Galija

Galija (Serbian Cyrillic: Галија; trans. Galley) is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band from Niš.

The central figures of the band are brothers Nenad Milosavljević (vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica) and Predrag Milosavljević (vocals). Galija was formed in 1977, and its first several releases were progressive rock-oriented, but in the mid-1980s, the band moved towards more mainstream-oriented sound. In the late 1980s, the band started to cooperate with lyricist Radoman Kanjevac, releasing the album trilogy consisting of Daleko je Sunce (1988), Korak do slobode (1989) and Istorija, ti i ja, with which they achieved huge mainstream popularity. The band managed to sustain their popularity throughout the 1990s, but went on a hiatus at the end of the decade. Since the return to the scene in the mid-2000s, the band remains one of the top mainstream acts of the Serbian rock scene.

Band history

1977 - 1984: progressive rock years

The band was formed in 1977 by former Dva Lustera (Two Chandeliers) members.^[1] The first lineup of Galija featured Nenad Milosavljević (guitar and vocals), Goran Ljubisavljević (guitar), Predrag Branković (bass guitar), Nenad Tančić (drums) and Branislav Stamenković (keyboards).^[1] The band was named after the famous kafana in Niš.^[1] Tančić soon left the band due to his army obligations, and was replaced by Boban Pavlović, who would, during the following years, remain one of the rare permanent members of the band.^[1] In 1978, with the new keyboard player, Zoran Stanković, Galija won the first place at the Gitarijada Festival in Zaječar.^[1] Several months later they performed at the Festival Omladina in Subotica with Ljubodrag Vukadinović playing the keyboards.^[1] During the same year, they performed as the opening band on Smak tour.^[1]

In 1979, the band released their debut album Prva plovidba (The First Sail). Nenad Milosvaljević's brother Predrag Milosavljević appeared on the album on vocals as a guest musician, and also wrote most of the album lyrics.^[2] The album brought hits "Avanturista" ("Adventurer"), "Gospi" ("To the Lady") and "Decimen".^[1] After the band's performance at Bijelo Dugme's rock spectacle on JNA Stadium, Ljubisavljević, Branković and Vukadinović left the band. The bass guitarist Zoran Radosavljević, the guitarist Dušan Radivojević and the keyboardist Nebojša Marković became the band's new members.^[1]

In 1980, the band released their second album, Druga plovidba (The Second Sail). The album was produced by Gordi guitarist Zlatko Manojlović.^[3] Druga plovidba was the first Galija album to feature Predrag Milosavljević as the official band member.^[1] During the same year, the band performed at the Split festival, playing at Poljud Stadium with thirteen other bands.^[1] During this period, Galija achieved huge success with the audience in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and until the beginning of Yugoslav wars the band had the biggest fanbase in Bosnia.^[1] Boban Stamenković left the band in 1980, and was replaced by Zoran Stamenković. During that summer, they performed in Makarska, and during the following years they would continue to hold regular concerts in the town.^[1]

In 1982, the album Ipak verujem u sebe (Nevertheless, I Believe in Myself) was released,^[4] bringing hits "Još uvek sanjam" ("I'm Still Dreaming") and "Burna pijana noć" ("Stormy Drunken Night").^[1] At the beginning of 1982, Boban Pavlović returned to the band.^[1] In 1983, Galija performed as the opening band at Joe Cocker's concert in Pionir Hall in Belgrade, and on the June 10, 1983 they held a big concert at Belgrade's Tašmajdan Stadium with Potop and Kerber as the opening bands.^[1] Potop leader, keyboardist Saša Lokner, soon became a member of Galija.^[1]

1984 - 1988: shift to mainstream rock

In October 1983, Galija recorded their fourth studio album Bez naglih skokova (Without Bounces).^[1] The album, released in 1984, was recorded in Manchester and was produced by Nightwing bass guitarist Gordon Rowley,^[5] who previously worked with another band from Niš, Kerber, and mixed in California.^[1] Unlike the band's previous releases, Bez naglih skokova did not bring any hits.^[1] At the end of 1984, Galija were voted "The Best Live Act on the Shore" by Split youth.^[1] During the year, the band started to hold regular concerts in Music Club 81 in Niš.^[1] During the same year, Lokner joined Bajaga i Instruktori, and was replaced by Aleksandar Ralev.^[1] Jean-Jacques Roscam, a Belgian of Zaire origin, a former Peđa D'Boy Band member, soon joined Galija as the lead guitarist.^[1] In 1986, the band released album Digni ruku (Raise Your Hand).^[6] The album featured Roscam's song "Winter's Coming", which featured lyrics written by Vaya Con Dios singer Dani Klein.^[1]

1988 - 1994: cooperation with Radoman Kanjevac and album trilogy

Galija in the late 1980s

In the late 1980s, the band was joined by the keyboard and flute player Bratislav "Bata" Zlatković and started to work with the lyricist Radoman Kanjevac, the two bringing new ideas.^[1] Kanjevac brought up an idea of releasing an album trilogy which would deal with problems of SFR Yugoslavia in transition.^[1] Album Daleko je Sunce (Distant is the Sun), named after Dobrica Ćosić's novel, featured numerous guest musicians: Kornelije Kovač, Saša Lokner, Nenad Stefanović "Japanac", Ivan Vdović, Fejat Sejdić trumpet orchestra and others.^[7] Songs were named after the works of writers Dobrica Ćosić, Branko Ćopić, Ivo Andrić, Laza Lazarević and Aleksa Šantić.^[1] The album's biggest hits were the ballad "Da li si spavala" ("Did You Sleep") and the folk-oriented "Mi znamo sudbu" ("We Know the Destiny").^[1] The other hits included "Intimni odnosi" ("Intimate Relationship"), "Orlovi rano lete" ("Eagles Start Flying Early ") and "Kao i obično" ("Like Usual").^[1] The song "Zebre i bizoni" ("Zebras and Buffalos") was dealing with the enigma of Josip Broz Tito's residence at Brijuni,^[1] and only "Zebre i bizoni" lyrics were not printed on the inner sleeve.^[8]

After Daleko je Sunce was released, Zoran Radosavljević left the band, and was replaced by Predrag Milanović.^[1] The second part of the trilogy, Korak do slobode (One Step to Freedom) was released in 1989.^[1] The album was produced by Saša Habić.^[9] The song "Sloboda" ("Freedom") featured Kerber frontman Goran Šepa on vocals.^[9] The album hits included "Na tvojim usnama" ("On Your Lips"), "Kopaonik", "Korak do slobode" and "Kad me pogledaš" ("When You Look at Me").^[1] Roscam's reggae song "Ljubavna pesma" ("Love Song") had ironic lyrics dealing with the growing nationalism in Yugoslavia.^[1] During the same year, Nenad Milosavljević won the Composer of the Year Award at MESAM festival, although Zlatković was the band's main author.^[1] The new bass guitarist Dušan Karadžić soon joined Galija.^[1]

At the beginning of 1990, Galija, alongside Riblja Čorba, Valentino, Viktorija and Bajaga i Instruktori, performed in Timişoara, Romania, at the three-day concerts organized two months after the Romanian Revolution.^[1] During the same year, the compilation album Još uvek sanjam (Najveći hitovi) (I'm Still Dreaming (Greatest Hits)) was released, with some of the old songs re-recorded.^[10] At the time of the first multi-party elections in Yugoslavia, Galija recorded a promotional record with songs "On je isti kao on" ("He Is just Like Him", which compared Josip Broz Tito and Slobodan Milošević), "Ti si moja jedina Partija" ("You Are My Only Party"), "Posle svega" ("After Everything") and "Komunista" ("Communist", which featured Romani musician Šaban Bajramović on vocals).^[1] Because of the political censorship, the record was never released.^[1] With the album Istorija, ti i ja (History, You and Me), released in 1991, the trilogy was complete.^[1] The album, produced by Valentino member Nikša Bratoš,^[11] featured some of the band's biggest hits: "Skadarska" ("Skadarska Street"), "Trube" ("Trumpets"), "Da me nisi" ("If You Haven't"), "Trava" ("Grass") and "Seti se maja" ("Remember May").^[1] Soon after the album release, Roscam left Yugoslavia because of the growing tensions in the country.^[1] and Dragutin Jakovljević replaced him in Galija.^[1] In June, Galija was the opening band on Bob Dylan's concert in Zemun.^[1]

The band, in the new lineup, released the compilation album Ni rat ni mir (Odlomci iz trilogije) (Neither War nor Peace (Passages from the Trilogy)), which consisted of songs from the trilogy, and two new songs "Pravo slavlje" ("Real Celebration", also a word play, as "Pravoslavlje" means "Orthodoxy") and "Na Drini ćuprija" ("The Bridge on the Drina").^[12] The 7" single with these two songs was given as a present to the members of the audience on their concert in Sava Centar.^[1] A year later, they held another concert in Sava Centar, as a part of celebration of Srpska književna zadruga hundred years of existence.^[1] For this occasion, they recorded another gift-single, entitled Jednom u sto godina (Once in a Hundred Years), with a cover of Film song "Mi nismo sami" ("We Are Not Alone") and a cover of Indexi song "Sanjam" ("I'm Dreaming"), the latter featuring a recording of Ivo Andrić's voice.^[1] At the beginning of 1993, Zlatković left the band. Oliver Jezdić became the new keyboard player, and Bratislav Milošević became the new bass guitarist.^[1]

The new album Karavan (Caravan) was recorded in Cyprus and produced by Saša Habić.^[13] With Karavan Kanjevac ended his cooperation with the band.^[1]

1994 - 2000: after Kanjevac, without Predrag Milosavljević and hiatus

During the summer of 1994, Karavan was promoted with a large number of free concerts, one of them being a concert in the park outside Belgrade's Old Palace.^[1] At the time, Galija began to promote Socialist Party of Serbia, which has provoked a part of the critics and fans, who have proclaimed Galija a "state's band".^[1]

In 1996, the album Trinaest (Thirteen) was released.^[1] Alongside Predrag Milosavljević's lyrics, Trinaest songs featured lyrics from Branko Radičević, Stevan Raičković and Petar Pajić's poems.^[14] During the next year, the band released the compilation album Večita plovidba (Eternal Sail),^[15] and the studio album Voleti voleti (To Love to Love).^[16]

The recording of the concert they held in Čair Hall in Niš on March 8, 1998 was released on the live album Ja jesam odavde (I Am From Here).^[17] On that evening the band performed in the following lineup: Nenad Milosavljević (acoustic guitar and vocals), Saša Ranđelović (guitar), Dragutin Jakovljević (guitar), Saša Lokner (keyboard), Boban Pavlović (drums) and Slaviša Pavlović (bass guitar).^[1] In 1999, the band released the album Južnjačka uteha (Southern Comfort) with covers of Serbian traditional songs.^[1] The album was recorded without Predrag Milosavljević.^[18] Shortly after the album release, the band went on a hiatus.

2005 - present

Nenad Milosavljević in 2008

In 2005, the band released the album Dobro jutro, to sam ja (Good Morning, It's Me), in the following lineup: Nenad Milosavljević (vocals), Predrag Milosavljević (vocals), Dragutin Jakovljević (guitar), Jan Vrba (keyboards), Boban Pavlović (drums) and Slaviša Pavlović (bass guitar).^[1] The album featured Laza Ristovski, Aleksandra Kovač and Kristina Kovač as guest musicians.^[19] The following year, PGP-RTS released a best of compilation Najveći hitovi (Greatest Hits), featuring digitally remastered eighteen tracks spanning the band's whole career.^[20] In 2009, in order to celebrate 30 years since the release of their debut album Prva plovidba, the band released a compilation album Oženiše me muzikom (They Got Me Married To Music), featuring a double compilation album consisting of 33 tracks recorded from 1979 until 1996, and a DVD entitled Kamera kao svedok (Camera As A Witness), with 19 promotional videos the band recorded during the same period.^[21]

In October 2010, the band released their latest studio album, Mesto pored prozora (A Seat by the Window). The album title was selected out of four suggestions via fan e-mail poll.^[22] Videos for the songs "Zločin i kazna" ("Crime and Punishment"), which featured the actor Srđan Todorović,^[23] and "Čuvam ti mesto pored prozora" ("I'm Keeping a Seat by the Window for You") were directed by Aleksa Gajić.^[24][25] In May, 2011, Galija performed in Sarajevo for the first time after twenty years.^[26] The band celebrated thirty-five years of work with two concerts in Sava Centar, on October 22 and 23, 2011. The setlist consisted mostly of the band's ballads in new arrangements.^[27] The concerts featured numerous guests: TV host Ivan Ivanović, the band's former member Jean Jacques Roscam, actor Goran Sultanović, actress Sloboda Mićalović Ćetković, traditional music singer Biljana Krstić, rock musician Kiki Lesendrić, pop musician Vlado Georgiev, actor Vuk Kostić, and others.^[28]

In 2014, after the 2014 Serbian parliamentary election, Nenad Milosavljević became a deputy in the National Assembly of Serbia as a member of Socialist Party of Serbia.^[29] On April 22, 2016, the band performed, alongside Riblja Čorba, Van Gogh, Piloti and Električni Orgazam on the opening of renovated Tašmajdan Stadium.^[30] The band celebrated their 40th anniversary with two concerts. The first one was a part of the festival 5 do 100 (5 to 100), which was held on July 4, 2016 on Niš Fortress. The festival featured Galija, the band Novembar, celebrating their 25th anniversary, and the band Van Gogh celebrating their 30th anniversary (the combined "age" of the bands was 95, thus the title of the festival).^[31] The second concert will be held in Belgrade's Sports Hall Ranko Žeravica on December 29, 2016.^[32]

Legacy

Galija song "Intimni odnosi" was covered in 2011 by Serbian soul band Maraqya, on their album Savršen dan (Perfect Day).^[33]

In 2011, the song "Još uvek sanjam" was polled, by the listeners of Radio 202, one of 60 greatest songs released by PGP-RTB/PGP-RTS during the sixty years of the label's existence.^[34]

The lyrics of 12 songs by the band (1 written by Predrag Milosavljević, 10 written by Radoman Kanjevac and 1 written by Kanjevac and Bata Zlatković) were featured in Petar Janjatović's book Pesme bratstva, detinjstva & potomstva: Antologija ex YU rok poezije 1967 - 2007 (Songs of Brotherhood, Childhood & Offspring: Anthology of Ex YU Rock Poetry 1967 - 2007).^[35]

Discography

• Prva plovidba (1979)
• Druga plovidba (1980)
• Ipak verujem u sebe (1982)
• Bez naglih skokova (1984)
• Digni ruku (1986)
• Daleko je Sunce (1988)
• Korak do slobode (1989)
• Istorija, ti i ja (1991)
• Karavan (1994)
• Trinaest (1996)
• Voleti voleti (1997)
• Južnjačka uteha (1999)
• Dobro jutro, to sam ja (2005)
• Mesto pored prozora (2010)

References

• EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960-2006, Janjatović Petar; ISBN 978-86-905317-1-4
• Enciklopedija niškog Rock 'n' Rolla 1962 - 2000, Stanojević Vladan; ISBN 86-902517-1-5

External links

• Official website
• Official YouTube channel
• Galija at Progarchives
• Galija at Discogs