Bebi Dol

Bebi Dol (Serbian Cyrillic: Беби Дол, bêbi dôːl, born Dragana Šarić, Serbian Cyrillic: Драгана Шарић, drǎɡana ʃǎːritɕ or [ʃâritɕ]) is a Serbian female pop/rock singer and performer. Her name is a deliberate corruption of the English Baby Doll, which she also uses in some countries to credit her records.

Musical career

Early career

Šarić had contact with music since her early years, as her father, Milenko Šarić, was a jazz musician. She started her career in the late 1970s in the band Tarkus. During the late 1979, she made her first studio recordings as a guest vocalist on the Igra Staklenih Perli album Vrt svetlosti (Garden of Light), released in 1980. In 1981, with the guitarist Goran Vejvoda and the bass guitarist Ivan Vdović, she formed the short-lasting band Annoda Rouge.

1981 – 1995

In 1981, Šarić, under the name Bebi Dol, released her solo debut, Oriental music-inspired single "Mustafa", which she composed together with Saša Habić.^[1] The song featured the recording of Slobodan Konjović's voice. Konjović was, at the time, Studio B musical editor, and participated in "Mustafa" production.

In 1983, she released her first solo album, Ruže i krv (Roses and Blood). She wrote all the songs on the album, except "Sinu Sunca i bratu Meseca" ("To the Son of the Sun and brother of the Moon"), a cover of 17th century traditional song, featuring recordings of Lauren Bacall's and Humphrey Bogart's dialogues, and "Lapis Lazzuli", a cover of Angelo Branduardi song. The album featured Saša Habić (as the producer and on bass guitar and keyboards), Goran Vejvoda (on guitar), Dejan Kostić (on guitar and bass guitar), Zoran Zagorčić (on keyboards), Bebi Dol's father Milenko Šarić (on saxophone), Dejan Stanisavljević (on keyboards), Slobodan Marković (on keyboards), Zoran Konjović (on guitar), and the Radio Television Belgrade's String Quartet.^[2] During the same year, she released the 12" single Rudi. Beside the title track (referring to Rudolph Valentino), which became a huge hit, the single also featured a cover of The Supremes song "Baby Love".^[3] During her 1983 staying in England, she worked with Howard Devoto, but these recordings never saw the light of the day.

In 1984, she took the offer for a singing engagement at Cairo. She spent two years in Egypt, between 1984 and 1986. After returning to Yugoslavia, in 1986, she released the 12" single How Good Not to Love in cooperation with Saša Habić. During the same year, she won the first place at the MESAM Festival, with the song "Inšalah" (transliteration for "Insha'Allah"), again inspired by Middle-Eastern music. The song was released on a split 7" single, together with Zana Nimani's song "Ruža na dlanu" ("Rose on the Palm").^[4] She also appeared on the 1988 MESAM Festival, performing the song "Slatke suze ljubavi" ("Sweet Tears of Love"), and on the 1989 MESAM, performing the song "Kad sreća odlazi" ("When Happiness is Leaving"), winning the Best Interpretation Award. In 1989, she also performed at the Gold Malaysian Festival in Kuala Lumpur. During the same year, she worked with Neil Rolnick.

In 1991, after several tries, Bebi Dol finally won the National Eurovision Contest with the song "Brazil", and went on to represent SFR Yugoslavia on the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest in Rome. She took only one point for the evening, also becoming the very last artist to represent SFR Yugoslavia at the contest, as the country de facto ceased to exist later that year.

After a four-year break in her work, in 1995, Bebi Dol released her second album, Ritam srca (Rhythm of the Heart). The album featured Mario Šerapović (of the band Psihopolis) on guitar, and Laza Ristovski on keyboards. Alongside the new versions of the previously released "Brazil", "Iznad duge" (a Serbian language cover of "Over the Rainbow") and "Rudi", the album featured new songs, written by Bebi Dol and Zoran Vračević. The album also featured a cover of Madonna song "Take a Bow" entitled "Pokloni se".^[5] The album's main hits were the songs "Hajde da..." ("Let's...") and "...Da pričamo... (O ljubavi)" ("...Let's Talk... (About Love)"). After the album release, she semi-retired from the scene. In 1999, she performed at the Child of Tomorrow concert held in Helsinki. She was part of the choir featuring musicians from all over the world. On the same concert, she performed the song "Ruža" ("Rose"), originally composed by Zoran Zagorčić on the lyrics by Nina Živančević.

2002 – present

In 2002, Bebi Dol released her comeback album Ljuta sam... (I'm Angry...). The album, produced by Vlada Marković, featured songs written mostly by Bebi Dol herself.^[6] In the song "Pesma o Simi" ("Song about Sima") she quoted her old hit "Mustafa". She took part in Beovizija 2003 festival with the song "Tvrdoglava" ("Stubborn").

In December 2006, she released an English language cover album, entitled Čovek rado izvan sebe živi (Man Gladly Lives outside Himself), featuring covers of songs by James Brown, The Rolling Stones, Paul Anka, Marvin Gaye, Deniece Williams, Audrey Hepburn, The Beatles, Carole King, Bob & Earl, Barbra Streisand and Billy Strayhorn.^[7] In 2007, she released her first live album, Veče u pozorištu (An Evening in the Theatre), recorded on the concert held on February 16, 2007 in Terazije Theatre. The album, beside the songs released on Čovek rado izvan sebe živi, featured covers of songs by Lenny Kravitz, Simon & Garfunkel, Pink Floyd, Louis Armstrong and Michael Jackson.^[8]

In 2008, she released the compilation album ...Pokloni se....^[9]

Other activities

During her career, Bebi Dol made numerous guests appearances, singing vocals and backing vocals on albums by Igra Staklenih Perli, Bulevar, Idoli, Oliver Mandić, Kozmetika, Du Du A, Leb i Sol, Massimo Savić, Zona B, Laza Ristovski, Bajaga i Instruktori, and other artists.

For Boro Drašković's 1985 film Život je lep (Life is Beautiful) she gave her voice to Sonja Savić's character singing parts. Bebi Dol acted in Žika Mitrović's 1986 film Protestni album (Protest album). She portrayed Ophelia in Hamlet played during 1987 in Titograd National Theatre.

She hosted a talk show on the Belgrade TV Art.

Personal life

During the early 1980s, Bebi Dol was in a relationship with Goran Vejvoda,^[10] and later during the decade with Massimo Savić.^[11]

Discography

Studio albums

• Ruže i krv (1983)
• Ritam srca (1995)
• Ljuta sam... (2002)
• Čovek rado izvan sebe živi (2006)

Live albums

• Veče u pozorištu (2007)

Compilations

• ...Pokloni se... (2008)

Singles

• "Mustafa" / "Na planeti uzdaha" (1981)
• Rudi (12" single; 1983)
• "Inšalah" / "Ruža na dlanu" (split single with Zana Nimani; 1986)
• "Prove To All" / "How Good Not To Love" (1986)
• "Brazil" (1991)

References

• EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960-2006, Janjatović Petar; ISBN 978-86-905317-1-4

External links

• Bebi Dol at Discogs
• Dragana Saric at the Internet Movie Database