El kondor pada
Encyclopedia
"El kondor pada" is a satirical
song
performed by the Serbia
n theatre troupe Indexovo radio pozorište
. It was recorded in 1999 during the war in Kosovo
. The song was written by Voja Žanetić and Mićko Ljubičić, borrowing the melody of the Peruvian
folk song El Cóndor Pasa
.
The song's name is a pun
on El Cóndor Pasa. The name "El Condor" is a fictional code name
for the United States
F-117 Nighthawk
stealth bomber
, one of which was shot down during the war.
The lyrics tell the story of a fictional American pilot. He is tricked into believing that the mission is perfectly safe, as his bomber is "invisible" to radar. The song continues by relating the story of his flight and subsequent downing by Yugoslav anti-aircraft defences. The pilot is evacuated with 32 helicopters after having been searched for by peasants with pitchforks. The song also emphasises the supposed ignorance of NATO troops about Kosovo, describing them as not even knowing where it exactly is.
Indexovo radio pozorište, a performing group originally formed at the leading local public radio station in Belgrade
, Beograd 202, was very prominent in Serbia due to a series of politically engaged, anti-Milošević
theatre plays. As a result, this song quickly became popular in Serbia during the war and was frequently aired on radio stations. Indeksovo radio pozorište recorded a few other songs during this period, satirising all sides involved. The song was later released on the Oproštajni koncert compilation.
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
performed by the Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n theatre troupe Indexovo radio pozorište
Indexovo radio pozorište
Indexovo radio pozorište was a Serbian radio comedy programme led by Slobodan Bićanin, Dragoljub Ljubičić, Branislav Petrušević, etc. that eventually evolved into a satirical theater troupe. They were formed around state-owned Beograd 202 radio where they had a weekly show on Sundays...
. It was recorded in 1999 during the war in Kosovo
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
. The song was written by Voja Žanetić and Mićko Ljubičić, borrowing the melody of the Peruvian
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
folk song El Cóndor Pasa
El Cóndor Pasa (song)
El Cóndor Pasa is a song from the zarzuela El Cóndor Pasa by the Peruvian composer Daniel Alomía Robles, written in 1913 and based on traditional Andean folk tunes....
.
The song's name is a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on El Cóndor Pasa. The name "El Condor" is a fictional code name
Code name
A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage...
for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
F-117 Nighthawk
F-117 Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force . The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved initial operating capability status in October 1983...
stealth bomber
Stealth aircraft
Stealth aircraft are aircraft that use stealth technology to avoid detection by employing a combination of features to interfere with radar as well as reduce visibility in the infrared, visual, audio, and radio frequency spectrum. Development of stealth technology likely began in Germany during...
, one of which was shot down during the war.
The lyrics tell the story of a fictional American pilot. He is tricked into believing that the mission is perfectly safe, as his bomber is "invisible" to radar. The song continues by relating the story of his flight and subsequent downing by Yugoslav anti-aircraft defences. The pilot is evacuated with 32 helicopters after having been searched for by peasants with pitchforks. The song also emphasises the supposed ignorance of NATO troops about Kosovo, describing them as not even knowing where it exactly is.
Indexovo radio pozorište, a performing group originally formed at the leading local public radio station in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Beograd 202, was very prominent in Serbia due to a series of politically engaged, anti-Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
theatre plays. As a result, this song quickly became popular in Serbia during the war and was frequently aired on radio stations. Indeksovo radio pozorište recorded a few other songs during this period, satirising all sides involved. The song was later released on the Oproštajni koncert compilation.