Celebrating an Ex-Yu Birthday
Birthdays in rock are very spectacular nowadays with aging rockstars, but today has been 70 years since a prominent Bosnian and former Yugoslav musician, songwritter, and composer was born.
Goran Bregovich is 70
He was born in Sarajevo on March 22, 1950 to a mix of Croat and Serb parents. At ten, due largely to his father's drinking habits, Bregovich's parents divorced, with Bregovich living with his mother.
His mother eventually purchased him a violin and enrolled him into school where, in his second year of study, he was expelled due to lack of talent and commitment. Bregovich was then taught by one of his good friends until his early teens when his mother bought him a guitar.
Bregovich wanted to enroll in a fine arts high school, but his aunt convinced his mother against the idea as she believed there were many homosexuals there. As a compensation, his mother allowed him to grow his hair long - something that was out of the ordinary with young boys in the old country at the time.
Beshtije
While attending grammar school, sixteen-year-old Bregovich formed a band called Beshtije (The Beasts) with him on bass. With his mother moving out to the coast, Bregovich worked to make ends meet by playing at a bar and working at construction sites.
Things were hopeless, but in 1969, guitarist Zeljko Bebek ("Z" pronounced like "s" in risotto) spotted Bregovich and allowed Bregovich to join in his band, Kodeksi (The Codexes) - a precursor to Bijelo Dugme.
From Kodeksi to Jutro
By the early 70s, bass player Zoran Redzich (again "Z" pronounced like "S" in risotto) augmented the group requiring Bregovich to switch to guitar. This led to the short-lived formation of a band called Jutro (The Morning) featuring a lineup that would morph into Bijelo Dugme.
Bijelo Dugme
Between 1973 and 1989, Bregovich was the guitarist and primary songwritter for Bijelo Dugme. Their first two LPs issued in 1974 and 1975 were massive successes with 1975's Shta bi Dao da si na Mom Mjestu (What Would You Give if You Were Me) being recorded in London with producer Neil Harrison at the helm. Tape difficulties led to hardship in recording their third LP, 1976's Eto Bash Hochu! (There! I Really Will!) resulting in a farewell concert at Belgrade's Hajduchka Chesma Park (Belgrade then being the national capital of Yugoslavia). This resulted in their first live LP issued in early 1978 while most of the band were serviving their mandatory stint in the millitary.
The 80s saw Dugme exploring a slightly different musical direction. This was appearant with their 1980 LP Dozivjeti Stotu (Live to a Hundred). During the mid 80s, Bregovich even began introducing folk rock. Bijelo Dugme finally broke up after then singer Alen Islamovich checked into a hospital for an infction.
The 90s and Beyond
Following the breakup of Bijelo Dugme, Bregovich began working on various movie compositions. His most noteable movies include The Underground and Music from Weddings and Funerals. Today he even tours with his Weddings and Funerals band.
In 1999, most noteably, Bregovich collaborated with Polish singer Kayah (born Katarzyna Magdalena Szczot) on the album Kayah & Bregovic. The album went 7x Platinum in Poland selling 700,000 copies and was issued in other countries in the months since. The majority of it features Polish versions of Bijelo Dugme hits, but a few others are included - most noteably, the Polish translation of the traditional Elderlezi, which Dugme also had covered, and a traditional Caje Sukarije.
Goran Bregovich is 70
He was born in Sarajevo on March 22, 1950 to a mix of Croat and Serb parents. At ten, due largely to his father's drinking habits, Bregovich's parents divorced, with Bregovich living with his mother.
His mother eventually purchased him a violin and enrolled him into school where, in his second year of study, he was expelled due to lack of talent and commitment. Bregovich was then taught by one of his good friends until his early teens when his mother bought him a guitar.
Bregovich wanted to enroll in a fine arts high school, but his aunt convinced his mother against the idea as she believed there were many homosexuals there. As a compensation, his mother allowed him to grow his hair long - something that was out of the ordinary with young boys in the old country at the time.
Beshtije
While attending grammar school, sixteen-year-old Bregovich formed a band called Beshtije (The Beasts) with him on bass. With his mother moving out to the coast, Bregovich worked to make ends meet by playing at a bar and working at construction sites.
Things were hopeless, but in 1969, guitarist Zeljko Bebek ("Z" pronounced like "s" in risotto) spotted Bregovich and allowed Bregovich to join in his band, Kodeksi (The Codexes) - a precursor to Bijelo Dugme.
From Kodeksi to Jutro
By the early 70s, bass player Zoran Redzich (again "Z" pronounced like "S" in risotto) augmented the group requiring Bregovich to switch to guitar. This led to the short-lived formation of a band called Jutro (The Morning) featuring a lineup that would morph into Bijelo Dugme.
Bijelo Dugme
Between 1973 and 1989, Bregovich was the guitarist and primary songwritter for Bijelo Dugme. Their first two LPs issued in 1974 and 1975 were massive successes with 1975's Shta bi Dao da si na Mom Mjestu (What Would You Give if You Were Me) being recorded in London with producer Neil Harrison at the helm. Tape difficulties led to hardship in recording their third LP, 1976's Eto Bash Hochu! (There! I Really Will!) resulting in a farewell concert at Belgrade's Hajduchka Chesma Park (Belgrade then being the national capital of Yugoslavia). This resulted in their first live LP issued in early 1978 while most of the band were serviving their mandatory stint in the millitary.
The 80s saw Dugme exploring a slightly different musical direction. This was appearant with their 1980 LP Dozivjeti Stotu (Live to a Hundred). During the mid 80s, Bregovich even began introducing folk rock. Bijelo Dugme finally broke up after then singer Alen Islamovich checked into a hospital for an infction.
The 90s and Beyond
Following the breakup of Bijelo Dugme, Bregovich began working on various movie compositions. His most noteable movies include The Underground and Music from Weddings and Funerals. Today he even tours with his Weddings and Funerals band.
In 1999, most noteably, Bregovich collaborated with Polish singer Kayah (born Katarzyna Magdalena Szczot) on the album Kayah & Bregovic. The album went 7x Platinum in Poland selling 700,000 copies and was issued in other countries in the months since. The majority of it features Polish versions of Bijelo Dugme hits, but a few others are included - most noteably, the Polish translation of the traditional Elderlezi, which Dugme also had covered, and a traditional Caje Sukarije.
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