About Riblja Corba

Riblja čorba (Рибља чорба) is a rock band from Belgrade, Serbia (ex Yugoslavia). Their presence on the scene lasted from 1978 to today. They reached their peak of popularity in the early 1980s, but it has been steadily declining since, partly due to the controversial political attitudes of the band leader Bora Đorđević. The band was formed by former Rani mraz member Bora Đorđević (vocals, acoustic guitar and songwriter) and former SOS members Miša Aleksić (bass guitar), Miroslav Milatović Vicko (drums) and Rajko Kojić (guitar). Their intention was to name the band Bora & Ratnici (Bora and the Warriors), but eventually, the band was named Riblja Čorba, which was at the time Belgrade slang for menstruation.The band's first single, "Lutka sa naslovne strane" (The Doll On The Front Cover), a song about a fame-hungry model was a major hit. At the time Đorđević decided to leave acoustic guitar and dedicate himself to singing. Soon Riblja Čorba got rhythm guitarist, Momčilo Bajagić Bajaga, who became a member of the band on Kojić's suggestion. Riblja Čorba's debut album, Kost u grlu (Bone in the throat) was soon released. Album was met with a great thrill. It brought a large number of hits: "Zvezda potkrovlja i suterena", "Egoista", "Ja sam još ona ista budala", "Ostani đubre do kraja". The album was sold in more than 120,000 copies, Đorđević was proclaimed the rock musician of the year by some music magazines, and Riblja Čorba's hard rock sound with blues inputs achieved high success, although the age of New Wave was about to begin. In February 1981 Riblja Čorba released its second album Pokvarena mašta i prljave strasti (Perverted Imagination and Sordid Passions), which brought a whole series of hits: "Ostaću slobodan", "Lak muškarac", ballads "Neke su žene pratile vojnike", "Nemoj srećo, nemoj danas", "Dva dinara druže", "Rekla je". Later that year, the third album "Mrtva priroda" ("Still Life") was released. The album was produced by Ian McCoy. Whilst their first two albums had been very gritty, Mrtva Priroda had a more sophisticated sound and paved the way for the series of best-selling albums throughout the 1980s that ensured the band's popularity throughout most of the former Yugoslavia. These are the albums for which the group is generally most fondly remembered. Mrtva Priroda did get them in trouble though, as alongside several far more whimsical numbers was "Na zapadu ništa novo" ("All Quiet on the Western Front"), a very "non-aligned" song about how both the West and the Soviet bloc's ideals were both equally uninspiring, which included the lines "Idiots die for ideals," and "Only cretins start a revolution and die." It was too soon after the death of Tito to have a go at the Communists and the revolution, and the group appear to have escaped serious consequences only as a result of Đordjevic's personal connections. Their next album Buvlja pijaca (Flea market) was released at the end of 1982. The producer was once again McCoy. Some of the songs featured string instruments which made the sound more sophisticated than on previous Riblja Čorba albums. This album brought a number of successful songs: ironical love songs "Draga ne budi peder", "U dva će čistači odneti đubre", "Dobro jutro" and political songs "Ja ratujem sam", "Pravila, pravila", "Kako je lepo biti glup". However, the final number of copies sold was 250,000 which was less than expected. Album was followed by a tour, which ended with a concert in Belgrade's Sajmište. After the concert Milatović left the band due to his army obligations, and was temporarily replaced by the former Suncokret member Vladimir Golubović. During 1983 Bajagić was working on his first solo album Pozitivna geografija (Positive geography), but he also wrote songs for Riblja Čorba's next album Večeras vas zabavljaju muzičari koji piju (Tonight You Will Be Entertained By Musicians Who Drink). Album was produced by Kornelije Kovač, and released in 1984. With dark, depressive atmosphere, album was not as nearly successful as Riblja Čorba's previous albums, bringing only one hit, gentle ballad "Kad hodaš". Spring tour was also unsuccessful, bringing conflicts inside the band. Đorđević and Aleksić soon excluded Kojić and Bajagić from the band. Shortly after Bajagić started a successful career as a frontman of Bajaga & Instruktori. Vidoja Božinović Džindžer, the former Rok Mašina member, and [bandmember from=1984 to=1989]Nikola Čuturilo, the former Električni Orgazam became band's new guitarists. Istina (Truth) was released in 1985. Although many critics claimed that Riblja Čorba belongs to the past, Istina represents the first real comeback in the history of Yugoslav rock. More heavy metal oriented than any of the band's previous works, album is considered Riblja Čorba's magnum opus. Album is perhaps most memorable for apocalyptical "Pogledaj dom svoj, anđele", which went on to become one of Riblja Čorba's signature songs. In February 1986 the band released Osmi nervni slom (Eighth Nervous Breakdown). Album featured Eddy Grant on vocals in the song "Amsterdam". In February 1987 they released their ninth studio album Ujed za dušu (Soul Bite), which featured their first cover, "Zadnji voz za Čačak" (cover of Neil Diamond's "Last Train to Clarksville"). In 1988 Riblja Čorba celebrated the ten years of existence by releasing Priča o ljubavi obično ugnjavi (Talking About Love Is Usually Annoying) and compilation album Riblja Čorba 10. In 1988 Čuturilo released his first solo album 9 lakih komada (9 easy steps). After releasing his second studio album Raskršće (Crossroads), Čuturilo left the band. He was replaced by Zoran Ilić. In 1990 the band released Koza nostra (a play on words between the Italian Cosa Nostra and 'Koza' - Serbian for 'goat' - there is a large goat on the album cover). Album featured Branimir Štulić and Azra members as backing vocals on the track "Al Kapone". After the outbreak of the Yugoslav wars Riblja Čorba members decided to record their farewell album. Labudova pesma (Swan song), with a number of anti-war songs but only one hit, "Kad sam bio mlad" (cover of Eric Burdon's "When I Was Young"). It did not turn out to be Riblja Čorba's last album, as they eventually changed their decision to disband. Oliver Mandić, who was approached to join the band as a keyboard player, eventually did not become Riblja Čorba member, and two songs he wrote were not released on the album. Next album Zbogom, Srbijo (Farewell, Serbia) was not very successful either. At this period Vlada Barjaktarević, a former Van Gogh member, became the band's first official keyboard player. At this time Đorđević became an active supporter of the Serbian troops in Republika Srpska and Republika Srpska Krajina. With Knin band Minđušari he recorded controversial "E moj druže Zagrebački" ("Oh, my Zagreb comrade") as a response to Jura Stublić's song "E moj druže Beogradski" ("Oh, my Belgrade comrade"). Đorđević also worked with turbo folk singer Baja Mali Knindža known for his nationalist songs. This has, alongside with the unsuccessful Riblja Čorba albums, made Riblja Čorba lose part of its fans in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Đorđević's support for Serbian nationalism did not, however, imply support for the government of Slobodan Milošević, and in 1996 Đorđević relased his solo album Njihovi dani (Their days) in his own name rather than that of his band. "Baba Jula" (the song that innuends to Mirjana Marković) became an athem on 1990s protests in Serbia. Album Ostalo je ćutanje (The rest is silence) featured a cover of John Lennon's song "Jelaous Guy", Riblja Čorba version titled "Ljubomorko". At the beginning of 1997 a compilation album Treći srpski ustanak (The third Serbian Uprising) with a number of Riblja Čorba political songs, previously unreleased "Snage opozicije" and the new song "Volim i ja vas" was released. In 1999 Riblja Čorba released Nojeva barka (Noah's Ark). First Riblja Čorba album after the democrating transition in Serbia was Pišanje uz vetar (Pissing Against the Wind). "Ljubav ovde više ne stanuje" and "Srbin je lud" became major hits. "Crno-beli svet" featured Eyesburn frontman Hornsman Coyote on vocals. In 2004 Riblja Čorba relased Ovde (Here), with songs "Zašto uvek kurcu sviram" and "Pičkin dim" on the bonus CD and ballad "Poslednja pesma o tebi" as the only hit. In 2005 the band released Trilogija 1: Nevinost bez zaštite (Trilogy 1: Virginity witout protection), the first part of the Riblja Čorba trilogy. Two other parts of the trilogy, Trilogija 2: Devičanska ostrva (Trilogy 2: Virgin Islands) and Trilogija 3: Ambasadori loše volje (Trilogy 3: Badwill Ambassadors) were released in 2006. Although imagined as Riblja Čorba's comeback to the top of the Serbian rock scene, trilogy did not manage to recover Riblja Čorba's popularity in Serbia. Discography: Studio albums: 1. Kost u grlu (PGP RTB, 1979) 2. Pokvarena mašta i prljave strasti (PGP RTB, 1981) 3. Mrtva priroda (PGP RTB, 1981.) 4. Buvlja pijaca (PGP RTB, 1982.) 5. Večeras vas zabavljaju muzičari koji piju (Jugoton, 1984.) 6. Istina (PGP RTB, 1985.) 7. Osmi nervni slom (PGP RTB, 1986.) 8. Ujed za dušu (PGP RTB, 1987.) 9. Priča o ljubavi obično ugnjavi (PGP RTB, 1988.) 10. Koza nostra (PGP RTB, 1990.) 11. Labudova pesma (Samy, 1992.) 12. Zbogom Srbijo (WIT, 1993.) 13. Ostalo je ćutanje (WIT, 1996.) 14. Nojeva barka (Hi-Fi Centar 1999.) 15. Pišanje uz vetar (Hi-Fi Centar 2001.) 16. Ovde (Hi-Fi Centar 2003.) 17. Trilogija 1: Nevinost bez zaštite (M-Factory 2005.) 18. Trilogija 2: Devičanska ostrva (M-Factory 2006.) 19. Trilogija 3: Ambasadori loše volje (M-Factory 2006.) Live albums: 1. U ime naroda (PGP RTB, 1982) 2. Od Vardara pa do Triglava (ONE RECORDS, 1996) 3. Beograd, uživo `97 - 1 i 2 (Hi Fi Centar, 1997) 4. Nema laži, nema prevare - Zagreb uživo `85 (Biveco, 1998) 5. Gladijatori u BG Areni (City Records, 2008) Compilations: 1. Riblja Čorba 10 (PGP RTB, 1988.) 2. Treći srpski ustanak (Corba Records, 1997.) 3. Trilogija (City Records 2008)