Laza Ristovski

Infobox musical artist |
Name = Laza Ristovski


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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Lazar Ristovski
Born =birth date|1956|1|23 Novi Pazar, SR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia
Died = Death date and age|2007|10|6|1956|01|23 Belgrade, Serbia
Instrument = Electronic Organ Synthesizer Piano
Genre = Rock Progressive rock Hard rock Instrumental rock Electronic music Classical music
Occupation = Musician, Composer
Years_active = 1970 – 2007
Label = Beograd Disk, PGP RTB, Tring, ITMM, Komuna, PGP RTS, Hi Fi Centar, Goraton
Associated_acts = Smak Bijelo Dugme Ipe Ivandić Alvin Lee Band Chris de Burgh Saša Lokner

Laza Ristovski (Serbian Cyrillic: Лаза Ристовски) was a Serbian and former Yugoslav keyboardist, best known for his involvement with Smak and Bijelo Dugme rock bands, as well as for his eclectic solo work that spawned many different musical genres.

Biography

Laza Ristovski was born in Novi Pazar as his father, a JNA officer, was stationed there at the time. When Ristovski was two years old, the family moved to Kraljevo which is where he grew up. He formed his first band, Bezimeni, ("The Nameless") when he was fourteen.

In the summer of 1974 Bezimeni performed at Bečići, where a well known clarinetist Boki Milošević heard their performance. Ristovski went to Belgrade and became a member of Milošević's orchestra. That autumn Ristovski started performing with Smak, but he became their official member in 1975. With Smak he recorded their debut self-titled album "Smak", Radomir Mihajlović's first solo album "R. M. Točak" and several singles.

In October 1976 he was persuaded by Goran Bregović to join Bijelo Dugme on keyboards as the band was getting ready to start recording the "Eto! Baš hoću!" album. Ristovski played his first concert with them on February 11, 1977 in Sarajevo, thus embarking on a rollercoaster tour that after frequently alternating highs and lows culminated in the famous Hajdučka česma concert during mid-August 1977 in Belgrade. Before that triumph in front of 80,000 people, however, the band went through a six month tour that among other things featured technical problems, poorly rehearsed material, members quitting, show cancellations, and a few occasions when the band was on the verge of breaking up. Despite all the problems, Ristovski stayed on even after the tour ended. He left the band in 1978 and recorded the album "Stižemo" ("Here we come") with Ipe Ivandić. At the beginning of 1978 he worked with band Vatra, but he returned to Smak after several months. In 1980 he relased solo single with Tugomir Vidanović's songs "Tražiš oproštaj" and "Andželika". Members of Mama Co Co and Vatra were involved in the single recording. After Smak disbanded he took part in the recording of Boris Aranđelović's solo album "Iz profila".

In the beginning of the 1980s he became the member of Alvin Lee Band and played on their Yugoslav and Hungarian tour. Ristovski also worked with RTB Jazz Orchestra. His debut album "Merge" became the best-selling instrumental music LP in 1983. With opera singer Dubravka Zubović he recorded a classical music album. He returned to Bijelo Dugme in 1985. During this period Ristovski usually played various keyboards and synthesizers while Vlado Pravdić played the organ. Ristovski stayed in Bijelo Dugme until the band broke up in 1989.

In 1993 Ristovski recorded album "Naos" with Saša Lokner. Part of the songs were inspired by Orthodox spiritual music. Various songs which he recorded with Smak, Bijelo Dugme, Zdravko Čolić, Aerodrom, Videosex and Osvajači were released on the 1997 compilation album "Svetlost u A-duru (Antologija)".

During his career Ristovski worked with Falco, Richard Palmer-James, Chris de Burgh and others. He was involved in Piloti, Rock Union and Osvajači work. He was one of Goran Bregović's closest accessories on Bregović's movie soundtrack projects. He wrote music for the movies "Zaboravljeni", "Sveto mesto" and "Impure Blood". He played on more than a thousand albums of rock, jazz and folk music.

Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Laza Ristovski took part in three Bijelo dugme reunion shows (in Sarajevo, Zagreb, and Belgrade) during June 2005. He died in Belgrade on October 6, 2007 following a long battle with multiple sclerosis.

Awards

Ristovski was voted for the best Yugoslav keyboardist for eleven years in a row. On the 1984 film festival in Sopot Ristovski was awarded for the "Lazar" movie soundtrack. He also won the Golden medal on the 36th and the 39th animated movie festival in Belgrade. In 1986 he was awarded with Estradna nagrada Srbije.

Discography

olo

tudio albums

*"Stižemo" (ZKP RTLJ 1978) (with Ipe Ivandić)
*"Merge" (PGP RTB 1982)
*"2/3" (PGP RTB 1983)
*"Vojnički ples" (PGP RTB 1984)
*"Roses for a General" (PGP RTB 1984)
*"Opera" (PGP RTB 1985)
*"The Lady In Red - The Instrumental Hits of Chris De Boorgh" (PGP RTB 1991)
*"Quit" (ITMM 1993)
*"Naos" (Komuna / PGP RTS 1993) (with Saša Lokner)
*"Nečista krv" (A Records 1997)
*"Gondola" (PGP RTS 2003)
*"Laza Ristovski Plays Simon & Garfunkel" (PGP RTS 2005)

Compilation albums

*"Svetlost u A-duru (Antologija)" (Hi Fi Centar 1997)
*"The Best Of Instrumental Works" (Goraton 2000)

Vinyl singles

*"Tražiš oproštaj" / "Andželika" (Beograd Disk 1980)

with Smak

Albums

*"Smak" (ZKP RTLJ 1975)
*"Rock cirkus" (PGP RTB 1980)
*"Zašto ne volim sneg" (PGP RTB 1981)

Vinyl singles

*"Ulazak u harem" / "Sto ptica" (Suzy 1975)
*"Ulazak u harem" / "Epitaf" (ZKP RTLJ 1975)
*"Ljudi nije fer" / "El dumo" (ZKP RTLJ 1976)
*"Satelit" / "Šumadijski bluz" / "Čoveče, ti si mlad" / "Slikar sa Pikadilija" (ZKP RTLJ 1976)
*"Na Balkanu" / "Gore dole" (PGP RTB 1979)
*"Rock cirkus" / "Hirošima"(PGP RTB 1980)

with Bijelo Dugme

tudio albums

*"Eto! Baš hoću!" (Jugoton 1976)
*"Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo" (Diskoton 1986)
*"Ćiribiribela" (Diskton 1988)

Live albums

*"Koncert kod Hajdučke česme" (Jugoton 1978)
*"Mramor, kamen i željezo" (Diskoton 1988)
*"Turneja 2005 - Sarajevo, Zagreb, Beograd" (Music Star Production 2005)

References

* "EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960-2006", Janjatović Petar; ISBN 978-86-905317-1-4

External links

* [http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=11815 "Merge"]
* [http://www.blic.co.yu/kultura.php?id=15303 Preminuo poznati muzičar Laza Ristovski] , "Blic", October 6, 2007
* [http://www.popboks.com/vest.php?ID=5997 Preminuo Laza Ristovski] , Popboks, October 6, 2007
* [http://www.politika.co.yu/rubrike/zivot-i-stil/ritam/Lazino-drvo-zivota.sr.html Лазино дрво живота] , "Politika", March 28, 2008
* [http://www.blic.co.yu/zabava.php?id=39260 Čuvam očevo delo od zaborava] , "Blic", April 24, 2008
* [http://www.blic.co.yu/zabava.php?id=40612 Kolege pevaju u čast Laze Ristovskog] , "Blic", May 7, 2008

ee also

*Serbian rock
*SFR Yugoslav Pop and Rock scene