Zabranjeno Pu?enje (meaning "No Smoking") was a Yugoslavian garage rock band from Sarajevo, closely associated with the New primitivism cultural movement and the radio and television satire show Top Lista Nadrealista. They were one of the most popular musical acts of the 1980s in Yugoslavia, selling hundreds of thousands of records. During the Yugoslav wars, members of the band separated, and two off-shoot bands continue to work in Sarajevo/Zagreb and Belgrade.

The band was formed in 1981 in Sarajevo by a group of friends who worked on the early radio version of Top Lista Nadrealista. Contrary to the then prevalent punk rock and new wave, Zabranjeno Pu?enje created a distinctive garage rock sound with folk influences, often featuring innovative production and complex story-telling, sometimes even dark premonitions of war. They went on to record four albums and tour the country extensively, occasionally sparking controversy and even getting into trouble with authorities for their, usually mild and sympathetic, criticism of the socialist system, and the habit of making light of issues considered sensitive at the time.

After the band's popularity reached new heights in late 1980s, spurred on by the televised version of Top Lista Nadrealista, the Bosnian War which followed saw the breakup of the band, with one off-shoot continuing work in Belgrade under the name No Smoking Orchestra, and the other in Zagreb, using the original name. Nevertheless, many of the songs of Zabranjeno Pu?enje have attained an anthemic status and their music remains popular across former Yugoslavia.

The original band (Sarajevo)

History

Zabranjeno Pu?enje was founded by a group of friends who attended Sarajevo 2nd gymnasium and lived in Fuad Mid?i? Street in the Sarajevo suburb of Ko?evo. The band they formed was called Pseudobluz bend ("Pseudo-blues band"). All members were involved in the radio show Top Lista Nadrealista, so they already had stage names. The original line-up consisted of Nenad Jankovi? (Dr. Nele Karajli?; vocals, keyboards), Davor Su?i? (aka Sejo Sexon; guitar), Zenit ?ozi? (aka Fu-Do; drums), Mustafa ?engi? (aka Mu?e/Mujo Sna?ni; guitar), Mladen Miti? (aka Munja; bass guitar) and Ognjen Gaji? (aka Ogi; sax, flute).

They were occasionally accompanied by Mirko Srdi? (aka Elvis J. Kurtovi?) as a guest, since he had his own band, Elvis J. Kurtovi? & his Meteors. They soon started calling themselves Pseudobluz bend Zabranjeno Pu?enje, and after some time simply dropped the first part. Their first recording,Penzioneri na more idu zimi ("Pensioners Take Their Vacation In Wintertime"), was made for Radio Sarajevo in early 1981.

They performed around Sarajevo for two years before recording their first album Das ist Walter in June 1984, for Jugoton label. The line-up was altered and now Nenad Jankovi?'s younger brother Dra?en Jankovi? (aka Seid Mali Karajli?) was on organ and Predrag Raki? (aka ?eki Gayton) took drums. Although it is widely publicized that Nenad Jankovi? and Davor Su?i? wrote all of the songs, the fact is that Mustafa ?engi? and Mladen Miti? were unpublished composers of some material who also greatly influenced and contributed to all song arrangements. The album was initially released in 3000 copies, but the final count was 100,000 copies sold, setting a record for exceeding the initial release by 30 times. In autumn 1984 they embarked on a 60-concert nation-wide tour, making them one of the biggest Yugoslav rock attractions after just one album.

During that tour, at their concert Rijeka concert (on November 27 1984), Karajli? declared, referring to an amplifier that had just broken down, "Crk'o Marshall. Mislim na poja?alo." ("Marshall croaked. I mean, the amplifier."), making a pun on Marshal Tito's death, landing the band in trouble. They were criticized by the media and a campaign against them resulted in cancelling of their concerts and removing of Top lista nadrealista from the air.

In this atmosphere, the band recorded their second, double album Dok ceka? sabah sa ?ejtanom ("While you are waiting for the dawn with the Devil") and released it in July 1985. Songs were written by Mustafa ?engi?, Sejo Sexon, Nele Karajli?, Mladen Miti?, Seid Mali Karajli? and Elvis J. Kurtovi?. The album was solid, but boycotted by the media and the following tour had a rather disappointing conclusion as the following year ?eki Gayton and Mustafa ?engi? (Mu?e) left the band in search of more secure means of making a living. Mladen Miti? left in late 1986 after contributing to the development of the third album.

For the occasion of recording their third album, Pozdrav iz zemlje Safari ("Greetings from the Safari land") released in 1987 by Diskoton, the rest of the band was joined by Predrag Kova?evi? (aka Kova/Kowalski; from Kurtovi?'s Meteors) on guitar, Faris Arapovi? on drums and Emir Kusturica played the bass guitar on 3 tracks. All songs were written by Sejo Sexon and Nele Karajli?.

Kusturica co-authored two songs. Diskoton censors had some objections and Our Proposal for the Euro-Song Contest had to be renamed, since song included comments on the depressed state of the economy and lack of freedom of expression. The album again included a number of hit songs and returned the band to stardom. The following tour, which included 87 concerts, was the largest Zabranjeno Pu?enje thus far and the band was by that time regarded as one of Yugoslav rock institutions. In January 1988 the band received a gold record for 100,000 copies sold.

In October 1988 the band released their last album before splitting up - Male pri?e o velikoj ljubavi ("Small Stories About Great Love"). The songs were mostly written and produced by Sejo Sexon. For this album, Jadranko D?ihan (aka Dinka) played keyboards and Darko "Ogi" Ostoji? (aka Minka) was on bass guitar. The album also featured opera singer Sonja Milenkovi?, violin player Dejan Sparavalo and Goran Bregovi? as backing vocal and guitar player. The album was an average success. The band embarked on the tour with Bombaj ?tampa and the rest of Top lista nadrealista crew (those who didn't play in the band already). The tour (a combination of theatre and rock and roll, after an idea by Sejo Sexon) was a great success and regarded as the best tour of 1989 with around 60 concerts and more than 200,000 visitors.

Music

In early 1980s, when the rest of the ex-Yugoslav popular music scene followed the trends of early 1980s Europe (chiefly punk rock and new wave), Zabranjeno Pu?enje were part of a unique rock movement centered in Sarajevo that forged its own path. This movement, for the most part, centred on simple, youthful, garage rock, with folk influences and a distinct Sarajevo urban feel called Novi primitivizam (New primitivism).

The songs range from punk to rock, quite frequently arranged to feature trumpets and saxophones, adding to the unique sound of the band, along with many samples and soundbites from the period. Zabranjeno Pu?enje captured the feel of Sarajevo, its idols and local heroes along with tales of love and loss, in a distinctive and often humorous way. Very visual and cynical, the band's lyrics were progressive enough to show the last stages of Yugoslav socialism ("Dan republike", "Srce ruke i lopata", "Abid", "Guzonjin sin"), alternate clubs and gays ("Pi?onja i ?uga u paklu droge", "Javi mi") as well as providing morbid hints for the upcoming war ("Kanjon Drine", "Zvijezda nad Balkanom"). Their youthful energy and awareness of their surroundings made Zabranjeno Pu?enje much more than the sum of its parts, a band that seemed able to record a great song with ease.

Songs such as Nedjelja kad je oti?ao Hase ("The Sunday Hase Left"; the song is a tribute to Asim Ferhatovi?).

Other songs on the album were:

• Anarhija all-over Ba? ?ar?ija
• Zenica blues
• ?eki is on the road again
• Balada o Pi?onji i ?ugi
• Pi?onja i ?uga u paklu droge
• Dok jezdi? ka Alemanji
• Lutka sa naslovne strane
• Stra?a pored Prizrena

They have secured their place in the history of ex-Yugoslav rock music. The band released four albums before the ensuing war forced most of the members to relocate.

Members

• Muhamed Adas - violin (1989)
• Faris Arapovi? - drums, backing vocals (1987 - 1989)
• Zenit ?ozi? (Fu-do ?ozi?) - drums, backing vocals (1981 -1985)
• Dado J. D?ihan - keyboards (1987 - 1989)
• Mustafa ?engi? (Mujo Sna?ni) - solo guitar (1981 - 1985)
• Ognjen Gaji? (Ogi Gaji?) - sax & flute (1981 - 1987)
• Dra?en Jankovi? (Seid Mali Karajli?) - synthesizer (1981 - 1987)
• Nenad Jankovi? (dr. Nele Karajli?) - vocals (1981 - 1989)
• Predrag Kova?evi? (Kova) - guitar (1986 - 1989)
• Mladen Miti? (Munja Miti?) - bass guitar (1981 - 1986)
• Darko Ostoji? - bass guitar (1987 - 1989)
• Darko Poljak - saxophone (1989)
• Predrag Raki? (?eki Gayton) - drums (1983 - 1986)
• Davor Su?i? - Sula (mr. Sejo Sexon) - rhythm guitar (1981 - 1989)

On several occasions from 1987 until the breakup of the band, Emir Kusturica played guitar in the band.

Discography

1. Das ist Walter - 1984 ("That's Walter")
2. Dok ceka? sabah sa ?ejtanom - 1985 ("Waiting for the dawn with the devil")
3. Pozdrav iz zemlje Safari - 1987 ("Greetings from the land Safari")
4. Male pri?e o velikoj ljubavi - 1988 ("Little stories about a big love")

Breakup

The unstable political situation during the breakup of Yugoslavia took a toll on the band. Nenad Jankovi? fled to Serbia and reformed Zabranjeno Pu?enje in Belgrade. Most of the Zabranjeno Pu?enje and Top lista nadrealista crew stayed in besieged Sarajevo. Although many in Sarajevo have criticized Jankovi?'s move, Su?i? (who stayed in Sarajevo and co-authored wartime episodes of Top lista nadrealista to boost citizens' morale) has said that Jankovi? was in a different situation because he had a little baby.

Zabranjeno Pu?enje (Sarajevo)

The western part continued to perform in 1996 and have recaptured some of the group's success. They also later went to a European tour and by 2004 had released five new albums (three studio and two live albums). In 2006 band created complete soundtrack for Bosnian movie Nafaka with guest musicians (mostly actors from the movie, as well as the female choir Arabeske). Later that year, band released double album Hodi da ti ?iko ne?to da, first double album since Dok ?eka? sabah sa ?ejtanom, and they are currently on tour, promoting new album with concerts in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

In 2006 they returned to Belgrade and played a successful concert at the Beer Fest.

Members

• Predrag Bobi? (aka Bleka) - bass guitar (1996 - present)
• Bruno Urli? - violin (1997 - 2004)
• Dragomir Herendi? (aka Dragianni) - lead guitar (1999 - 2004)
• Robert Boldi?ar - violin, keyboards (2004 - present)
• Davor Su?i? - (aka Sejo Sexon) - lead guitar, vocals (1996 - present)
• Toni Lovi? - lead guitar (2004 - present)
• Branko Trajkov (Trak) - drums (1996 - present)
• Marin Gradac (aka Mako) - vocals (1997 - 1999)
• Mirko Srdi? (aka Elvis J. Kurtovich) - vocals (1996 - 1999)

Discography

1. Nikad robom, vazda taxijem (Best of 1) - 1996
2. Fild?an vi?ka - 1997
3. Srce, ruke i lopata (Best of 2) - 1998
4. Hapsi sve! (Live) - 1998
5. Agent tajne sile - 1999 ("Agent of secret forces")
6. Bog vozi Mercedes - 2001 ("God is driving a Mercedes")
7. Live in St. Louis (Live) - 2003
8. Nafaka OST - 2006
9. Hodi da ti ?iko ne?to da - 2006

External links

• Official web site

No Smoking Orchestra (Belgrade)

, Russia, 6 October 2007]]The eastern part released one new album as Zabranjeno Pu?enje. It was then renamed Emir Kusturica & No Smoking Orchestra and released four more albums and continued touring all around the world. In 1998 the No Smoking Orchestra composed the music for Emir Kusturica's film "Black Cat, White Cat", which won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival the same year.

Although they enjoy success worldwide, in Serbia their new ethno sound was poorly received. Their fans refused to accept rebranding of the band as ethno/folk musicians. In 2004 they were forced off stage by rebellious fans throwing anything they could find after only 40 minutes of performance.

Members

• Dejan Sparavalo - violin (1997 - present)
• Nenad Jankovi? (dr. Nele Karajli?) - vocals, keyboards (1997 - present)
• Stribor Kusturica - drums (1997 - present)
• Goran Markovski (Glava Markovsky) - bass guitar, bass balalaika (1997 - present)
• Dra?en Jankovi? (herr Dralle) - keyboards (1997 - present)
• Emir Kusturica - Guitar - Rhythm Guitar - Western Guitar

Many other musicians have appeared on various albums in large and varying setups.

Discography

1. Zabranjeno Pusenje: Ja Nisam Odavle [1]

2. Black Cat White Cat: Black Cat White Cat [2]

3. Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra: Unza Unza Time [3]

4. The No Smoking Orchestra: Life Is A Miracle [4]

5. Emir Kusturica And The No Smoking Orchestra: Live Is A Miracle In Buenos Aires [5]

6. The No Smoking Orchestra: Emir Kusturica's Time Of The Gypsies Punk Opera [6]

External links

• Official web site
• http://www.beograd.com.au/magazine/rock_biografije.html
• http://www.pusenje.blogger.ba
• http://www.dhennin.com/kusturica/v2/_nosmoking_en.html

See also

• Punk in Yugoslavia
• New Wave in Yugoslavia
• New Primitives

Croatian rock music groupsSerbian musical groupsYugoslav musical groupsMusical groups from Bosnia and HerzegovinaNew Wave groupsgarage punk

Zabranjeno Pu?enjeZabranjeno pu?enjeZabranjeno Pu?enjeZabranjeno Pu?enjeZabranjeno Pusenje????????? ??????Zabranjeno Pu?enje