13 April 2013

Montenegro



 
Перпер (Perper) was formed at the end of 1991 in Cetinje, Montenegro. Centije is a small town. It was the perfect place for friends to get together & form a band. After a holiday conversation between Momčilo Zeković Zeko - bass & Aleksandar Radunović Popaj – lead guitar, the two got together to play a few songs & decided to get serious about recording.


After the holidays, the two returned to Novi Sad & Belgrade where they were studying. While at school, Popaj enlisted his brother Nikola Radunović - vocals, then they rounded up Mladen Brajović – rhythm guitar & Ivan Vujović Mane – drums, & Перпер was formed ( the band name Perper was coined by an old friend & local bands singer Mićko Marović). They were looking for a name that would be unique, recognizable, & easily remembered. Перпер was exactly what they wanted.




Перпер’s first major appearance was on a Montenegrin TV show in November 1991 with a song "Mir Kao Peto Godišnje Doba" (Peace as a Fifth Season). It was an anti-war song, which, due to strong pro-war sentiment, didn’t go over very well but led to more exposure for the band.

At the end of December they recorded their first album Sa Gomile Velikih Oblaka (From a Bunch of Big Clouds) in Novi Sad. They have released seven albums & many singles. This album, recorded live at the Montenegro National Theater is the first ever ‘unplugged’ concert recorded in Montenegro.

(Live at CNP [Crnogorsko Narodno Pozorište – Montenegrin National Theater]),
Montenegrin Multimedia Group ‎– 001, 2000. 
decryption code in comments

Tracklist –
Najava
Dobre noći nek' te čuvaju
Montenegro Jazz
Golub za 086
Cetinjske kiše
Dobrovoljac
Samo tebe sam volio
Čuvam te
Za laku noć
4 ljeta,4 zime
Sanjaj me
Kome dolaziš u san
Perperi i zlato
Goro moja
Na Svetoga Nikolu
Voliš dok si mlad
Goro moja

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Pop rock group The Montenegro Five was established in the late sixties in Montenegro. They were very popular in the 60s & 70s in the former Yugoslavia. They recorded one albums & five singles for the European market. They split in the mid-70s. There is very little information available about them. I was only able to figure out 3 of The Montenegro 5.

Those I could figure out: Djordje Kraljevicvocal; Slobodan Novovicguitar; & Milan Kovacevic saxophone & xylophone.

 The Montenegro Five – The Montenegro Five, Star Records C R ST 211, 1971.
decryption code in comments

Side A –
Heya
Oh Baby Baby
Svađamo se
Flute Soul
Guantanamera
The Last Waltz
La Bostella

Side B –
Na Na Hey Hey
Jakobshorn
Volim te
Going on the Blues
Pretty Kathy
Lara’s Theme
Soul Finger

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Janko Nilovic is probably the greatest musician from Montenegro, in my opinion. He only lived there until he turned 19. He is a pianist, poet & composer extraordinare. He was born in 1941 & in 1960, he moved to a Parisian suburb. There he isolated himself from the rest of the world to create his own universe, consisting of his musical & electronic instruments. He peopled that universe with local musicians & composers. At least 10 hours a day of experimenting, searching for the right composition, resulted in a great number of published works. Most of these are on library labels not available for sale.

Library music (also known as production music or stock music) is the name given to recorded music produced & owned by production music libraries, usually licensed to customers for use in film, television, radio & other media. When someone mentions ‘library music’ most musicphiles think about composer Janko Nilovic. His career has been & still is a very rich one, from the earliest start as a jazz musician to the late 60s when his career really began to explode. In the 70s he recorded & produced an amazing amount of albums. He has always been ahead of everyone; taking various influences from traditional music & combining that with whatever is pop at the time, as with funk & psychedelic rock in the 70s. Janko is a poet as well as musician, so he creates poetic musical images by bending the edges of multitudinous styles. 

Janko Nilovic's 1970 album Psyc' Impressions  is a concentrate of the crazy music from the end of the 60s while incorporating styles into the mix of styles that would become mainstays of the 70s. Elements of big band jazz, psychedelia, funk & rock meld themselves onto a solid pop base. Guitars are dipped into an acid bath, bass & drums wind on to infinity as swarms of brass kindle the live embers of a high-powered groove.

Psyc' Impressions is Janko Nilovic & Dave Sucky.

 Janko Nilovic – Psyc' Impressions, Edition Montparnasse 2000 MP 06, 1970.
decryption code in comments

Face A –
Rush on the Ball
Ballad for a Horse
Duty Free
Ski Trails
Real Happening
Middle Contest
Face to the World
Meeting in the Square

Face B –
Shaking Pop
Sunder Fire
Shadow of Our Line
Blows & Rhythms
Love on the Moon
In the Space
Concerto for a Star
New Heart

Also, while in the Janko groove, a definite treat & must-hear for any musick lover. The top notch psych funk single, direct from Belgium on the original Pink Elephant funk 45. Janko Nilovic & Davy Jones doing that voodoo they do so well.


Pink Elephant Records PE 22024 P, 1970. 
decryption code in comments

Side A -
Voodoo Ju Ju Obsession, Part 1
Side B -
Voodoo Ju Ju Obsession, Part 2

To paraphrase George…
Ain’t nothing but a Voodoo party.

 


7 comments:

  1. Perper
    HJjNiF2DwiDjtI-LkNtODnKz9osYS6qb-5axedkTgJE
    The Montenegro Five
    PBWs6xVf7gc3zBf-sviRFEN9escFX4eKBXF2iJwIzdM
    Janko Psyc'
    QRB-7zvTg0F5Ea6VJjFQmmDkavUTmJQxEfJ5Ewpw8y0
    Janko Voodoo
    DkBQW3wOtjwPvEk4Z9mzUy-opglTMnC2NbcIaVz9Q84

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you !!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Replies
    1. You're most welcome & Feliz Año Nuevo. I think all of the bands are this post are fantastic. Perper are great. The Montenegro Five are top-shelf. But I am really partial to Janko Nilovic, especially Voodoo Ju Ju.

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  4. Hello, is it possible to share Janko Nilovic's 'Pop' Impressions' & 'Un couple dans la ville' albums? I'd be grateful for that, thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pop Impressions is available from BandCamp

      Un Couple Dans La Ville
      https://mega.nz/#!v50HSYiQ!kDblfCS8t1XU7xqRAsMMnB9Vcln8dXRVuaHcswjS9GA

      I believe I have somewhere Rythmes Comtemporains, Soul Impressions, & Funky Tramway w/ Mad Unity

      Delete