a great deal (hence their logo is so similar to Stones’ one). They came into prominence all over Balkan region because of their provocative social commentary about politics and society, but also because their album featured probably the first gay-themed song in Croatia titled "Neki dječaci (Some Boys)".
Photo Credit: Prljavo Kazaliste Facebook Page
Still, it wasn’t until their second album titled Crno bijeli svijet (Black and White World) released in 1980 that Prljavo kazalište was affiliated with the new wave music. Throughout the 80s, their popularity grew, and at the beginning of the 90s, they were already holding a cult status on Croatian music scene. Unlike many bands from the new wave period that disbanded during the 80s, Prljavo kazalište is still alive and kicking. There’s not a single person in Croatia that doesn’t know about them. Even those that aren’t their fans, still know their songs because they’ve become a part of Croatian pop culture and radio stations everywhere play both their old and new songs which are beloved by masses.
Mentioning Zagreb and Croatia, in general, are common motives in their songs, but “Radio Dubrava” and “Laku noć, tebi, Zagrebe” (Good Night to You, Zagreb) are especially fond to the citizens of Croatia’s capital. Basically, they are a must-listen if you want to familiarise yourself with Croatian music.
Parni valjak
Standing right next to Prljavo kazalište on the throne of popularity and influence, Parni valjak (meaning steamroller) are pioneers of new wave sound in Croatia. The band was founded by Husein Hasanefendić - Hus and Jurica Pađen, together with Vladimir Mihaljek - Miho, who was a manager of Bijelo Dugme until that point, so the band was imagined at first as a Zagreb version of this popular Bosnian-Herzegovinian group. Unlike many rock bands that would come later, their style was becoming more mainstream as the time passed, and they were closer to pop than rock, which is why critics often compared them with the bands like Prljavo kazalište or Film. At the same time, the band enjoyed great respect from the critics due to their refusal to change style which proved to be the important factor in the band's longevity. Parni Valjak refused to allow folk and turbo folk music to become part of their repertoire and that’s one of the reasons they are considered the embodiment of "true" rock and urban culture in Croatia, with many of their songs getting into an evergreen section.
Songs like "Sve još miriše na nju", "Jesen u meni", "Ugasi me" and "Zastave" are classics that radio stations across the country still gladly play on daily basis. And, honestly, they are such a big part of Croatian pop culture that it’s impossible to imagine a person who doesn’t know at least choruses of these songs. In 2005, the band had a farewell tour in Croatia and Slovenia on their 30th birthday. Their last public performance was a concert on New Year's Eve on Ban Jelačić Square in Zagreb, though they stated that more concerts might be held in future and they kept their word because, in November of 2009, they began a reunion tour in Croatia and are still active today.
10 favorite 80s tracks:
A šta da radim (Azra)
Crno bijeli svijet (Prljavo kazalište)
Sve je propalo (Psihomodo Pop)
Header Image Credit: TZGZ Download zona, J.Duval
Author: Paula Bracko