Mile Lojpur
Encyclopedia
Milan "Mile" Lojpur (March 4, 1930 - July 29, 2005) was a former Yugoslav and Serbia
n rock
musician, arguably the first Serbian, Yugoslav (or even Balkan) rock and roll
musician.
, he performed mostly in Belgrade
. He was one of the first performers of the so-called "električna muzika" ("electrical music", a former Yugoslav slang
for rock and roll
in the late 1950s and early 1960s). In 1958 he started performing with Sekstet M (trans. "Sextet
M") led by trumpeter Mile Nedeljković. In 1959 they changed their name to Septet M (trans. "Septet
M"), and performed under that name until 1965. Septet M performed at the dances in Belgrade and during the summer they performed mostly at Rovinj
. They rose to fame at the performances they organized at Red Star
basketball courts at Kalemegdan
. These performances were entitled "Zvezdane noći" ("Starry Nights"). Their act consisted of classics' cover
s: "Rock Around the Clock
" by Bill Haley & His Comets
, "Blue Suede Shoes
" by Carl Perkins
and others. At the time Lojpur got his nickname Mile Najlon ("Mile Nylon
") as being one of the first in Belgrade who wore nylon shirts. He was famous for his spectacular appearance and microphone
attached to his guitar
. The spirit of the era was revived in 1975 TV series Grlom u jagode
by Srđan Karanović, in which Lojpur appeared as himself.
In 1960s Lojpur went to Finland
where he performed for six months. After returning to Yugoslavia, all to mid-80s, he performed as a guitar player and singer in Mažestik hotel's bar and many other music venues throughout Belgrade's rich music scene. In the mid-80s, Lojpur had his big comeback, appealing to the young crowds again. He hooked up with Saša Lunginović, son of his former band member, Dušan Lunginović, and started performing. At the same time, Casio
and Yamaha
companies came up with very sophisticated keyboards for one-man-band performers, and he slowly switched to keyboards and went ahead by performing alone. In 1988 he made a guest appearance on Nikola Čuturilo
's first solo album 9 lakih komada in the song "Kad je Lojpur svirao" ("When Lojpur Used to Play") and in 1996 he made a guest appearance on Prljavi inspektor Blaža i Kljunovi
album Plagijati i obrade in the cover of his old hit "Šumadijski Twist" ("Šumadija
Twist").
He died in Belgrade in 2005.
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 rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician, arguably the first Serbian, Yugoslav (or even Balkan) rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
musician.
Biography
Although Lojpur was born in ZrenjaninZrenjanin
Zrenjanin is a city and municipality located in the eastern part of Serbian province of Vojvodina. It is the administrative centre of the Central Banat District of Serbia...
, he performed mostly 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...
. He was one of the first performers of the so-called "električna muzika" ("electrical music", a former Yugoslav slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
for rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
in the late 1950s and early 1960s). In 1958 he started performing with Sekstet M (trans. "Sextet
Sextet
A sextet is a formation containing exactly six members. It is commonly associated with vocal or musical instrument groups, but can be applied to any situation where six similar or related objects are considered a single unit....
M") led by trumpeter Mile Nedeljković. In 1959 they changed their name to Septet M (trans. "Septet
Septet
A septet is a formation containing exactly seven members. It is commonly associated with musical groups, but can be applied to any situation where seven similar or related objects are considered a single unit, such as a seven-line stanza of poetry....
M"), and performed under that name until 1965. Septet M performed at the dances in Belgrade and during the summer they performed mostly at Rovinj
Rovinj
Rovinj is a city in Croatia situated on the north Adriatic Sea with a population of 13,562 . It is located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula and is a popular tourist resort and an active fishing port...
. They rose to fame at the performances they organized at Red Star
KK Crvena zvezda
Košarkaški klub Crvena zvezda is a professional basketball club based in Belgrade, Serbia. Its name Crvena zvezda means Red Star and it's part of the Red Star Belgrade sports society ....
basketball courts at Kalemegdan
Kalemegdan
Belgrade Fortress , represent old citadel and Kalemegdan Park on the confluence of the River Sava and Danube, in an urban area of modern Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Stari Grad...
. These performances were entitled "Zvezdane noći" ("Starry Nights"). Their act consisted of classics' cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s: "Rock Around the Clock
Rock Around the Clock
"Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954...
" by Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of...
, "Blue Suede Shoes
Blue Suede Shoes
"Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955 and is considered one of the first rockabilly records and incorporated elements of blues, country and pop music of the time...
" by Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
and others. At the time Lojpur got his nickname Mile Najlon ("Mile Nylon
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
") as being one of the first in Belgrade who wore nylon shirts. He was famous for his spectacular appearance and microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
attached to his guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. The spirit of the era was revived in 1975 TV series Grlom u jagode
Grlom u jagode
Grlom u jagode is a 1975 Serbian TV series directed by Srđan Karanović and co-written by Karanović and Rajko Grlić. Depicting the life and times of a young man nicknamed Bane Bumbar, the series achieved huge popularity throughout SFR Yugoslavia....
by Srđan Karanović, in which Lojpur appeared as himself.
In 1960s Lojpur went to Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
where he performed for six months. After returning to Yugoslavia, all to mid-80s, he performed as a guitar player and singer in Mažestik hotel's bar and many other music venues throughout Belgrade's rich music scene. In the mid-80s, Lojpur had his big comeback, appealing to the young crowds again. He hooked up with Saša Lunginović, son of his former band member, Dušan Lunginović, and started performing. At the same time, Casio
Casio
is a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company founded in 1946, with its headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Casio is best known for its electronic products, such as calculators, audio equipment, PDAs, cameras, musical instruments, and watches...
and Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
companies came up with very sophisticated keyboards for one-man-band performers, and he slowly switched to keyboards and went ahead by performing alone. In 1988 he made a guest appearance on Nikola Čuturilo
Nikola Čuturilo
Nikola Čuturilo , also known as Čutura is a Serbian musician...
's first solo album 9 lakih komada in the song "Kad je Lojpur svirao" ("When Lojpur Used to Play") and in 1996 he made a guest appearance on Prljavi inspektor Blaža i Kljunovi
Prljavi inspektor Blaža i Kljunovi
Prljavi Inspektor Blaža i Kljunovi is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade.-1990s:...
album Plagijati i obrade in the cover of his old hit "Šumadijski Twist" ("Šumadija
Šumadija
Šumadija is a geographical region in Serbia. The area is heavily covered with forests, hence the name...
Twist").
He died in Belgrade in 2005.
Legacy
Although neither he nor his band made any recordings, they had a great influence on subsequent development of popular music in Serbia and Yugoslavia. His simple, but catchy lyrics such as "Mile broj jedan, Mile broj dva i Mile Lojpur, to sam ja!" ("Mile No.1, Mile No.2, and Mile Lojpur that is me!") are still remembered as a symbol of the beginnings of rock music in Yugoslavia.External links
- Mile Lojpur at Eurorockabilly.com
- Leksikon YU Mitologije
- Mile Lojpur at IMDB
- Grlom u Jagode TV show on IMDB
See also
- One-man bandOne-man bandA one-man band is a musician who plays a number of musical instruments simultaneously using their hands, feet, limbs, and various mechanical contraptions. The simplest type of "one-man band" — a singer accompanying themselves on acoustic guitar and harmonica mounted in a metal "harp rack" below the...