Propaganda (Serbian band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Propaganda


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Origin = Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia
Genre = Pop Rock
Years_active = 1982
Label = PGP RTB
Associated_acts = Bulevar
Idoli
Bajaga i Instruktori
Dejan Cukić & Spori Ritam Band
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Past_members = Branko Isaković
Dragan Mitrić
Kokan Popović
Nenad Morgenstern

Propaganda was a former Yugoslav band from Belgrade consiting of former Zvuk Ulice and Bulevar memers. The band released only one album and disbanded.

History

Zvuk Ulice

The roots of the band can be found in the mid-seventies band called Zvuk Ulice. The band was formed in 1976 by future Idoli members guitarist and singer Vlada Divljan, bassist Zdenko Kolar, drummer Kokan Popović, keyboardist Dragan Mitrić, saxophonist Bora Atić and Dragana Milković on piano and vocals. At first Divljan only played the guitar and later also did vocals.

The band did cover versions of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and performed their own songs, mostly instrumentals. The band's sound was described as a combination of melodic rock and jazz rock, but Zdenko Kolar in an interview stated that it was the sound that in the early eighies would deffinetly be described as new wave. They had recording sessions in Radio Belgrade studios and the recordings were often broadcasted on radio stations.

In 1978 the band performed at the last BOOM festival in Novi Sad and in 1979 at Zaječar Guitar festival where they were considederd to be victorious. They were the only band from Belgrade which the audience did not like. The first place at the festival was won by Galija. Soon after Kokan Popović had to serve the Yugoslav People's Army and his future wife got preagnant so the band split up.

Divljan and Kolar soon formed Idoli, Mitrić joined Bulevar and Popović joined Slađana Milošević's backing band.

Propaganda

In 1982 former Zvuk Ulice members Kokan Popović (guitar, vocals) and Dragan Mitrić (keyboards) with Branko Isaković (bass) and Nenad Morgenstern (drums, percussion) formed Propaganda. The band started recording their debut album "Apatija javnosti" partially featuring songs from the Zvuk Ulice period in the Radio Belgrade studio 5. The album was released by PGP RTB and featured ten tracks. The opening track "Esmeralda" featred lyrics written by Muharem Serbezovski, a famous Bosnian Romani musician.

After the band split up, Kokan Popović joined Idoli in late 1982 and the following year Branko Isaković also joined Idoli. Mitrić later joined Bajaga i Instruktori and later became the part of Dejan Cukić's backing band called Spori Ritam Band.

Discography

* "Apatija javnosti" (PGP RTB, 1982)

External links and references

* [http://www.discogs.com/release/1032396 Propaganda at Discogs]
* [http://www.akordi.co.yu/arhiv/idoli/idoli.htm Zdenko Kolar interview (Serbian source)]
* [http://forum.krstarica.com/archive/index.php/t-2272.html Vlada Divljan interview (Serbian source)]