Divlje Jagode

Divlje Jagode (lit. 'Wild Strawberries') is a hard rock and heavy metal band, originally formed in 1977 in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia, and since their 1994 reunion based in Zagreb, Croatia. Led by guitarist Sead "Zele" Lipovača, Divlje Jagode are widely considered to be one of the most popular hard rock and heavy metal bands in the region of former Yugoslavia. Since their founding, the band have released 13 studio albums, a live album and a number of compilation albums, scoring a number of hit songs and selling around 4 million records.

The band was formed in 1977 by Sead Lipovača (guitar), Anto "Toni" Janković (vocals), Nihad Jusufhodžić (bass guitar), Adonis Dokuzović (drums) and Mustafa "Muc" Ismailovski (keyboards). Throughout Divlje Jagode's career, Lipovača would remain the leader and the only mainstay member of the group. The band gained the attention of the Yugoslav public and the media with their 1978 debut self-titled album and the 1981 album Stakleni hotel. After the release of their second album, Janković left the band, parting ways with the rest of the group amicably, and would be seen on several occasions in the following years as guest musician on the band's concerts and albums. With bass guitarist Alen Islamović taking over the vocal duties and the albums Motori (1982), Čarobnjaci (1983) and Vatra (1985), the band achieved large mainstream popularity in Yugoslavia, which provided them with a contract with a British record label and an opportunity to record an album for the international market. In 1986, the group moved to London, England, where they started working on their international career under the name Wild Strawberries, adopting a more glam metal image and recording an English language album. However, doubting the success of the band's venture in England, Islamović accepted the invitation from Goran Bregović, the leader of the most popular Yugoslav band Bijelo Dugme, to join his group as the replacement for the vocalist Mladen Vojičić "Tifa", and the album Wild Strawberries was released internationally without much promotion. After a hiatus, Lipovača reformed the group in Yugoslavia with Bijelo Dugme's former frontman Vojičić as the vocalist, recording the 1988 album Konji. In 1989, the band was joined by former Osmi Putnik vocalist Zlatan Stipišić "Džibo". Despite making demo recording, the lineup featuring Stipišić never made any official releases, and Divlje Jagode disbanded in 1990.

In 1994, Lipovača reformed the group, long-time bass guitarist Zlatan Čehić taking over the vocals. The band's following releases, Labude, kad rata ne bude (1994) and Sto vjekova (1996), the latter recorded with vocalist Žanil "Žak" Tataj, presented the band with a slightly softer, more ballad-oriented sound. With the 2003 album Od neba do neba, recorded with vocalist Pero Galić, the band reestablished their popularity in the region of former Yugoslavia. Since 2013, the band has performed with vocalist Livio Berak, Divlje Jagode original vocalist Anto Janković becoming an official member once more and the second vocalist for the band with the release of the 2020 studio album Jukebox.

The band's beginnings can be tracked to the mid-1970s and the Zagreb-based band Zenit (Zenith), featuring guitarist Sead "Zele" Lipovača. Lipovača was born in Bihać and, after graduating from high school, moved to Zagreb for his studies of external trade. In Zagreb he performed with the bands Biseri (The Pearls) and Selekcija (Selection), before joining Zenit. Zenit reached the peak of their career with their performance at the 1974 edition of the BOOM Festival, held in Tivoli Hall in Ljubljana, with the live version of their song "Stara kuća je prazna" ("The Old House Is Empty") appearing on the live album Boom Pop Festival Ljubljana '74, recorded at the event. In 1977, Zenit former members Lipovača, vocalist Anto "Toni" Janković and bass guitarist Nihad Jusufhodžić formed the band Divlje Jagode in Sarajevo. The first lineup of the group also featured keyboardist Mustafa "Muc" Ismailovski (formerly of the band Grešnici) and drummer Adonis Dokuzović (formerly of Novi Akordi and Renesansa). The group soon managed to sign a contract with Yugoslavia's biggest record label Jugoton. The members initially wanted to name the band Dobro Ime (A Good Name), but the idea was ridiculed by Jugoton editors. Eventually, the members chose the name Divlje Jagode (Wild Stawberries), after the 1957 film by Ingmar Bergman.

The band achieved large popularity with their first singles – hard rock ballads "Jedina moja" ("My Only One") and "Patkica" ("Duckling"), and a cover of Bosnian traditional song "Moj dilbere" ("My Sweetheart"). In 1978, Divlje Jagode released their debut self-titled album. The album featured Led Zeppelin-, Deep Purple- and Black Sabbath-influenced hard rock sound, with "Želim da te imam" ("I Want to Have You"), the balad "Krivo je more" ("The Sea Is to Blame"), and a new version of "Jedina moja" receiving large airplay. After the album was released, the band went on hiatus, as part of the members had to serve their mandatory stints in the Yugoslav People's Army. Ismailovski moved to pop rock band Srebrna Krila, and Lipovača, together with lyricist Marina Tucaković, became the spiritus movens for the disco group Mirzino Jato.

The band continued their activity in 1980, in the new lineup featuring Lipovača, Janković and two new members, bass guitarist Alen Islamović, formerly of the band BAG, and drummer Nasir "Nasko" Budimlić, formerly of the band Problemi sa Miljacke (Problems from Miljacka). Unsatisfied by their previous record label's promotion of their first album, Lipovača made a decision to move to Sarajevo-based record label Diskoton, which would release all the band's albums before their breakup in 1990. In the Belgrade studio Druga maca (Another Kitty), owned by producer Enco Lesić, the band recorded their second studio album entitled Stakleni hotel (Glass Hotel), which marked their complete shift towards heavy metal. The album was co-produced by Lipovača and Lesić. The songs were composed by Lipovača, and the lyrics were written by Islamović, Marina Tucaković, Goran Petranović (vocalist for the band Elvis J. Kurtović & His Meteors) and Šefket Nakić. The album brought several hit songs – hippie-inspired "Autostop" ("Hitchhiking") and the ballads "Dodirni me, skloni bol" ("Touch Me, Remove the Pain") and "Potraži put" ("Look for the Road").

On the tour that followed the album release, Lipovača appeared in schoolboy stage outfit inspired by the stage outfit of AC/DC guitarist Angus Young. During 1981, the band played around one hundred concerts, including the September 1981 performance on the festival at the Belgrade Hippodrome, headlined by the most popular Yugoslav band Bijelo Dugme and British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, for which this was the first performance in the region. Divlje Jagode also had a successful appearance at the 1981 Belgrade Rock Festival and on the fund-raising concerts for the victims of an earthquake in Bosanska Krajina.

In 1982, Janković parted with the rest of the band amicably, starting a career as a solo artist, releasing his first solo album Za tvoju ljubav (For Your Love) in 1984. Alen Islamović, in addition to playing bass guitar, took over the vocal duties. The band's third studio album and the first with Islamović on vocals was recorded in Music Park Studios in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany, and produced by Theo Werdin. The songs were composed by Lipovača, and the lyrics were written by Islamović. The album, entitled Motori (Motorcycles), was released in 1982, the title track becoming a nationwide hit. Other well-received songs included "Šejla", "Zagrizi rokenrol" ("Bite On Rock 'n' Roll") and the ballads "Nasmiješi se" ("Smile") and "Ne želiš kraj" ("You Don't Want the End"), the latter featuring lyrics written by Janković before he left the band. On a part of the follow up tour, Janković made guest appearances on the band's concerts. Following Motori and the subsequent tour, Divlje Jagode was considered as one of the most popular bands in the country.