Milan Mladenovic
Encyclopedia
Milan Mladenović was a Yugoslav and Serbian
musician best known as the frontman of Serbian art rock
band Ekatarina Velika
.
, SR Croatia, where his father, an officer in the Yugoslav Army
, was stationed at the time. Consequently, Milan grew up wherever it was that his dad's job took the family. In total, it ended up being three different cities. When he was six, Milan's family moved to Sarajevo
where he spent a notable part of his childhood. Eventually in 1970, they moved to Belgrade
just short of his 12th birthday. Once in Belgrade, Milan attended the Eleventh Belgrade Gymnasium
in Lekino Brdo neighbourhood while simultaneously entering the circle of young people involved with music and arts.
and drummer Ivan Vdović Vd
. Soon afterwards, they adopted a new musical direction (Novi talas) and changed the name to Šarlo akrobata
. During this time Milan was musically very much fond of and inspired by Elvis Costello
, Paul Weller
, and Andy Partridge
of XTC
.
Šarlo akrobata released only one album, Bistriji ili tuplji čovek biva kad...
in July 1981 and broke up soon afterward due to creative differences between Milan and Koja. The record is considered to be one of the best and most important albums of the Yugoslav New Wave music
scene.
(keyboards
), Bojan Pečar
(bass
) and Ivan Vdović Vd joined the band. After the self-titled, New Wave
coloured debut album
, Vd and Gagi left the band. Since Gagi claimed ownership of the "Katarina II" name, the band was forced to take another one. They eventually settled on Ekatarina Velika
and released a self-titled album
in 1985. The album was widely critically acclaimed and brought them wider attention. Their next album S' vetrom uz lice
launched them to the very top of the Yugoslav music scene, where they stayed for a long time, releasing a series of successful records. The concerts were jam packed and finally their music even made it on the state radio.
project dedicated to anti-war
campaign. They released one single titled "Slušaj 'vamo". In the spring of 1994, Mladenović recorded and released an album called Angel's Breath in Brazil
together with his old friend Suba
(Mitar Subotić).
. He died on November 5 in Belgrade
, FR Yugoslavia and was buried at Novo groblje
cemetery.
was named after him in 2004, as well as a street in the Podgorica
neighborhood Zabjelo in 2007.
Since July 14, 2011, a plateau in front of Belgrade Youth Center
bears the name "Milan Mladenović plateau".
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
musician best known as the frontman of Serbian art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
band Ekatarina Velika
Ekatarina Velika
Ekatarina Velika , sometimes referred to as EKV for short, was a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock group from Belgrade, being one of the most successful and influential music acts coming out of former Yugoslavia....
.
Early life
Born to Serbian father Spasa and Croatian mother Danica, Milan's first years were spent in ZagrebZagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, SR Croatia, where his father, an officer in the Yugoslav Army
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army , also referred to as the Yugoslav National Army , was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.-Origins:The origins of the JNA can...
, was stationed at the time. Consequently, Milan grew up wherever it was that his dad's job took the family. In total, it ended up being three different cities. When he was six, Milan's family moved to Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
where he spent a notable part of his childhood. Eventually in 1970, they moved to 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...
just short of his 12th birthday. Once in Belgrade, Milan attended the Eleventh Belgrade Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Lekino Brdo neighbourhood while simultaneously entering the circle of young people involved with music and arts.
Limunovo Drvo and Šarlo Akrobata
With schoolmate Gagi Mihajlović, he formed a band called Limunovo drvo (Lemon Tree) that dabbled in melodic hard rock. The group changed lineups frequently, displaying a pretty limited creative potential until the arrival of bassist Dušan Kojić KojaDušan Kojic
Dušan Kojić "Koja" is a Serbian rock bassist, singer and songwriter. He is the frontman of the Serbian Alternative rock band Disciplin A Kitschme .- Compilation albums :...
and drummer Ivan Vdović Vd
Ivan Vdovic
Ivan "Ivica" Vdović also known as VD was Yugoslavian musician, drummer of Yugoslav rock bands such as Suncokret, Šarlo Akrobata and Katarina II....
. Soon afterwards, they adopted a new musical direction (Novi talas) and changed the name to Šarlo akrobata
Šarlo Akrobata
Šarlo Akrobata were a seminal Yugoslav rock band often categorized as late punk or New Wave, particularly art-oriented. Short-lived but extremely influential, in addition to being one of the most important acts of the Yugoslav New Wave scene, the three piece left an indelible mark on the entire...
. During this time Milan was musically very much fond of and inspired by Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, Paul Weller
Paul Weller
Paul Weller is an English singer-songwriter. Starting with the band The Jam , Weller then went on to branch out musically to a more soulful style with The Style Council...
, and Andy Partridge
Andy Partridge
Andrew John "Andy" Partridge is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has been known as Sir John Johns and Melchior and rose to fame as a founding member, guitarist and chief songwriter of the pop/new wave band, XTC. He lives in Swindon, Wiltshire, where he was raised.Partridge also...
of XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
.
Šarlo akrobata released only one album, Bistriji ili tuplji čovek biva kad...
Bistriji ili tuplji covek biva kad...
-Personnel:*Milan Mladenović - guitar, vocals*Dušan Kojić - bass guitar, vocals*Ivan Vdović - drums, vocals-Legacy:The album was polled in 1998 as the 11th on the list of 100 greatest Yugoslav rock and pop albums in the book YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike .-External links:*...
in July 1981 and broke up soon afterward due to creative differences between Milan and Koja. The record is considered to be one of the best and most important albums of the Yugoslav New Wave music
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
scene.
Katarina II and Ekatarina Velika
In late 1981 Milan and his former bandmate from Limunovo drvo Gagi Mihajlović (guitar) hooked up again to form Katarina II. In 1982 Margita StefanovićMargita Stefanovic
Margita "Magi" Stefanović was a Yugoslav and Serbian musician best known as a keyboardist for the Serbian rock band Ekatarina Velika.Born in Belgrade as the only child of well-known theatre and television director Slavoljub Stefanović-Ravassi and Desanka Nikolić...
(keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
), Bojan Pečar
Bojan Pecar
Bojan Pečar was a Yugoslav and Serbian musician, best known as bass player of the cult Yugoslav rock band Ekatarina Velika. Previously he was a member of the New Wave group Via Talas, who were featured on the Yugoslav New Wave compilation album Artistička radna akcija...
(bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Ivan Vdović Vd joined the band. After the self-titled, New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
coloured debut album
Katarina II (album)
Katarina II is the first studio album by the Serbian rock band Ekatarina Velika, released in 1984. The band was called Katarina II at the time of its release, but changed the name to Ekatarina Velika, and has continued to work under that name till the end...
, Vd and Gagi left the band. Since Gagi claimed ownership of the "Katarina II" name, the band was forced to take another one. They eventually settled on Ekatarina Velika
Ekatarina Velika
Ekatarina Velika , sometimes referred to as EKV for short, was a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock group from Belgrade, being one of the most successful and influential music acts coming out of former Yugoslavia....
and released a self-titled album
Ekatarina Velika (album)
Ekatarina Velika is the second studio album by the Serbian rock band Ekatarina Velika, released in 1985. Before this release, the band was called Katarina II, and had released a self-titled album in 1984....
in 1985. The album was widely critically acclaimed and brought them wider attention. Their next album S' vetrom uz lice
S' vetrom uz lice
S' vetrom uz lice is the third studio album by the Serbian rock band Ekatarina Velika, released in 1986. With this album Ekatarina Velika reached a wider audience, and it is considered to be the commercial breakthrough for the band. The new drummer, replacing Ivan "Firchie" Fece, was Ivan "Raka"...
launched them to the very top of the Yugoslav music scene, where they stayed for a long time, releasing a series of successful records. The concerts were jam packed and finally their music even made it on the state radio.
Final works
In 1992, Mladenović joined other Serbian musicians to form RimtutitukiRimtutituki
Rimtutituki was a Serbian rock supergroup featuring Ekatarina Velika, Električni Orgazam and Partibrejkers members. The band was formed as an anti-war project during the Yugoslav Wars...
project dedicated to anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
campaign. They released one single titled "Slušaj 'vamo". In the spring of 1994, Mladenović recorded and released an album called Angel's Breath in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
together with his old friend Suba
Suba (musician)
Mitar "Suba" Subotić a.k.a Rex Illusivi was a Serbian-born musician and composer who was set to become one of Brazil's most prominent producers when he died in November 1999.-Biography:Born Mitar Subotić, he obtained a university degree in his hometown from the University of Novi Sad,...
(Mitar Subotić).
Death
In August 1994, Mladenović discovered that he had pancreatic cancerPancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
. He died on November 5 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...
, FR Yugoslavia and was buried at Novo groblje
Novo groblje
Novo groblje is a cemetery complex in Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in Ruzveltova street in Zvezdara municipality. The cemetery was built in 1886 as the third Christian cemetery in Belgrade. The newly developed cemetery in that period had no chapel or church...
cemetery.
Legacy
Two streets in the capital cities of former Yugoslav republics bear Mladenović's name. A street in the Belgrade neighborhood Zemun PoljeZemun Polje
Zemun Polje is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :...
was named after him in 2004, as well as a street in the Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
neighborhood Zabjelo in 2007.
Since July 14, 2011, a plateau in front of Belgrade Youth Center
Belgrade Youth Center
Belgrade Youth Center, or Dom omladine Beograda , is a cultural center in Belgrade, dedicated primarily to youth. It organises numerous programs in the area of modern art and culture, as well as educational-debate programs: around 1,000 different programs per year, visited by over 180,000 youth...
bears the name "Milan Mladenović plateau".
With Šarlo Akrobata
- Paket aranžmanPaket aranžmanPaket aranžman is a New Wave music compilation album released in 1980 by Jugoton and its one of the most important and influential records ever made in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It features the eminent Belgrade artists: Šarlo Akrobata, Električni Orgazam and Idoli...
(1980) - with Električni orgazamElektrični OrgazamElektrični Orgazam is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade. Originally starting as a combination of New Wave, punk rock and post-punk, the band later slowly changed their style, becoming a mainstream rock act.- New Wave years :...
and Idoli - Bistriji ili tuplji čovek biva kad...Bistriji ili tuplji covek biva kad...-Personnel:*Milan Mladenović - guitar, vocals*Dušan Kojić - bass guitar, vocals*Ivan Vdović - drums, vocals-Legacy:The album was polled in 1998 as the 11th on the list of 100 greatest Yugoslav rock and pop albums in the book YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike .-External links:*...
(1981)
With Katarina II/Ekatarina Velika
- Katarina IIKatarina II (album)Katarina II is the first studio album by the Serbian rock band Ekatarina Velika, released in 1984. The band was called Katarina II at the time of its release, but changed the name to Ekatarina Velika, and has continued to work under that name till the end...
(1984) - Ekatarina VelikaEkatarina Velika (album)Ekatarina Velika is the second studio album by the Serbian rock band Ekatarina Velika, released in 1985. Before this release, the band was called Katarina II, and had released a self-titled album in 1984....
(1985) - S' vetrom uz lice (1986)
- LjubavLjubav (album)Ljubav is the fourth studio album by the Serbian rock band Ekatarina Velika, released in 1987. The new band member, replacing Ivan "Raka" Ranković on drums, was Srđan "Žika" Todorović...
(1987) - Samo par godina za nas (1989)
- Dum DumDum Dum (Ekatarina Velika album)Dum Dum is the sixth studio album by the Serbian rock band Ekatarina Velika, released in 1991. Srdjan "Žika" Todorović was here replaced by Marko Milivojević , who remained the band's drummer till the end...
(1991) - Neko nas posmatraNeko nas posmatra (album)Neko nas posmatra is the seventh, and the last studio album by Serbian rock band Ekatarina Velika, released in 1993. As a contardiction to the previous record, it showed a more optimistic and more positive views...
(1993)