Azra was a rock band from Zagreb, Croatia, then Yugoslavia, that was popular across entire country in the 1980s. Azra was formed in 1977 by its frontman Branimir "Johnny" ?tuli?. He was (and is) a kind of an urban legend; he would show up in different places of the city, singing with his guitar - that is what made him famous before Azra even recorded an album. Other two members were Mi?o Hrnjak (bass) and Boris Leiner (drums). They named the Band after a verse "Ja se zovem El Muhamed/Iz plemena starih Azra/?to za ljubav ?ivot gube/I umiru kada ljube!" (trans. "My name is El Muhamed/From the tribe of the old Azra/That lose their lives for love/And die when they kiss!") from a sevdalinka "Kraj tanahna ?adrvana" ("Azra" here being a reference to a shortened versione of "Azera" or "Azeris", rather than a popular Bosnian name "Azra", as commonly thought). They are considered to be one of the most influential bands from the former Yugoslav New Wave era and the Yugoslav Rock scene in general.They released their first single in 1979 with songs "Balkan" and "A ?ta da radim". The first album named "Azra" and published in 1980 achieved commercial success and popularized Azra in former Yugoslavia. Azra recorded its last studio album "Izmedju krajnosti" in 1987. In 1988 the band recorded 4LP live album under the name Zadovolj?tina (Satisfaction), after which ?tuli? disbanded the band.?tuli? recorded another three albums while in Houten, Netherlands, where he currently lives. He is often at lengths with his past as he lives a secluded life and is often the target of reporters seeking an interview, which he is reluctant to participate in.A 2003 rock documentary, Sretno dijete (Happy Child, the title of a Prljavo kazali?te song) depicts Azra as the centre figure of the rock scene in the former Yugoslavia during the 1980s, along with the influential Bijelo dugme.Even until today, Azra has remained very popular among youth in the countries of former Yugoslavia, unlike many other new wave bands which are now considered, more or less, historical examples.

Members

• Branimir "Johnny" ?tuli? - vocals, guitar
• Boris Leiner - drums, vocals
• Mi?o Hrnjak - bass (1979 - 1982)
• Jurica Pa?en - guitars (1983 - 1984, 1987 - 1988)
• Stephen Kipp - bass (1987 - 1988)

Discography

Singles

• Balkan ('The Balkans'), A ?ta da radim ('What am I gonna do') - (Jugoton 1979)
• Lijepe ?ene prolaze kroz grad ('Pretty women passing through the town'), Poziv na ples ('The Invitation to dance'), Suzy F.- (Jugoton, 1980)
• ?oni, budi dobar ('Johnny B. Good'), Te?ko vrijeme ('The Difficult Time') - (Jugoton 1982)
• E, pa ?to ('So what'), Sloboda ('The Freedom'), Gluperde lutaju daleko ('Jerks wander far') - (Jugoton 1982)
• Nemir i strast ('Restlessness and passion'), Dovi?enja na Vla?kom drumu ('Farewell on the Vlaska road') - (Jugoton 1983)

Compilation

• Svi mar? na ples! - Jugoton, 1981
• Vru?i dani i vrele no?i - Jugoton, 1982
• Single Plo?e 1979-1982 - (Jugoton, 1982)
• Kao i ju?er - Single Plo?e 1983-1986 ...with new songs: 'I to se dogadja ponekad' (Even that happens sometimes), 'Mamica su ?trukle pekli' (Mum was baking cakes), 'Sardisale Le?o?kiot manastir (The blocade of Leshochky monastery) - (Jugoton, 1987)

Albums

AZRA

• Azra - (Jugoton, 1980)
• Sun?ana strana ulice ('The Sunny side of the street') - (Double - Jugoton, 1981)
• Ravno do dna ('Straight to the bottom') - (Triple Live - Jugoton, 1982)
• Filigranski plo?nici ('The Filigree Sidewalks') - (Double - Jugoton, 1982)
• Kad fazani lete ('When pheasants fly') - (Jugoton, 1983)
• Krivo srastanje ('The Mistaken Sublimation') - (Jugoton, 1984)
• It Ain't Like the Movies At All - (Triple - Diskoton, 1986)
• Izme?u krajnosti ('In Between Extremes') - (Jugoton, 1987)
• Zadovolj?tina ('Satisfaction') - (Quadruple Live, 1988)

Branimir ?tuli?

• Balkanska rapsodija ('The Balkans? Rhapsody') -(Double, 1989)
• Balegari ne vjeruju sre?i ('Paupers do not believe in luck') (1990)
• Sevdah za Paulu Horvat ('Sevdah for Paula Horvat') - (Recorded in Sarajevo 1991 & Published 1995)
• Anali (Double, 1995)
• Blasé (Double, 1997)

VIDEO/TV

• Zadovolj?tina (Zagreb, Live Concert, 1988)
• Das Ist Johnny (Sarajevo, Live Film, 1991)

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